Pinwheel Launches AI-Driven Smartwatch for Kids Aged 7-14

On July 3, 2025, Pinwheel, a company specializing in child-friendly technology, unveiled its latest innovation: the Pinwheel Watch, a smartwatch tailored for children aged 7 to 14. This device aims to provide parents with a secure method of staying connected with their children while mitigating the risks associated with unrestricted access to smartphones. The Pinwheel Watch is equipped with a variety of features, including parental management tools, GPS tracking, voice-to-text messaging, and even an AI chatbot named PinwheelGPT.

The introduction of the Pinwheel Watch comes at a time when parents are increasingly concerned about the potential dangers of giving their children unsupervised access to the internet. According to a 2023 report by the Pew Research Center, 59% of parents express significant concern about their children's online safety. The Pinwheel Watch offers a child-safe alternative by preventing access to social media and the broader internet, making it an appealing option for cautious parents.

Dane Witbeck, founder of Pinwheel and a father of four, emphasized that the device incorporates safeguards to protect children from exposure to inappropriate content. “We have not received any pushback from parents because it’s possible, if they are concerned, to remove the PinwheelGPT from the watch or turn it off via your own controls,” Witbeck stated. He also reassured parents that no personal data from users—whether minors or adults—is utilized in training the AI models. This commitment to privacy is crucial, given growing concerns over data security in children's technology.

The smartwatch features a sleek black design and boasts a screen slightly larger than that of an Apple Watch. Priced at $160 with a $15 monthly subscription, it became available for purchase on Pinwheel.com shortly after its announcement. During testing, the features of PinwheelGPT, which allows children to ask questions ranging from homework help to social interactions, were found to effectively filter out inappropriate inquiries, encouraging children to discuss sensitive topics with trusted adults instead.

Besides the AI capabilities, the Pinwheel Watch allows children to make calls, send texts, and even video chat, all through voice commands or a simplified keyboard. The device also includes a camera for selfies and video calls, alongside traditional apps like an alarm, calendar, calculator, and mini-games. The smartwatch's parental controls, accessible through a dedicated “Caregiver” app, enable parents to establish a “Safelist” of contacts, monitor text messages, and impose time restrictions on device usage. This feature is particularly useful for parents of younger children, allowing them to maintain oversight of their children's communications.

Pinwheel's entry into the smartwatch market comes as part of a strategic move to capture a share of the approximately $100 billion smart wearable market. The company previously launched its first child-safe phone in 2020 and has since seen rapid growth, ranking No. 212 on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in America for 2024. With the Pinwheel Watch, the company is positioning itself against established brands such as Apple and Fitbit by focusing specifically on the children's segment, which remains largely underserved in terms of safety features and parental controls.

As global interest in smart technology for children continues to rise, Pinwheel plans to expand its reach beyond the current markets of the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The smartwatch is also expected to be available on Amazon later this summer, although a specific launch date has yet to be announced. Industry analysts suggest that as awareness of digital safety for children increases, products like the Pinwheel Watch may see a significant uptick in demand, offering parents peace of mind in an increasingly connected world.