New AT&T smartwatch offers a GPS leash for worried parents

New AT&T smartwatch offers a GPS leash for worried parents ,

via about.att.com

On the heels of Samsung's recent smartwatch push, AT&T is trying out a different use for the device: a digital leash for protective parents. The carrier will be bringing a kid-targeted smartwatch called the FiLIP to market in the coming months. The watch's main feature is a GPS-tracking function that lets parents know if their FiLIP-enabled child has left a designated "safe zone." The FiLIP can also handle voice calls and direct messages just like a phone, but it's restricted to five whitelisted contacts that have to be pre-approved by parents. Parents can also track their children's activity on the phone in real time through the FiLIP app app. As long as they're wearing this watch, parents will know exactly where their kids are and what they're doing.

It's the brainchild of Filip Technologies, which partnered with AT&T's Emerging Devices division to bring the product to market, offered exclusively to AT&T customers. According to Filip CEO Jonathan Peachey, the goal was "to create a product that empowers kids." Details on pricing have yet to be announced.