Verizon Gizmo Gadget Review : I was recently at a Verizon event. During event they provided me a Gizmo Gadget for review. This week it has been fun getting to know how to use the Gizmo Gadget Watch Phone. The Gizmo is geared for kids who are not ready for a smart phone but still need to communicate with Parents, Caregivers, and Friends. The control of the phone is in the Caregiver’s (parents) hands, everything has to be set up in the Gizmo App downloaded from the iTunes or Goggle Play store. It also allows the parents to have access to child’s whereabouts and activity levels. I think of Gizmo Gadget as closed system determined by the Caregiver’s safety choices when setting up the phone/watch.
The Gizmo Gadget is the latest product offering to the Gizmo Line of kids phone watches. The pre-existing Gizmo Pal is geared toward a younger child because has less features. The Gizmo Gadget is for a older child preteen. The Gizmo line was created by LG for Verizon.
The purpose of the Gizmo Gadget is a Communication device: phone, predetermined text to caregiver, voice mails (send/receiving), a gps tracker, activity tracker, and to do list. The gizmo gadget does offer the ability to track jumping jacks, steps taken, compass, different watch faces, and some emoji’s to caregivers. Reporting status of child to caregivers. The watch can also be placed Quite Mode settings (up to 10 different times) by a caregiver can shut down at bedtime, school time. The Gizmo Gadget really does not have games.
Gizmo Gadget Review
Here is the break down of the Gizmo Gadget’s features we have found:
Gizmo Gadget Contacts Features:
- The Gizmo Gadget watch/phone only has ablity to add 14 contact (3 caregivers and 11 others)
- All contacts are entered by caregiver the child does not have the ablity to set up contacts.
- The Gizmo Gadget itself identifies contacts by title (Mom,Dad, Aunt,Friend, Neighbor) not by name of contact for security reasons.
- The Gizmo Gadget does not take phone calls from unknown numbers (meaning if the number is not in “contacts” it can’t be answer by child)
Gizmo Gadget Phone:
- Phone calls can only be made to people on contact list
- Phone messages can be left for anyone on contact list
- The Gizmo has no way for the child to call someone not on the contact list (no keypad)
- It rings they can pick it up or you can set the phone “Auto Answer” to pick up after automatic after 10 rings.
- if you have 2 gizmos and they can call each other as long as they are set up as a contacts on each others phone (because both gizmos have phone numbers).
Gizmo Gadget Text Features:
- The Gizmo comes with many preset/predetermined texted – the caregivers have the ablity to add a more texts
- Predetermined texts only can be sent to caregivers (aka mom,dad,one other)
- The Texts are set via the Gizmo App in caregivers phone not caregivers normal texting app (you do get a notification from app that a text was received from child)
- No Texts outside of caregivers receiving or sending
- Caregivers can write anything in a text to child characters are limited 30 characters- so longer texts are broken up
- Child can leave a voice/record text message for the caregivers
Gizmo Gadget Voice Messages:
- Child can leave voice mails for anyone in contact
- Child can get voice mails from Caregivers
Gizmo Gadget Web access:
THE GIZMO HAS NONE
- They cant get on the web with the Gizmo Gadget because it is only a phone partial texting device.
- Again: No Web Access from Gizmo Gadget
Gizmo Gadget Camera:
THE GIZMO HAS IS NONE
- No need to worry about picture or images being shared
- Your child can’t take them since there is none
Gizmo Gadget GPS Tracking:
- The Gizmo Gadget app a GPS tracker of you child, from the app on the parents phone you can see where the Gizmo is at all times
- The Gizmo App on caregiver’s phone (GPS)will also via google maps be able to tell you what route to take get to child
- The Gizmos has a compass feature on the child’s gizmo phone (no maps on kids phone)
Gizmo Gadget Activity tracking:
- Step counter tracker
- Jump-jack counter
- Gizmo App reports to caregiver every night activity for the day how many steps they took over the day
Other Gizmo Gadget Features:
- The phone does not state your child’s name on the device (this is for safety reasons)
- Ability to set up a Quite Mode (up to 10 different time periods) for example when the child is in school, bedtime, homework, church time, activity time) The device will not make a sound (no ring or funny sounds) but the call will show up on the screen
- Ability to turn off the Gizmo Gadget from the caregiver’s Gizmo App on phone.
- Ability to track battery life of Gizmo Gadget from caregiver’s Gizmo app (if you had a kid with a dead phone you know this is important) According to Verizon it last 9 days
- The app tells you everything your child does on the phone (from location to changing ring tone and more)
Gizmo Gadget Fun stuff:
- Kids can use moving emojis when send messages to caregivers
- Kids can play with different voices when recording voice message to text to caregivers
- Funny sound maker
- It has a compass
- The watch screen / ring tone can be changed by child from gizmo watch phone (7 to choose from one of the faces is Analog) (other options are princess, tron, digital more)
- ToDo list great for reminding kids of tasks (set up in caregivers Gizmo App)
- The Gadget is offered in 2 colors Red and Blue you can purchase another band to swap out the watch they have other colors (teal, pink, red,blue)
- Child can easily check in using a side swipe check in feature from gizmo
- You can’t get Text through your phones text messages alerts (because it is a closed alert system)- only through the gizmo app. Be sure to allow “push /Notification” from the gizmo app on your phone.
- To add the picture- click on the child Icon “circle” thing and a pop up will ask were you want to add the picture from your gallery or take a photo or choose an Icon. To add child’s name click on “child” and a pop up will allowing you to change child’s name.
I recommend the Gizmo Gadget for a kid ages 8-12 (up to end of 6th grade) as an entry level kid’s phone, prior to a smart phone.
Video Review of the Gizmo Gadget
The cost is $149 with a 2 year contract (dbl check) You can add a line to your account. (Also I think you can use it with a different provider but don’t quote/hold me on that dbl check because since Verizon is my cell phone provider not an issue for us as a family ).
Final Thoughts on the Gizmo Gadget is a great product for a parent who does not want to give there child full access to the adult products. (aka the web and ablity to call text anyone) I love this product for where my daughter is at in her development. For me, she should not have access to everything on the internet yet. I love the fact the Gizmo Gadget has the safe guards built in. I know that when she moves into middle school in 7th grade, I will need to get her a smarter phone at the right time for us as a family. The Verizon Gizmo Gadget has the perfect amount of “smart” for this point in her journey as a child.
Disclosure: I was provided a nice meal and a gift bag that included the Gizmo from Verizon for attending the event. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
This looks really cool! I bet my 8 year old would love it!
This is such a great invention. I love that it has no web access but you can still make calls and track with GPS.
Thank you for an excellent, thorough review.
I love the Gizmo Gadget so far!! My 9 yr old loves it too.. I just wish I could add 911 to his contacts though. The app won’t accept it as a full number! It would be nice to add just incase something serious were to ever happen and he can’t get to my phone or it’s dead. He would have to call someone on his list and tell them to call for him. ????
Yea I never thought about that. That is a great suggestion for the there next update.
Not sure if you will get this or not, but I believe they have changed it so the parent can add 911 via their phone app.
I’m wondering about durability. Has this held up for your kids? My kids are rough and I don’t want to spend money only for it to break.
Maybe try the non emergency line
I just added the local police department non-emergency number.
You can add emergency contacts. I added the police department by putting the office number. When I checked it was 911. You can contact your local police department and ask them what their 7 digit telephone number is
Yes…I was thinking that as well and found it very odd that they didn’t have that as a feature. I understand not having a button that can randomly and accidentally be pressed or having it in the scroll down since my daughter has already accidentally pressed the wrong person since they’re so close together, however there should be some special thing they can swipe or do that’ll allow them to contact 911, or at least send 911 a call where 911 can track them using the GPS. It has the swipe up check in that automatically contacts the primary caregiver so you’d think something like that at least where it contacts 911
Can only one care giver set the finctions of the gadget or if there’s two caregivers, can both change the settings? Or just the primary?
Thank you
From what I have seen it’s every caregiver you set up for messaging and gps tracking which I don’t like. I have her aunt and grandmother in there so she can text I love you and stuff to her grandmother and her aunt watches her while we work so she needs to be able to contact her if she’s at school or an activity and needs her for whatever reason but I don’t like them getting notifications every time it’s turned on, turned off, the messages of her steps etc for the day or if she goes out of whatever ranges I set up. If I want to set up something where I know when she leaves one of their houses when she’s there I don’t want that person thinking I’m not trusting them or whatever lol I just think the primary or at least one other (the other parent) should be able to have certain accesses the others who we are ok with our child texting shouldn’t. We should be able to click yes or no to GPS separately than messaging and all the other functions. Maybe that’ll be an upgrade soon.
Has anyone found out how to add 911 to their children’s gizmos??? Please lmk!
Is it 149 for the 2 yrs with no monthly fee, or is there still a monthly fee? We have our phones through Verizon already.
Every plan is different. At the time this post was written the cost of the device was $149. I think it is the cost of adding a line, regarding monthly charges check with Verizon. I do not work for them I was reviewing the phone/watch so I cant comment on fees for your plan in your state.
Deal I got was $149, and $5/month for the line, with no commitment.
I bought mine used from a friend for $25 My daughter is 8 and I recommend buying it used and resetting it and activating it on your plan because I told my daughter if I spent $250 or whatever and she lost it I would loose it lol
Hi, I live in México and want to know if it works here, can we use it in México?
I would check with your Verizon store. I don’t work for Verizon so I don’t know if it works in Mexico.
I was told by Verizon that the phone would absolutely work in Mexico I got here today and it won’t even tell me what the time is I only bought the phone so my son would have it in Mexico
I am sorry I don’t work for verizon. I would address the issue with them.
This seems like the perfect watch/phone for my 88 year old father. I only have one problem, I need to enter my name and siblings to the contacts and it doesn’t alow names other than caregiver, mom dad. That just wouldn’t work for my dad.
It allows you to type their names. I set up my son’s and all the names are set up in his contacts. The labels are more for when the phone speaks to the child, for example “calling dad”. Plus, there are a bunch of labels to use now-more than the original Gizmo.
It has label (what that person calls the labeled person) wouldn’t that help? I know it’s kind of small so that may be a problem.
I have two kids can I get the gadgets to be able to text each other??
I read that as long as they are contacts in each others gadgets and apparently set up as caregivers then they can text otherwise as long as they are contacts in the phone then they can do the voicemail texts and call only.
I’d like to know same thing.
Hello,
Going to get this for my daughter’s birthday in 2 weeks. How much data does it use to have the GPS on? Has anyone checked to see how much data it takes from their Verizon family plan?
thanks.
Trisha
This is my question too! How much data does it use? Verizon could not answer this for me.
We have unlimited so I didn’t think about that but it seems that it would also depend on what all the kid does, how many messages/emoji’s they send, if it’s a voicemail or just preset text/emoji and how many times we search for their location. That’s a good question though for people without unlimited.
The bands are junk we are on the second band in less then one half mouth and band broke on other sons watch tonight. For what they is a pain in the ass to get them fixed
We called lg and they said to send to every then to them instead of just sending us new bands for the price they are a joke
Is the step counter on your model(s) working with any accuracy? Just bought one for health (physical rehab) and safety reasons for an older person. It apparently added 7,000 steps from car rides to and from hospital on the first day worn. It must be picking up vibrations from the car because I was with him all day and know he didn’t walk more than 600 steps to his hospital procedure and later E.R. I know trackers aren’t perfect, but this is too far out of range! The tracker is a very important function for this post stroke patient.
This wearable phone/step counter/GPS locator seemed like a perfect product for an older person who loses step counters and cell phones and I really like knowing where he is in case of emergency while I’M working. However, if the step counter doesn’t work, it fails the test. Anybody else have to fix or replace the unit because the counter didn’t work?
The step counter is not accurate
Agreed. I think it’s counting some of my steps too or something lol She was sitting still and I was up doing something and she said mom my steps are going up and I’m not doing anything lol
Possible odd question.. do you know if Verizon force a gadget to turn on? My daughters gadget was either lost or stolen.
I got these for my girls and was told if they are off they can only be turned on from the watch itself. You can power them down remotely it would be awesome if you could power them up as well in case they forgot to turn it on or turned it off because they are up to no good and are smart.
I don’t like the child only having the ability to send predetermined texts. If we, as the parent, set up someone we feel can have safe conversations with our child then they should be able to communicate without predefined texts or having to use voicemail texts. When working, we can’t all communicate via voice. We only have 30 characters and they can’t communicate as effectively back to us. I really don’t like that part. I also wish we could allow messaging without allowing all the other permissions. It keeps saying only mom and dad can make changes etc or only primary can but it looks to me like anyone we set up to allow messaging can have all the access we as parents have. I want her to be able to message her Aunt who keeps her and takes her to and from school daily while we work and be able to text her grandmother because they are very close but I would rather her dad and I have total control of all the other functions. I trust them both but still just don’t like that part.
Before a great idea until I noticed that some of the phone type of glitches with GPS step counters and you cannot end calls from the watches at different times especially if they call another Gizmo Gadget I think it’s going to end up being a big waste of money because they don’t function as well as they should and it doesn’t seem like Verizon or LG has come up with a software update to fix it I just talked to Verizon tech support and it’s all over the Verizon Forums on how terrible these gadgets are actually performing
Hi thanks for the comment I wrote this review several years ago. I have not done an update recently so I cant advise on your comments.