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Garmin's Vivofit Jr. rewards kids for being active
Garmin has painted the Vivofit band in lively colors and shrunk it down to create its first activity tracker for kids. Vivofit Jr. can track steps and sleep, as well as how long your kid has been moving, just like the band for adults. And, yes, it can also be worn in the pool. However, since it was still made with children in mind, its companion app comes with some extra features: gaming aspects and the ability to monitor multiple kids' activities.
Xiaomi's smartwatch for kids costs less than $50
Look, Xiaomi's smartwatch for kids isn't anything revolutionary. It has features typically found in children's wearables, including the ability to make and receive calls and to track users' whereabouts. The best thing about it, however, is its price: it only costs 299 yuan or around $46, which is a lot cheaper than many other smartwatches for kids out there. Besides voice calls, the Mi Bunny Smartwatch also alerts parents when their kids wander out of the virtual fence they've set up. Plus, it has an SOS button children can press if they need help: pushing it will send their current location data to their parents' phones in seconds. The company didn't say whether the Bunny watches will make their way stateside, but you can read all about its features right here.
Omate's kids smartwatch does 3G calls and reliable tracking
Smartwatch connoisseurs should already be familiar with Omate, the maker of one of the first full-Android watches with cellular connectivity. Given the recent surge in the number of kids smartwatches, it's no surprise to see Omate also announcing one, which is dubbed the Wherecom K3. It's essentially a plastic version of the company's earlier TrueSmart+, featuring the same 1.54-inch 320 x 320 touchscreen, 1GHz dual-core chip, 3G radio (1900 MHz for US or 2100 MHz for Europe), Micro SIM slot, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and Android 5.1. The additional benefits here are the swappable 20mm straps and obviously the lighter weight. Unlike the DokiWatch, though, there's no camera nor waterproofing on the $129 Wherecom K3, but it'll be available from retailers in April which is one month ahead of its competitor's shipping date.
Parents can call their kids directly on this smartwatch in Japan
You only need to look at these mamorino watches once to know they're for kids. What might surprise you, though, is that they come with a pretty nice feature, especially for parents of children who tend to lose their phones: VoLTE. Yes, parents can call (or text) their children directly on this watch, which sounds fun to be honest. Which kid doesn't like pretending to be a spy or a high-tech, gadget-loving superhero that takes calls on his/her wrist?
DokiWatch lets kids make video calls and share their location
A cellular watch that can make video calls? You won't find many of them because smartphones are so much better at doing that, but we've probably all longed for this seemingly futuristic concept when we were young (just as our own James Trew confessed in his Neptune Pine review). Thanks to the folks over at Doki Technologies, kids these days will get to realize this dream. The DokiWatch is a rugged Android smartwatch with a 1.22-inch touchscreen, and it packs all the essentials for keeping an eye on a child: It comes with 3G radio (1900/2100 MHz; works on AT&T and T-Mobile) plus a Micro SIM slot, as well as location tracking (using GPS, WiFi and cellular signal), an SOS button and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera -- the part which makes it stand out from the other kids smartwatches.
Tencent's kids smartwatch is both cute and connected
While there are already a handful of connected wearables for kids in the market, here's one with a more complete set of features. Courtesy of Chinese tech giant Tencent, this QQ Watch comes with a 1.12-inch 128 x 128 OLED screen, IP65 ruggedness, an SOS call button and its very own 2G radio. More importantly, though, the tracking functionality uses GPS, WiFi and cellular triangulation simultaneously for higher accuracy. There's even a 0.3-megapixel camera on board, and since the watch can be hooked up to WeChat, lost kids can send photos to their parents as an extra clue for locating them. Battery life? It's good for up to five days, apparently, after which you can charge up the watch with its magnetic connector. There's no word on the pricing just yet, but a company rep said it'll be "very affordable," and it'll launch in China in October, followed by global rollout before end of the year.
Play 'Minecraft' wherever you go with this kid-friendly wearable
If you're the type to recreate Westeros in Minecraft, the blocky construction game that's practically ubiquitous, keeping it on you at all times might be pretty attractive. The Gameband + Minecraft gives gives you the chance to do just that. The first-gen Nike Fuelband lookalike has Mojang's cash cow built in (you can play directly from the device by plugging its USB 3.0 end into your Linux, Mac or Windows machine), sports a customizable LED display and automatic cloud uploads for your game files. The basic gist is that you can take all of your work with you wherever you go because everything you need to play in Notch's garden is dangling from your wrist. Oh, and it's aimed squarely at kids so if you have a redstone-obsessed youngster in your life, this might be a solid fit for them. The unit prices out at $80 and it's available at Best Buy, GameStop and Target this very instant.
LG GizmoPal wearable lets kids call their parents with one button
Even though the wearable space is flooded with a ton of options, most of those are geared toward grown-ups. And, hey, why not let the little ones join the fun too. Earlier this year, LG introduced the KizOn in South Korea, a wearable for children that made it easy for them to communicate with their parents. Today, that same device is coming to the US on Verizon, but here it will be known as the GizmoPal. The idea behind LG's new wearable is extremely simple, as it only requires being set up with a pre-configured number and, using a single button, kid(s) can then easily make or receive a call to and from it. The GizmoPal also comes with a companion app, available for iOS and Android, which uses GPS features to allow you, the parent, to easily monitor your child's location at all times.
AT&T's latest smartwatch for kids is both easier and tougher
Your kids may be too young to put a Moto 360 or Pebble on their wrists, but that doesn't mean they'll have to go without a smartwatch. AT&T is now selling the FiLIP 2, an upgraded version of last year's hybrid kid locator and wrist-worn phone. The new version is easier for parents to set up through mobile apps and better suited to real-world use. The screen has been toughened up to survive some roughhousing at the playground, and the wristband is now both more comfortable and adjustable; your children won't have to stop using the watch just because they've had a growth spurt. If you're anxious about your young ones' safety, you can snag the FiLIP 2 for $100 ($150 after the holidays) plus $10 per month to add the wristwear to your phone plan.
LG's new wearable is a child tracker that lets parents listen in
Apparently, LG's been working on a wearable other than the G Watch specifically for helicopter good, protective parents. It's called the KiZON wristband, and it comes in a couple of cute designs aiming to entice kids to keep them on the whole day. After all, if it doesn't stay on, moms and dads won't be able to use the device (with GPS and WiFi) to monitor their locations through a phone or a tablet all the time. KiZON has functions other than serving as a tracker, though -- kids can press its One Step Direct Call button to contact a pre-configured number.
X-Doria's KidFit is a low-cost fitness wearable for five-year-olds
X-Doria is a company we normally associate with smartphone accessories, but now it's decided to branch out into wearables. While the jury is still out on whether children should be introduced to the concept of the quantified self, X-Doria wants to help get kids moving with its new KidFit activity tracker. Targeted at children between 5 and 13, the multi-colored slappable wristband scores activities to reach a daily goal of 100 points. Parents are encouraged to set goals using the iOS or Android app, which connects to a smartphone or tablet using low-power Bluetooth and provides feedback on a child's progress via its vivid "Results Cards." The wearable is also splash-proof, holds a charge for up to seven days and like the FitBit or Jawbone Up, can be set to track sleep patterns with the push of a button. While it won't track your kids in the literal sense (there are plenty of GPS-enabled wearables targeted at kids that can do that), it does offer a 24/7 overview of their activities. It'll be available on August 15th for $50 in black, aqua, hot pink, yellow, and red variants. If you get in now (and are one of the first 1,000 buyers), you can pre-order the tracker for $40.
The i'm Tracer bracelet means never having to ask 'where's the kid?'
The kooky folks behind the (frankly awful) i'm Watch are a mainstay at Mobile World Congress. This year they've got something a little more useful to show off: It's called the i'm Tracer, and it's the evolution of another GPS tracker the company has highlighted before. The Tracer is a wearable mash-up of a GPS module and a GSM radio the Italian company hopes will help you keep tabs on your kids when it launches this summer.
