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Fitbit Ace LTE is the latest Google Wear OS device and aims to encourage children (ages 7+) to be healthy through games, while serving as a parent-child communication device and real-time location device. Fitbit Ace Pass monthly or annual subscription required for cellular connectivity, Fitbit Arcade and other features.

Practically: The Fitbit Ace LTE is Google’s most complete offering in ages [Gallery]

Design + Hardware

Visually, the Ace LTE looks like a Sense 2 or Versa 4 with a rounded square OLED (333 PPI) protected by Gorilla Glass 3. In the box, you get a raised plastic bumper that snaps in to further protect the screen. The body is also made of stainless steel and recycled plastic.

Battery life is rated at over 16 hours (328 mAh typical) with standalone LTE connectivity and lots of gaming, but no always-on display. AOD can be enabled in the Settings app, which is identical to Wear OS. However, there is no Play Store, third-party apps or advertising.

Typical usage is based on a school day with 6 sessions of 5 minutes of play, 10 messages, 3 one-minute voice calls, 5 location checks, 2 payments, and 4 hours of Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Fitbit Ace LTE shares many of the same specs as the Pixel Watch 2, including the Snapdragon W5/Qualcomm 5100, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a microphone, 5 ATM (50 meters) water resistance, and the same round pin charger with fast charging support.

In addition to 4G LTE (courtesy of the existing Google Fi/T-Mobile partnership), there’s 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and GPS/GNSS. As a Fitbit device, it has a simplified version of the Pixel Watch 2’s optical heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter, magnetometer, and ambient light sensor. Google has removed health sensors that aren’t necessary for children, such as how the Pixel Watch’s ECG app now has a 22+ age requirement.

Games + Fitness

To play the games, which are accessible from the bottom “triangle” button on the far right, children must move. For example, you may not be able to play the next level/chapter until you get more activity, which Google cheekily calls “interval-based games”.

Eejies are adaptable creatures that feed off of daily activity – the more kids achieve their movement goals, the healthier and happier their eejies become.

As they progress and complete daily activities, kids earn arcade game tickets to customize their eejie character with new outfits and other things to decorate their “Bit Valley home, eejie’s home” (yes, like “Animal Crossing” ).

The titles in Fitbit Arcade are powered by the Unity engine and take full advantage of the available hardware. For example, there’s a fishing game called “Smokey Lake” where your hand turns into a rod that vibrates when you catch something. You pull your arm up to roll it back up. Another title, called “Pollo 11,” involves flicking your wrist to control a “chicken in a bathtub racing through space.” In addition to the gesture-based gameplay, there are also puzzle-style challenges. New games will be added every few months.

Games can be restricted by adults at certain times with “Teaching Time”.

All available watch faces feature a “Noodle” — which can be a snake, skeleton, or other themed character — activity ring to track their daily exercise goal, which takes intensity into account. For example, 90 points is about 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity.

Google Research has developed a new movement algorithm “that better and more accurately measures children’s physical activity throughout the day.” Experience accounts for the surge, while goals are all or nothing.

There’s a large speaker cutout on the left edge, and at the bottom is the connector for the single bar, which will be familiar to Versa/Sense owners. A loop is permanently attached to the upper edge. The Fitbit Ace LTE recognizes which bands are turned on thanks to a patented connection mechanism inspired by old Nintendo cartridges. This loads new content that can be used to customize their eejie.

There are currently six bands with funny names like Strange Arcade, Moovin’, Spooky Pubs, Glitterbomb Skate, Camp Nightmare and Courtside. More to come.

Smart watch functions + mobile app

On the right edge you will find the two buttons that take up the entire edge. The top one is marked with a circle that opens a screen to access communication features, an alarm clock, activity statistics and other smartwatch-like capabilities. Google Wallet tap payment will be rolled out in “a few months”, with parents able to set an allowance and receive real-time spending notifications.

Ace LTE allows a child to text, call and send voice memos – using an IP-based backend – to their parents from their wrist. Parents receive and send messages and see their Move Goal progress for a month using the Fitbit Ace app, available for Android and iOS. A child can have up to 20 approved call/message contacts on the watch.

Parents can see where their children are in the Ace app, and this location data is deleted after 24 hours. Privacy and data minimization are big points of contention, with Ace app activity history being “deleted after a maximum of 35 days”.

The $229.95 Fitbit Ace LTE is available for pre-order today at the Google Store and Amazon with general availability on June 5. More retailers will follow. Available in Spicy Pebble (green) with Moovin’ Band or Mild Pebble (dark gray) with Strange Arcade Band.

At launch (until August 31st), you can get 50% off Fitbit Ace Pass and a free band. Otherwise, it’s $119.99 a year or $9.99 every month for LTE services (messaging, calling and location sharing), Bit Valley and Fitbit Arcade games.