The KidiZoom Smart Watch — or what the company is calling the world's first smartwatch for kids -- allows users to play games and take pictures and video. It also tells time, of course.
The company hasn't said how many photos and minutes of video can be stored on the KidiZoom SmartWatch just yet, but it features special effects that include customized photo frames, filters and distortion effects.
The 1.4-inch touchscreen device will cost $49.99 and go on sale this fall.
The KidiZom Smart Watch comes with only two buttons: one for the home button and another to capture video and still photography.
The device comes in two colors (pink and blue), but the company plans to introduce more style options in the future.
NEW YORK — Smartwatches are projected to become one of the hottest tech product categories in the upcoming years, so it was only a matter of time before the kids market took notice.
Tech toy company VTech introduced at the 2014 International Toy Fair the KidiZoom Smart Watch — or what the company is calling the world's first smartwatch for kids. Although it doesn't connect to the Internet like its adult-counterpart smartwatches (so it's not technically a "smartwatch"), the 1.4-inch touchscreen device allows young users to snap photos, take video and play games directly through the watch.
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The software for the device, which will likely cost $49.99 when it hits the market this fall, looks so good that upon first impression it reminds us that full-fledged smartwatch concepts need step it up. With so much potential looming from the category — and valiant efforts have been made from Samsung and its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, as well as the Sony SmartWatch 2 — the pressure is still on for a company to shine in the connected watch sector. And sure, the KidiZoom Smart Watch won't compete as a true smartwatch, but it's easy to use and has colorful graphics, which is more than what others can say.
First and foremost, the device is a watch. Users can switch from a digital to analog clock and customize the wallpapers that sit behind the time. Mashable only spent a few minutes with the KidiZoom Smart Watch on Monday, and we were impressed with its crisp and vibrant graphics. It was extremely intuitive to use — as it should be, especially with a target demographic as early as age 3. The company is still deciding on an age range, but said it will likely start there and go up to age 9.
The KidiZoom Smart Watch comes with only two buttons: one for the home button and another to capture video and still photography. A memory card is also built within the device, while a USB port allows users (or more realistically, their parents) transfer pictures, video and audio files to a PC. It's also considerably lightweight, so it doesn't weigh down on young users' wrists. It's only available in blue and pink for now, but the spokesperson said VTech is looking to add more design and style options in the future.
Because KidiZoom is VTech's range of cameras for kids and the smart watch is an extension of that brand, there's no surprise that the camera plays a big role in the device. The company hasn't said how many photos and minutes of video can be stored on the KidiZoom SmartWatch just yet, but it features special effects that include customized photo frames, filters and distortion effects.
Other features include a rechargeable battery, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch a voice recorder with voice changing effects (i.e. robot mode) and three built-in games, such as a a puzzle game, a matching game and a memory game.
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