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.Just over 30 million smartwatches were sold worldwide in 2015, according to research from Gartner, a figure that’s expected to more than double in two years to reach 66.7 million in 2017. The symbolic 50-million mark is likely to be passed in 2016. The smartwatch market now includes a growing number of models aimed at children, with varying degrees of functionality and fun features. The main purpose of most models is to locate kids via GPS and send emergency messages to parents.
Linkoo Kids
Launched by a French start-up and on sale for €129 (approx US$143), the Linkoo Kids functions as a watch, a mobile phone and a GPS. It has an SOS mode that can be activated at any time, directly calling a specific phone number chosen by parents or sending an SMS signaling the child’s exact location. The watch also has an anti-theft sensor, sending parents an SMS with the child’s location if the watch is forcibly removed from their wrist. The watch ships with a built-in SIM card and requires a monthly subscription (€7.90 or approx. $8.75) to use all of its functions (calls, SMS and unlimited GPS data).
Mi Bunny
Before launching its own alternative to the likes of the Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear S2, Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi decided to enter the smartwatch sector, first of all in China, with a model designed for kids. Selling for Â¥299 (approx US$45), the “Mi Bunny Kids Smart Watch” allows under-10s to call their relatives and be easily located at any time by their parents. Parents can also receive a notification when the watch’s GPS signal moves outside of a predefined perimeter.
Octopus
American start-up Joy is reaching the end of a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to make a kids’ smartwatch. According to its creators, the device is designed to teach children good habits as well as the notion of time. It notably favors the principles of independence, responsibility and self-esteem by reminding children about daily habits (washing, brushing teeth, eating, feeding pets, etc.) with pictograms that pop up onscreen. The first models are due to ship from March 2017.