Verizon wants your kids. Not in a scary, Freddy Krueger way, but in a happy, fun way. Of course, bringing them into the Verizon family early can’t hurt either. To do this, it has launched three new gadgets designed for little ones: the GizmoPal 2, the GizmoGadget, and the Ellipsis Kids Tablet. The first two are cute wearables that were rumored a short while before the announcement, and the other is a tough spin-off of Verizon’s existing 8-inch Ellipsis slate.
Made by LG, the GizmoPal 2 and GizmoGadget are wearable GPS trackers, with a chunky colorful look and a selection of fun features to make your kids want to wear them. Verizon optimistically says that they look “as cool as the smartwatches that mom and dad have,” but we wouldn’t go quite that far. The GizmoPal 2 is the more basic of the two new devices. The GPS system provides real-time notifications with messages sent to a dedicated app, and has a boundary system to alert you if the wearer makes an unexpected run for freedom.
It has an IP67 water resistant body, and LED lights show when a call or message is coming through, plus there’s a voice recorder function where different effects can be added. The GizmoGadget is more advanced, and has a 1.3-inch color touchscreen on the front, plus it counts steps and even jumps made with a jump rope. The GizmoGadget makes and receives voice calls over a two-way system, to a preset collection of ten different numbers. Messages and animated emoji can be sent, while fun themes spice up the display, and stickers can decorate the strap.
The GizmoPal 2 comes in pink or light blue color schemes, and costs $80 with a $5 per month access fee. The GizmoGadget 2 is $150 and requires the same $5 per month fee, and both go on sale November 5.
Verizon Ellipsis Kids Tablet
Verizon’s Ellipsis Kids Tablet is almost identical to the current Ellipsis 8 tablet, except its wrapped in a tough bumper case, and comes with a variety of Verizon apps made for kids already installed. This includes a free premium subscription to Zoodles Kid Mode, which contains educational apps, games, and media content, plus a series of locks and time limiters.
The 8-inch screen has a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, and there’s a 5-megapixel camera on the rear, plus a 1.3-megapixel front camera. A MicroSD card can be inserted to boost the 16GB of internal memory, plus there’s a 5000mAh battery inside. The tablet runs Android, and unless the Kids version has been updated, it’ll probably be the same 4.4 Kitkat version installed on the regular Ellipsis 8.
Verizon’s Ellipsis Kids tablet comes out on November 12 and costs $250, $80 with a two-year contract, or just over $10 per month for 24 months. It has built-in 4G LTE connectivity and the device can be added to existing Verizon plans for $10 each month, or with a separate plan starting at $30 per month for 1GB of data.
Next page: Read rumors of the GizmoPal 2 and GizmoGadget’s launch
Verizon might be planning to launch two LG-branded wearables aimed at kids, named the GizmoPal 2 and GizmoGadget, after two colorful watches were revealed by reliable leaker @evleaks.
The GizmoPal 2 is logically the successor to the original GizmoPal, which Verizon launched last year. If the leak is accurate, the successor will feature both a display and physical phone and music buttons. The display hints that calling functionality will be available. The platform has not been disclosed, but from the look of the interface we don’t think it’ll be Android Wear.
The original GizmoPal didn’t have a display, making do with a call button for the child to get in contact with their parents. The wearable also had GPS inside, so the wearer’s location could be tracked. LG originally launched the wearable in South Korea, under the name KizOn. The GizmoGadget is less familiar, but looks a lot like the GizmoPal 2. The most noticeable difference between them is an end call button on the right side, instead of a music button. That might mean music functionality is not available on the GizmoGadget.
The display on the GizmoGadget is surrounded by a large bezel, but it’s impossible to tell if this a photo error or the real deal; it would be a rather ugly device if most of the screen didn’t display anything. LG has not announced the GizmoPal 2 in South Korea, meaning Verizon may be the only carrier in the world to offer the kid-friendly device.
Phones are available for under $100 nowadays, but most smartwatches cost upwards of $200. For most families, that is too expensive for a child. Still, Verizon seems confident that the second generation of the GizmoPal will entice parents to pick one up for their child. No price or release date was mentioned in the leak, but we’ll keep you updated right here.
