Fitbit will launch a 4G smartwatch aimed at children, according to a new report.
Engadget has reported that the company had acquired Chinese smartwatch brand Doki technologies, which launched the self-proclaimed “most advanced kids smartwatch” that boasted video calling along with tracking features.
According to the report, Doki Technologies has informed customers that it's disconnecting older devices on 1 July and that the deal with Fitbit was formalised in October 2019, before the buyout by Google.
The company had raised £400,000 on Kickstarter and Indiegogo back in 2016 to bring its kids smartwatch to market.
Its follow up DokiWatch S also featured Alexa on the wrist – an accolade it shares with the Fitbit Versa 2.
Fitbit has already been heavily involved in the kids wearables market with its Fitbit Ace range of fitness trackers – and we’re sure that activity tracking will be a big part of any future-branded device.
But it seems that GPS and location-based safety features – coupled with its own strong fitness and activity story – is something Fitbit feels is in demand.
And we feel this is a battleground that’s starting to open up amongst the biggest players.
Rumors are that the Apple Watch Series 6 will boast some kind of kids mode – and with prevalent LTE versions, and the technology built in for features like Find My Phone, we’d be surprised if location and safety for kids wasn’t on the roadmap.
And it makes so much sense. The GPS tracking market for kids is populated by brands that are far from household names – a quick rundown of the biggest players reveals Doki, Vtech, Xplora, Verizon and Omate to be the top dogs. If parents saw Fitbit, Apple or other big name brands among that list, they could befar more likely to jump in.
What’s more, some of the kids GPS smartwatch brands you find in online retailers can have some pretty questionable track records.
Last year Chinese made SMA-WATCH-M2 was revealed to be leaking the location of children, due to basic security flaws.
So it seems that Fitbit could be about to shake up this space quite dramatically. Watch this space for official information as we get it.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.