The new Pinwheel smartwatch is one of the coolest wearables I came across at CES 2025. And though it looks like a proper smartwatch — at a glance, one could easily mistake it for an Apple Watch Ultra — the Pinwheel watch is actually built with kids in mind.
Pinwheel has been making kid-centric smartphones since its launch in 2020 but this is the brand's first wearable device. Equipped with GPS and 4G LTE, the concept behind the watch is to provide youngsters with "training wheels for connected devices."
Packed with safety tools so parents can keep tabs on their child's location, contacts and messages, it also boasts a huge library of kid-friendly apps and games. There's even an AI chatbot tailored to youngsters (parents can disable this feature, of course).
Set to ship by the end of March, I got my hands on the forthcoming Pinwheel smartwatch on the CES show floor this month and chatted with the team behind it to learn more. Here's everything you need to know about this promising new kid-centric smartwatch.
Pinwheel smartwatch: Price and availability
Announced at CES 2025, the Pinwheel smartwatch is anticipated to start shipping in February. It will cost $159 for the device, plus an additional $15 a month for 4G LTE (provided by AT&T).
Preorders aren't open yet, but you can hop on the waitlist for the Pinwheel smartwatch at the bottom of the page on Pinwheel.com.
Pinwheel smartwatch: Design and build quality
Unlike other smartwatches designed for kids, this one actually looks like a real smartwatch thanks to an all-metal case and a large touchscreen display. The case design looks remarkably Apple Watch Ultra-like. There are two physical controls along the right side of the case, including a button and a digital crown. The other side contains a built-in speaker and a SIM card slot.
When you hold it, the Pinwheel watch feels well-constructed and built to last. It boasts an IP67 environmental sealing rating against dust and water. This should translate to solid protection against dirt, grime and accidental liquid spills. The watch is technically submersible for short periods but I'd avoid swimming with it on.
Battery life should be good for roughly one day per charge. Like the Apple Watch, the charger for the Pinwheel connects to the bottom of the case magnetically.
However, unlike most modern adult smartwatches, the new Pinwheel watch sports not one but two onboard cameras. The primary camera faces the user and is intended for video calls, a feature that won't be available right at launch, though it's slated for sometime later in 2025. That primary camera can also be used for selfies.
The second camera is located at the top of the watch and is designed for kids to use creatively. Both cameras support photo and video capture. More importantly, parents can disable the cameras if they feel uncomfortable with the feature.
For launch, a selection of colorful rubber straps will be on offer, allowing kids some level of personalization.
Pinwheel smartwatch: Connectivity and parental controls
What kid is a smartwatch for children without strong parental controls? Fortunately, the brand's experience building kid-centric smartphones informed their development of the Pinwheel watch.
Parents can check in on their child's location via GPS and even set up a geofenced area that triggers alerts if their kid goes beyond the designated zone. Similarly, you can set up the watch to generate notifications when your child arrives at or departs a specific location, like, school.
Only approved phone numbers can contact the Pinwheel smartwatch and parents can view their kid's message remotely through the Pinwheel app. Texts are sent via SMS, not through some special messaging app, and the Pinwheel watch also supports voice-to-text.
Finally, as your kid gets older, Pinwheels offers a ton of customization over the watch's restrictions so that parents can loosen them as they see fit.
Pinwheel smartwatch: Kid-friendly features
One of the things that most sold me on the Pinwheel watch is the device's enormous library of kid-friendly apps and games, of which there are more than 1,200 to choose from including Spotify for kids. Pinwheels reps assure me that each and every one of these apps has been manually approved by an actual human at the company. They all boast ratings, too.
You'll find no social networking or adult apps on the device, and Pinwheel makes it easy for parents to limit access to any number of apps.
Unique to the device is its PinwheelGPT AI chat app. This child-oriented chatbot uses ChatGPT to answer questions like, 'Why is the sky blue?' Answers are programmed to be short and digestible. The app is also designed to avoid controversial topics. If one is brought up, the AI bot will refrain from answering and instead recommend the user talk to a trusted adult instead.
Like the apps and games, parents can disable the AI chatbot.
The Pinwheel watch has an onboard step counter and activity monitor so that parents can keep track of how much exercise their kids are getting. Beyond that, though, wellness features are limited. For example, there's no sleep-tracking, as the device is not meant to be worn to bed.
Pinwheel smartwatch: Outlook
I'm not a parent, but if I did have a youngster between the ages of four and 14, I'd consider the Pinwheel watch. A more appropriate alternative to equipping kids with a smartphone or adult smartwatch, the Pinwheel is no pricier than those options, yet far better suited to their needs.
The biggest competitor to the Pinwheel watch in this space is the Fitbit Ace LTE. Fitbit's watch is pricier out of the gate, $230 vs. $159, but the subscription fee is $10 a month rather than $15. However, after a year, the cost of the two devices, with cellular, is roughly equal. The Fitbit ACE LTE will run you $350 while the Pinwheel will cost you $340.
I've yet to get my hands on the Ace, but based on impressions from my colleagues here at Tom's Guide, the parental controls don't seem to be as customizable and in-depth as on the Pinwheel. The Pinwheel also has a far larger pool of apps for kids to choose from.
Other players in the space include the Cosmo Jr Track 4, which I also checked out at CES. At $129, it's even more affordable than the Pinwheel watch with a similar monthly cellular cost. The Cosmo Jr also features kid-friendly apps and loads of parental controls. However, design-wise, I much prefer the look and feel of the Pinwheel.
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