Technically speaking, there are some smartwatch alternatives out there other than the Apple Watch. Google has its own software for the wearables. But it’s safe to say that Apple’s device leads the charge in this category. Now, years into the smartwatch’s dominance, some new competitors appear to be ready to join the fray.
In a report today from Bloomberg, it sounds like Amazon is working towards a future where there’s a smartwatch out there with its logo on it. But this one will be a bit more of a niche product, built specifically for kids. The report says the new smartwatch would be billed for kids between the ages of 4 and 12. It’ll be a GPS-equipped device — and it may not even be a smartwatch.
The diversion in hardware design appears to come in from the possibility that Amazon hasn’t quite nailed down what type of device it wants to launch. Bloomberg says it could either be a wristband (or smartwatch), a clip, or even a keychain. So, perhaps not necessarily a smartwatch but more of a kid tracking device.
But it will still have some features, including voice-activation and Alexa built in.
Codenamed Seeker, the GPS-equipped device would be geared toward kids aged 4 to 12 and could take the form of a wristband, keychain or clip, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg. The voice-activated wearable would provide access to Amazon’s children-focused content and let parents communicate with and monitor their kids.
So, despite the potential design decisions waiting to be made, it certainly sounds like it’s going to have a screen. Otherwise, having access to Amazon’s children-focused content wouldn’t really matter. Amazon was considering a price tag of $99, but that’s up in the air, too. Amazon will reportedly include a year’s worth of Kids+ subscription, too.
Amazon was reportedly looking to launch the device sometime in 2020. However, that obviously did not pan out, and this report doesn’t indicate 2021 will be any different. There’s no specific word on how far along the project is at this point. So while Amazon is working on it, it could very well not become an actual product.
We’ll just have to wait and see how this pans out.
Amazon isn’t the only company jumping into the smartwatch race. Earlier this year we reported that Facebook was working on its first smartwatch, too. That device is expected to arrive sometime in 2022, and it may boast two different cameras.