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ZDNET’s key takeaways
The Fitbit Ace LTE
The Fitbit Ace features a rich, kid-friendly platform that is easy to navigate. Also, the monthly fee is inexpensive, especially at 50% off for the annual plan through August.
However, the watch doesn’t feature sleep-tracking insights or support for receiving images or voice messages. Parents also don’t get a phone number with the data plan.
Google recently launched the new Fitbit Ace LTE, a kids’ smartwatch that gamifies physical activity to encourage movement in exchange for playtime on the device. The coolest thing about it is that Google doesn’t skimp on the features; it’s a good smartwatch on its own, so you can presumably trust it to only get better in time, as evidenced by the upcoming updates.
Also: Skip the iPad: This $190 tablet is redefining what a kids tablet can do
The new Fitbit Ace LTE features a large 41mm by 45mm Gorilla Glass watch face, which seems huge for a kids’ smartwatch but is actually just the right size. All the games are meant to be played on the watch itself, so the extra screen real estate is readily appreciated as soon as you interact with it.
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For comparison, I’ve been testing the Xplora XGO3 for over a year now. It’s a $130 kids’ smartwatch that also requires a monthly data subscription and gamifies physical activity. However, the Xplora XGO3 gives kids virtual coins in exchange for steps taken, which they can exchange for games on a phone or tablet. While it’s also very limited in what kids can write — there’s no keyboard in the messaging app — it has fewer features than the Fitbit Ace LTE.
Fitbit Ace app for grownups
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
The Fitbit Ace LTE looks more like a grownup smartwatch than one for kids, but it doesn’t include a phone number with the Ace Pass. Instead, the watch requires the parents to use the Fitbit Ace app on their iOS or Android smartphone, which gives them full access to their kids’ smartwatch settings, location, data plan, messaging, calling, and more.
The Fitbit Ace app lets parents see their kids’ recent activity broken down into
The best smartwatch for kids that I’ve tested is not an Apple Watch or Garmin
