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Google releases smart watch for kids

store.google.com

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Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#151

Post by tonightstoast »

sharadov wrote: post #97
wmf wrote: post #3

Smartwatches may be an overlooked answer to the kid phone conundrum. Watches have the communication and location tracking that parents demand without the distraction of phones.

I got an Apple watch for my 11-year-old for precisely this reason - he can text, call, and play some games on it. Subscription to cellular is $10/month. And it let me set parental controls on it. No way was I getting him a phone, it's already way too distracting with the other devices he has access to at home.

Doesn’t it need to be paired with a phone thought?

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#152

Post by mrinterweb »

$230 is a bit high up-front cost for a kids watch. Compare this to something like TickTalk and it seems that TickTalk has more features. https://www.myticktalk.com/. The design of the Google kids watch does look nicer though. TickTalk is pretty bulky and the UI is not great.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#154

Post by dylan604 »

mustang-med wrote: post #121

My partner is on one of the teams responsible for red tape and cost-cutting at Alphabet. After having frequent conversations about past failed projects, I'm surprised this project got the green light. Personally, I don't see this product taking off. As a parent, I think it looks quite lame, and I don't think anyone at Google knows how to break into product areas for kids. I've seen quite a few headlines concerned abo…

> I'm surprised this project got the green light.

To me, it looks just like another example of Googs missing the boat and attempting to play catch up in an attempt to stay relevant by imitating what someone else does. Maybe that's a gross oversimplification, but that's the way it comes across to me. This thing clearly chasing Apple's device. Googs+ clearly chasing Facebook. Of course, there's their rash attempt at an AI. Googs just comes across a company without any focus other than AdSense, but desperately want to not remembered as a tech company that became an ad company.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#156

Post by ugh123 »

This is an interesting move by Google. The watch market for kids is huge and growing. Look at the major companies sales here. Also look at the amount of kid's smart watches available on Amazon and number of reviews (I know, i'm sure some of those are fake yada yada).

The detractors here say "let the kids be free" and "no new tech for kids", but I wonder if those people have kids today? Parents WANT to give their kid's more outdoor freedom in this f'd up world. Tracking products like this give them more peace of mind.

At $10/month (or $5/mo with annual buy), this is competitive and possibly a new recurring revenue stream for Google's consumer products group.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#158

Post by forgotusername6 »

NullPrefix wrote: post #138
wepple wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times. And cars used to be safe even without seatbelts! It turns out times change. Before you think I’m disagreeing with the entirety of your comment, my own kids are the most free-range in-the-dirt kids I know. But it’s location-dependent. I trust cities and their people far less than wild animals.

>And cars used to be safe even without seatbelts! Me and a lot of people wear them purely out of fear of being robbed by the state

I met a guy who didn't wear his seatbelt. He was a delivery driver and in a collision at 20mph. His head went through the windscreen and it scalped him from the eyes up. He had a scar all the way across from ear to ear. He couldn't shut his eyes for months. He wears his seatbelt now.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#159

Post by canucker2016 »

wmf wrote: post #93
stanski wrote: post #80

The communication part is a good idea but games? Would hate to watch my kid stare a smart watch to figure out what to do with herself.

The "games" appear to be gamified exercise apps.

The Fitbit Ace LTE (age 7+) seems to be the step up to the FitBit Ace 3 fitness tracker (age 6+), https://store.google.com/product/fitbit_ace_3

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#160

Post by dzonga »

mustang-med wrote: post #121

My partner is on one of the teams responsible for red tape and cost-cutting at Alphabet. After having frequent conversations about past failed projects, I'm surprised this project got the green light. Personally, I don't see this product taking off. As a parent, I think it looks quite lame, and I don't think anyone at Google knows how to break into product areas for kids. I've seen quite a few headlines concerned abo…

this is the risk, no matter how useful products are. Google just cuts products at a whim. and sends products to the graveyard. even the one's that wouldn't cost 1 engineer - looking at you - Google Podcasts.
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