New Fitbit smartwatch could arrive on March 15

Fitbit Ace
The original Fitbit Ace kids' fitness tracker (Image credit: Fitbit)

Update: Fitbit has reached out to TechRadar with a comment on the possible leak: “We appreciate the interest and excitement around our products. As you know, we are constantly working on new health and fitness devices and services to help people live healthier lives. We don't have news to share at this time, but you’ll be amongst the first to know when we do.”

Original story follows.

Fitbit is about to release a new kids' fitness tracker, according to photos and specifications leaked to German tech site WinFuture. The documentation suggests that the Fitbit Ace 3 will be announced on March 15, and is likely to go on sale soon after. It's two years since the Fitbit Ace 2 hit the shelves, so this seems like a plausible release date.

WinFuture has published what appear to be renders of the new kids' smartwatch, which looks very similar to the Ace 2, with a rectangular screen and two color schemes to choose from (black/red and green/blue).

It looks like the Ace 3 will also have very similar fitness tracking features to its predecessor, with a pedometer, several sport tracking modes and sleep monitoring, but no optical heart rate monitor.

We should take these details with a pinch of salt, though. The leaked info gives details of the watch's screen, which doesn't match up with the renders, and may simply be placeholder information rather than the watch's real stats.

The images show a device with a rectangular screen, but the specs state that the watch has a 1.74in screen with a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. That would make it square, and even larger than those of the Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense, which seems vanishingly unlikely for a kids' fitness tracker.

Cool for kids

Last year, Fitbit purchased Doki Technologies – a company that produced the first children's watch capable of making video calls. At the time, we theorized that Fitbit might be planning to bring that tech to its next Ace fitness tracker, turning it into a fully-fledged 4G-enabled smartwatch.

However, the leaked specs and renders suggest that's not the case, which is perhaps not surprising. While a video-enabled Fitbit could have been a great way for kids to keep in touch with friends and family, it would have been a much more expensive device – and parents may have struggled to justify the cost.

We won't know the device's exact specifications until it's officially announced though, and there's always an outside change that Fitbit could surprise us. We'll bring you more details as soon as the Ace 3 is unveiled.

Via PhoneArena.com

Cat Ellis
Homes Editor

Cat is TechRadar's Homes Editor specializing in kitchen appliances and smart home technology. She's been a tech journalist for 15 years, and is here to help you choose the right devices for your home and do more with them. When not working she's a keen home baker, and makes a pretty mean macaron.

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