What you need to know
- Google has announced the Fitbit Ace LTE, a smartwatch for kids that aims to promote a healthier and more active lifestyle.
- In addition to various ‘eejies’, ‘games’ and other ways to get children moving, the Ace LTE also offers calling, messaging and location sharing.
- To take advantage of the mobile connectivity, parents must sign up for Ace Pass, which costs $9.99 per month or $119.99 per year.
- This new smartwatch costs $229.95 and will be available from Google and Amazon from June 5.
It’s not often that we hear about a new kids’ smartwatch, let alone one that comes straight from Google and Fitbit. That’s all about to change, as the Fitbit Ace LTE appears to offer a completely different way to keep your kids healthy and motivated to exercise.
Aside from the straps and included bumper cover, the Ace LTE doesn’t look much different than the Fitbit Versa 4 or Sense 2. However, despite the similarities, the Ace LTE has the same internals as the Pixel Watch 2, even down to the charger.
This new wearable is water resistant up to 50 meters, while the screen uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3. In terms of connectivity, the Ace LTE is equipped with 4G LTE, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 and there is even NFC. The NFC is especially interesting, because ‘tap to Pay’ will become available ‘within a few months’, probably via Google Wallet.
Not only is the battery water-resistant and quite powerful, but it should also last the life of your little ones. It lasts up to 16 hours on a single charge, and fast charging gives you an additional 11 hours of enjoyment after just 30 minutes of charging.
As for what the Fitbit Ace LTE tracks when it comes to workouts, this smartwatch has a plethora of sensors. These include an accelerometer, optical heart rate, altimeter, magnetometer, gyroscope and ambient light sensor.
On the software side, Fitbit has built this new interface on top of Wear OS to provide a ‘tailored experience’. This opened the doors for things like ‘Eejies’, the ‘Noodle’ and ‘interval-based gaming’. According to Fitbit, Eejies are “adaptable creatures that feed on daily activities.”
Not only are they there to stand by your kids’ side and cheer them on, but playing games and earning ‘arcade tickets’ unlocks various customizations. Speaking of games, Google and Fitbit have teamed up with several gaming studios to create interactive 3D games that can be played directly from the watch.
At launch, the Ace LTE comes with six games, but more are planned every quarter. The goal is to get your kids “at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day,” and encourage them by building streaks. This is similar to what the Apple Watch offers by closing rings, but kids aren’t punished just for missing a day.
Instead, kids are still rewarded for partial completion, a concept we hope will be adopted for adult smartwatches. That way, you don’t have to feel guilty if your little one wasn’t feeling well and spent the day resting and recharging.
Thanks to the new Fitbit Ace app, parents can control and monitor everything their children do with the watch. This includes adding up to twenty trusted contacts that your kids can call or text, viewing their location, and more. Do you want to be sure that your child pays attention during class and does not play games? Set School Time to keep everything locked down while still monitoring and accounting for all activities.
Another advantage is that the Ace LTE, like the best Fitbit wearables, is cross-platform. You can install the Fitbit Ace app and set everything up whether you’re on Android or an iPhone. All this is made possible without you having to give your child their own phone.
Now you might be wondering how privacy plays a role in this. According to Google, the only people who can see your child’s location and activity are their parents. Additionally, location data is automatically deleted after 24 hours, while activity data remains in the app for “up to 35 days” before being automatically deleted as well.
You won’t find any third-party apps either, as your child will only have access to the content available right out of the box and through subsequent software updates. The same goes for advertisements, because there are none each ads showing on this child’s smartwatch. Google has also confirmed that none of the data collected will be used for Google Ads.
Last, but not least, is How this smartwatch can offer things like LTE, voice calling, GPS, and messaging without a dedicated phone. Well, that’s all made possible by signing up for Ace Pass.
For $9.99 per month or $119.99 per year, Ace Pass includes the LTE data plan, access to the Arcade, and more. Google has worked with several carriers to provide the best possible coverage, and the SIM card is already installed in the smartwatch. All you have to do is download the Fitbit Ace app, pair the smartwatch and set everything up from there.
Unfortunately, all this means is that Ace Pass is required to “access most features.” This is quite disappointing, as it essentially turns the smartwatch into a subscription-free paperweight, unless you buy into it of course.
You can pre-order the Fitbit Ace LTE for $229.95 from Google today, ahead of the June 5 release date. As an added bonus, if you sign up for the Fitbit Ace Pass annual subscription between now and August 31, you’ll save 50% and receive a free collectible Ace Band.
Stay healthy and have fun
The Fitbit Ace LTE is perhaps the most powerful smartwatch for children on the market. It features the same internals as the Pixel Watch 2 and makes it easy for parents to keep an eye on their little ones.