As AT&T continues to build out its portfolio of kids products, its latest launch—the AT&T amiGO Jr. Watch—emphasizes the need for technology that keeps kids safe and in touch with their parents.
The company’s new smartwatch is aimed at four- to 11-year-olds and does not have access to the internet, the App Store or the Google Play Store. But it does allow parents to track their child’s location using live GPS data-based technology. And it’s designed to work in school environments, even those in parts of the US, where student phone usage has been banned on campus, said associate VP of product marketing and management Tara Colon in a statement.
Colon explains that not having some way to contact their kids doesn’t sit well with most parents, 74% of which communicate with their child during school hours, according to a Recon Analytics Survey that AT&T commissioned.
Kids are able to send and receive texts/calls on the amiGO Jr. Watch (but this setting can be turned off during the school day), and they can also activate an SOS emergency message with a single button.
AT&T is currently running a promotion offering the watch for free to customers who buy a new smartphone. Otherwise, it’s available for pre-order now, and will retail for US$179.99 starting on August 30.
The company is also releasing a limited number of Explorer Packs—packages of trading cards, digital safety tips and amiGO Jr. branded merch for families—to customers who buy the watch online and in-store.
AT&T is very interested in expanding its lineup of products for families. In April, it launched a tablet for two- to nine-year-olds in order to satisfy a demand from parents for safe and affordable tech they can use to educate and entertain their kids.