Are you a tech startup planning on making a wearable for children? If so, you might want to think again. It’s going to be expensive. It’s going to be difficult. One mistake in safety or privacy and you’ll disappear out of business but, on the plus side, you won’t have to worry about Apple. Most tech giants know better than to get involved with kids.
Some of the bigger players in the wearable space have started to make tentative moves into the junior market. Both Fitbit and Garmin have fitness trackers for kids. The Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 and Fitbit Ace are all about helping children to achieve their activity goals, much as the adult wearables in their ranges do, only with a greater and more appropriate focus on gamification of exercise. But there’s no GPS tracking, and no mobile phone-type features. Why? Because that’s how you open a massive can of worms.