Fitbit announced the Ace LTE smartwatch for children aged 7 and over. Google says this device “turns exercise into play while giving families peace of mind with reliable calling, messaging, and location sharing with parents.”
Ace LTE comes with “fully immersive, interactive 3D games”; each of these is specifically designed for the device using haptic information, sounds and accelerometer. The company promises that Fitbit Arcade will be updated with new games “every few months.”
The smartwatch recognizes and rewards “any physical activity,” like playing hide-and-seek, jumping on the bed, or “dancing with siblings.” All of these kid-specific moves will appear in the “Noodle” activity ring on the home screen, which “celebrates kids achieving daily movement goals.”
The device uses a new movement algorithm developed by the Google Research team that better and more accurately measures children's physical activity throughout the day, while also encouraging and motivating “all kinds of movement.”
Fitbit Ace LTE is a product designed with privacy front and center. Therefore, it only shows parents the child's location or activity data. Location data is deleted after 24 hours, and activity data is deleted after a maximum of 35 days. There are no ads or third-party apps, and only people added by a parent can call or message the device.
The watch features “eejis,” customizable creatures that feed on daily activities. Thus, the more children achieve their movement goals, the healthier and happier their eeejies become. Kids earn arcade tickets to customize their eejie's look with new outfits or decorate their home by completing daily activities and progressing through each game.
Fitbit Ace LTE comes with six collectible bands, each of which unlocks different items, styles, rooms, and Noodles when attached to the watch for the first time. These groups are sold separately and new ones will be released regularly.
Fitbit Ace LTE works with the new Fitbit Ace app, which gives parents the ability to see their child's real-time location or make calls, send and receive texts and voice messages. You can also add trusted contacts and manage settings like School Time to eliminate distractions during class.
“Within a few months” the watch will have Tap and Pay support so that “children can have safe and easy access to pocket money”. Ace LTE has a 328 mAh battery that is water resistant up to 50 meters and lasts over 16 hours, and charges from zero to full capacity in 70 minutes. It also has a high-resolution display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The dimensions of the watch are 41.04 x 44.89 x 13.35 mm and its weight without strap is 28 grams.
How much should you pay for Fitbit Ace LTE?
Fitbit Ace LTE comes with the Fitbit Ace Pass data plan, which costs $9.99 per month or $119.99 for an annual subscription. However, a half discount is offered until August 31st. For annual plans, the $34.99 Ace Band will be free. The watch will be available on June 5 with a price tag of $230.