The Verizon GizmoWatch puts a quick-communication device on your kid’s wrist

By Christian de Looper October 17, 2018

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Today’s smartwatches may be largely tailored to adults, but that doesn’t mean that kids have to be left out completely. In fact, Verizon has announced a new addition to its lineup of smartwatches for kids — the Verizon GizmoWatch.

The GizmoWatch is the first device in the lineup to offer 4G LTE connectivity, meaning that your child should have decently fast connectivity most of the time, especially if they stay within the limits of a city. Apart from the 4G connectivity, you will find a basic user interface that shows the time and allows kids to message their parents quickly and easily.

Parents also have a lot of control over how the watch is used. Parents can pick up to 10 phone numbers that can call kids — and any other phone number won’t go through at all. Parents can also pick up to 20 pre-approved messages that can be sent. On top of that, parents can choose when the watch turns on and shuts down. All of this can be controlled through the accompanying iOS or Android app.

Under the hood, the device features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 processor, which is the chip found on most flagship Wear OS smartwatches from last year.

When it comes to price, the watch is priced at $180, which is pretty expensive for such a basic device. There are plenty of fully featured Wear OS smartwatches that do a whole lot more but come at the same price, though of course, parents probably won’t want their kids to use one of those devices. You will also have to pay an extra $5 per month to cover the data costs of the device.

Of course, just because the GizmoWatch is a decent device, there are plenty of questions about whether or not you should be strapping a GPS to your kids 24/7. With the device, parents can track their kids’ movements at all times but whether parents actually want to, or feel the need to do so, is another question altogether.

According to Verizon, the GizmoWatch is built for kids between the ages of 3 and 11 years old. It’s available now from the Verizon website.

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Christian de Looper

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