Last Updated on November 30, 2023
This post is an open thread and contains affiliate links.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated for December 2023.
Kid’s technology has been a thing for a long time now. From the simple portable games and game systems (I’m looking at you, Game Boy) of the 1980s to smartphones of today, having entertainment that fits in your pocket has long been a thing. Aldi isn’t a tech store, but it does sometimes sell portable entertainment.
What We Know:
One of the 2022 watches.
The iTOUCH Playzoom Kids’ Smartwatch with Earbuds (Product Code: 705501) is an Aldi Find. That means you can only find it in stores for a short time. Once it’s gone from stores, you won’t be able to find it again until it comes back, whenever that might be. Aldi doesn’t ship products online, so if you can’t find it on the shelves, you’re out of luck.
iTOUCH is a company that sells smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other accessories. (While it has a sort of Apple-sounding name, it’s not connected with Apple.) Aldi has previously sold other iTOUCH products, including the iTOUCH Smart Watch and the iTOUCH AirSmart Watch with Heart Rate. iTOUCH is not an Aldi exclusive, and the company sells its watches on its own website as well as at other retailers. That goes for the Playzoom.
Aldi sold the kid’s smartwatch and earbuds set for $19.99 in December of 2023. That’s $2 less than the $22.99 it sold for in December of 2022, which is $2 less than what Aldi sold it for in March of 2022. So, the price has been steadily decreasing on this product. You won’t find any kid smartwatches at this price, let alone with earbuds, too. This is pretty cheap. In addition, prices for the Playzoom run $25-$35 elsewhere, and they don’t include the earbuds. In short, this is about as inexpensive as it gets for this particular combo.
According to Aldi, features include:
- Assorted designs
- Each watch includes bonus matching ear buds
- Features include a touchscreen, swivel camera, and video recorder
- Includes an MP3 music file feature to download and listen to music
- Features more than 25 STEM games, 10 audiobooks and 10 sing a longs
- For ages 4+
The 2022 set was backed by a 1-year warranty. Aldi has not yet published information about whether the 2023 set comes with a warranty.
The Aldi listing doesn’t make it clear, but the iTOUCH product listings on its website indicate that this isn’t a smartwatch in the same way as an adult smartwatch. The listings there claim that “the PlayZoom doesn’t connect to a cellular device, so it’s free of GPS tracking and completely safe!” It also adds that “no app [is] needed.” The listing does not make any mention of Bluetooth capabilities but does say that the watch can be connected to a device, like a computer, via a micro USB port. User reviews on the product listings also indicate that the micro USB port is used to charge the watch. (It’s not clear if the watch comes with a micro USB cable, but I would assume it does.) For parents who don’t want their child’s device connected to an adult phone, this is worth noting.
The earbuds, meanwhile, are a bigger mystery. iTOUCH doesn’t appear to sell corded earbuds on its site, so about the only thing we know for sure is that these are your standard 3.5mm earbuds with silicone tips, and that they’re color-matched to the watch.
What We Don’t Know:
We haven’t tested this set, so we don’t know how well either the watch or the earbuds work. We don’t know, for example, how responsive the touch screen is, how well the various functions work, how good the recordings are, how long the battery lasts before needing to be recharged, or how durable the watch is. We also don’t know how good the sound quality is from the earbuds or how good of a fit the silicone tips are in a kid’s ears. We’ve created this open thread for users to share their experiences.
Have you used this iTOUCH smartwatch and earbud kit? Let us know about it in the comments.
