Wearables are still just a budding technology market, but 2015 was a big year for smartwatches and wearables in general. 2016 is poised to be even bigger and with CES officially just a little over 24 hours away, brands are preparing to unveil their latest and greatest in the consumer electronics space, which of course, includes wearables. ALCATEL ONETOUCH which is known for devices like the Idol 3 smartphone has just announced a new smartwatch for kids ahead of CES 2016 called ‘CareTime,’ which aims to help parents keep track of little ones while also giving them control over their children’s communication. CareTime isn’t the first kid-focused smartwatch, but it’s a new offering in an otherwise barely touched area and more options is never a bad thing, especially when it pertains to what most people would consider their livelihood – their kids.
While the device is technically meant for both children and their parents, the watch was designed specifically for kids to make it simple to use and interact with. With CareTime, kids have a way to stay connected on a daily basis and it allows them the ability to reply to incoming calls. Parents will adore the fact that the CareTime watch only allows children to reply to a predetermined list of contacts, up to 10, which must be set by the parent themselves. This adds a layer of security and control for the parents while also allowing them to go about their day a little more stress-free knowing that their children aren’t answering calls from unregistered contacts.
The watch can also make outgoing calls thanks to its capability to connect to a 2G network, and parents have control here too as CareTime only allows calls to 5 registered phone numbers, of which also must be set by the parent. If parents need to track their kid down or they simply want to know where they are, the built-in GPS allows the CareTime watch to connect to up to a companion app which parents can install on their smartphone. ALCATEL ONETOUCH boasts that within about a minute, the app can bring up a map with a child’s accurate location utilizing GPS, WiFi, and 2G networks, regardless of whether or not the child is indoors or outdoors. The watch can also alert parents when kids leave a preset safe zone area. CareTime also comes in two different color combinations, and is IP65 rated for resistance against dust and water. At the moment there is no announcement about the availability of the device inside of the U.S., but residents in Europe and Latin America will be able to get their hands on CareTime starting in April of 2016.
