If you are looking for a tracker that motivates your kids to exercise, there are few precious options. One, actually: the Fitbit Ace 3. It arrived this week for $ 80 and comes in a box for kids with colors and dials for kids.
My 9 year old son used a Fitbit Ace 2 last year and he loves it. It is waterproof for baths and showers, basically indestructible with a silicone case, just the right size for your wrist, gives you the stats you want and battery life lasts for the entire school week. The Fitbit app even has easy-to-use privacy controls.
FitbitFitbit Ace 3 is the perfect fitness device for children.
Apple wants you to believe that it also sells a children’s watch. On the new Apple for Kids support page, it takes you to the watchOS 7 Family Setup page so that you can “set up an Apple Watch for a family member who doesn’t have their own iPhone”. It sounds like a great solution, but there is a catch. The family setup requires an Apple Watch Series 4 or later with a cell phone, the cheapest of which is the Apple Watch SE, which costs $ 329 at the Apple Store.
Not only are Apple’s only wearable offers for kids too expensive, they are not even remotely suitable for a preteen. Even the “small” 40 mm version looks very big on my son’s wrist. Most importantly, it is simply too much smartwatch for your needs. Apple may be selling SE as an option for children, but there is nothing in it that is done for children.
You don’t have to go beyond design to see that the Apple Watch was not made for children, but it goes deeper than that. Many companies make square smartwatches for children, so it’s not the shape or even the size that is the biggest problem. It is the total lack of resources that makes it something that a child can desire.
There are some fun watch faces on Toy Story and Mickey, but most watches are adult-oriented and none are as thoughtful as Ace’s animated interactive watches. There are no specific badges for children to win. And battery life is not good enough to last an entire day and night.
Michael Simon / IDGApple Watch SE is not exactly a children’s app.
The Apple Watch’s biggest advantage over the Fitbit Ace is access to the App Store, but even there, the Apple Watch has very little for kids. Of course, if you hunt for a long time, you may find an app or game that your child likes, but there is no dedicated children’s section as in the iOS store and it is rare to find a popular children’s app that has an Apple Watch component or companion app. . Even the Apple Arcade does not encourage the development of the Apple Watch.
Ace up your sleeve
Fitbit Ace is designed specifically for children. I know several classmates and friends of my son who have one, and it is the perfect device to go to school, play, sleep and everything. She teaches my son to be healthy and active without disturbing him, helps him achieve his goals without stress and is a light and fun companion for the day.
But he also has an iPad, so when the Apple Watch SE arrived, I asked if he wanted to change it. He was intrigued and tested my watch for a day and decided to stay with Ace. There were things he liked about the Apple Watch – the color screen, high-resolution graphics, even the digital crown – but Ace’s simplicity and focus won out.
I don’t expect Apple to ever make a band like Ace. I don’t even expect to see an Apple Watch that rivals the Fitbit Ace in terms of price. Apple’s smartwatch strategy is working very well and there is no need to invest in making another model.
Doug Duvall / IDGThe Apple Watch SE could easily be remade like a child’s watch.
But Apple could follow the example of Fitbit and make a children’s version of the SE. Much like Fitbit adapted the Inspire with children’s features and a children’s case, Apple could take the 38 mm Series 3 and make a killer children’s watch that costs about $ 149 and offers a real competitor for Ace.
Apple doesn’t really need to add anything. The existing 3 Series body and screen are good, but they need a new purpose. Remove things like email and phone, let parents manage the apps without the need for a cell phone connection, and make some fun faces for gamify exercises. Call it the Apple Watch Kids Edition, combine it with a colorful bracelet and you have a watch that kids will really want.
Apple already makes children’s versions of its other products – the iPod touch and 9.7-inch iPad are perfect for parents on a budget, and the Apple Arcade is a great option for kids of all ages – but the Apple Watch has not yet arrived there. But with a few tweaks to the Series 3, it can offer a competitive option for kids who want an Ace.
I know my son would beg me for one.