Google brought out a really lovely kid-focused alternative to the Apple Watch earlier this year, called the Fitbit Ace LTE. Its one downside was its weird, locked-down approach to LTE calls and messaging, which prevented contacting siblings. Google's fixing this today, thankfully, along with a few more game and watch face updates.
Siblings can be folded in now using a new Family Chat feature that can send messages to everyone in the family at once. Siblings can also be called or messaged watch-to-watch from one Fitbit Ace LTE to another, something that wasn't possible before either. Google's also adding in whole-family fitness quest challenges that track activity stats together.
There are also two new watch faces with fitness-goal animations, and a new game called Solar Sword. All these updates should be rolling out on Fitbit Ace LTE watches and the Ace app today, according to Google.
Siblings with Fitbit Ace LTE watches can call and text each other now, at last.
GoogleThe Ace's lockdown, proprietary call and messaging features are arguably safer for kids, but also far more limiting compared to those of the Apple Watch (kids can't call friends that aren't family members, for instance). Calls need to be made to and from the Fitbit Ace phone app, which is managed by a parent and uses Google's Family Link to establish parents that can be called or messaged. Siblings also get added in as family members, and everyone needs a Google email.
I had some difficulties getting my family all set up with calls the first time around when my son reviewed the Fitbit Ace LTE, and I'm curious how much easier the process will be now. Hopefully it's not the end of Google's focus on making calls and messages easier to handle on what's otherwise a great subscription-based LTE fitness and gaming watch. Adding trusted friends and contacts is often a necessary part of what some kids need for emergency calls, and Google needs to continue making inroads to support this even more.