Fitbit Ace LTE

Hands on: If the Ace LTE lives up to its promise and keeps kids active and entertained, I’m sure plenty of parents will be willing to stomach the cost, though they might get tired of requests for another $35 wristband on top of the subscription.

Hands on: The solutions are imperfect, but at least they're there. Giving my children smartwatches may sometimes be a distraction, but it also lets my kid move more freely around her neighborhood, get exercise, and socialize in person with her friends. If a device can help further those goals, I'm all for it. And maybe walking around more will help improve her sense of direction, just a little bit.

Hands on: The Ace tracks fitness like other Fitbits, including having always-on heart rate monitoring, but the algorithms are specifically tuned for children, along with new fitness goals. A little animated, jiggling "noodle" wraps around the watch's time display, showing fitness progress. When the daily goal is met, the noodle has a victory animation: it could show a rocket or an arcade snake.

Hands on: We’ll have to test the Ace LTE to see how well it works — both as a means of encouraging kids to move more and as a tool for parents. That said, this is a significant update to the Ace lineup and one of the more fun approaches to a smartwatch for kids that we’ve seen in a while.

Hands on: Google’s usual strategy is to launch with a set of core features and then add more with updates down the line. By comparison, Ace LTE feels like a complete story. It has to be since the bar for something you give your kids to make sure they’re safe and healthy is so high. Frankly, it’s refreshing as a Google user.

The Fitbit Ace LTE is a new wearable for kids from the company now owned by Google. It tracks activity, has built-in calling and messaging, and is water-resistant. To ensure privacy, location data is deleted after 24 hours and activity data is deleted after 35 days. The device costs $230 and requires a separate monthly or annual data plan for full functionality.

Hands on: Not only are they there to be right beside your kids, providing encouragement, but playing games and earning "arcade tickets" will unlock different customizations. Speaking of games, Google and Fitbit worked with different game studios to create interactive 3D games that can be played right from the watch.