Sprint launches GPS-enabled WatchMeGo, its first smartwatch for kids
Sprint has unveiled its first smartwatch for kids. Cleverly dubbed WatchMeGo, it aims to give parents peace of mind when their kids are not at home.
Essential reading: Best activity trackers for children, make fitness a habit not a chore
The Kansas-based telecommunications company is a well known wireless and internet service provider. Currently, Sprint is ranked as fourth largest mobile network in the US, behind Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T.
Some of its competitors have already come out with smartwatches for children. Verizon sells the $179 GizmoWatch while the $192 Timex Family Connect runs on the T-Mobile network.
Sprint has now launched a slightly more budget friendly rival. WatchMeGo retails for $144 on the company’s website, and requires parents to cough-up about $10 a month to enable the watch’s security and communication functions.
As its name implies, WatchMeGo is designed predominantly with safety in mind. For starters, there’s real-time GPS tracking via a smartphone app for parents. The software allows for defining safety zones so if the little one strays across a boundary, an immediate notification will be sent out. Multiple watches can be tracked from a single app. Kids, on the other hand, have an SOS button they can use to manually send an alert.
You can’t use the timepiece to make or receive voice calls, but text and video messaging is available. This is done through the watch and app. Kids can send messages directly on the watch while parents will need to use a smartphone.
There’s an optional smartphone app for the little ones, as well. Called Kidomy it provides hundreds of educational games, videos, e-books and activities for Android and iOS devices.
The attractive looking watch is designed for children aged between 4 and 13. It comes with a Gorilla Glass watch face for durability, as well as IP67 water-resistance. Under the hood there’s 4GB of ROM and 512MB RAM, with everything powered by an Arm Cortex A7 processor and a 400mAh battery.
“WatchMeGo is the perfect solution for parents with little ones who aren’t yet ready for their first phone,” said Doug Smith, vice president of product innovation and product marketing at Sprint, in a statement.
“With the ability to track the location of your child almost anywhere using GPS and communicate through text or voice messages, WatchMeGo is an ideal addition to your family’s connected lifestyle.”
All in all this sounds like a decent offering although there is nothing really groundbreaking about it. The most interesting part about the watch is the attractive design, and the fact that it comes from one of the big four “big four” wireless service providers.
Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!
