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.