Google Fitbit Ace LTE Drops to Record-Low $100 Ahead of Prime Day

Q: With its mandatory subscription, is the $100 Fitbit Ace LTE a bargain or just a gateway to years of recurring fees?

It is both: a real hardware bargain upfront, but also a product built around recurring fees. At $100, down from $180, the Fitbit Ace LTE is unusually cheap for a kids’ smartwatch with built-in LTE, GPS, calling, texting and strong parental controls. For parents who want a “starter” device instead of a smartphone, that discount is meaningful. The watch’s design also adds value by limiting digital exposure: no app store, no browser and no social media, while still allowing approved communication, location tracking, school-time controls and activity-based games. But the low sticker price does not reflect the true cost. The watch requires a $10-a-month or $120-a-year Ace Pass subscription for the features that matter most. Without it, the device is reduced largely to basic step and movement tracking. Over one year, the real cost is about $220 including the watch; over two years, about $340. That makes the subscription the bigger financial commitment than the hardware discount. Whether it is worth it depends on what parents are buying. If the goal is a tightly controlled communication and safety device for a child not ready for a phone, the ongoing fee is paying for LTE service, GPS tracking, approved contacts and the broader parental-control system. In that sense, the subscription is not incidental; it is the product. So the $100 price is a bargain only if a parent already accepts the recurring plan. If not, it is mainly an attractive entry point into a long-term monthly bill.

2 articles · Updated · CNET · Jun 14

$100 gets buyers Google's Fitbit Ace LTE, matching the kids smartwatch's lowest price yet from its usual $180.
Best Buy and Target are matching the pre-Prime Day discount, widening availability beyond a single retailer.
The watch targets children not ready for a phone, offering cellular calling and texting with parent-controlled contacts through Fitbit's Ace app.
Ownership still requires a $10-a-month cellular plan, and the device skips broad app-store access found on Apple Watch or Wear OS rivals.