Verizon Wireless is growing its Gizmo line of kids tech products with a smartwatch that aims to keep your kids safe while helping keep them fit and entertained.
Announced Thursday, the GizmoWatch, which is available today for preorder and in stores on Oct. 10, is a $180 4G LTE-connected watch made for three- to 11-year-old children. It joins the GizmoTab connected tablet and older, more basic GizmoPal 2 watch.
With a $5 a month service plan, a child will be able to receive calls from up to 10 numbers that parents approve. Parents can also select up to 20 different text messages for the child to send. Everything is set up using Verizon’s GizmoHub app that also lets you locate your child at any time and alerts if you they travel outside a predetermined safety zone.
The GizmoWatch includes a fitness and hopscotch tracker as well as a voice changer adding some entertainment value.
The market for kids wearables is growing fast. Smartwatches for children make up nearly half of the total global smartwatch market, according to CCS Insight. In June, Qualcomm, which makes the Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor that powers the GizmoWatch, said it sees children’s smartwatches as one of the high-growth categories with worldwide interest.