Amazon is heading into the children’s market with the launch of Echo Dot Kids, a colourful smart speaker pre-loaded with the new parental control software, FreeTime on Alexa.
Amazon FreeTime on Alexa has ‘family-focused features’ including, explicit song filtering, bedtime limits, educational Q&A, household communications, positive reinforcement for using the word “please,” and disabled voice purchasing.
The Echo Dot Kids device is exactly the same hardware wise apart from the bright casing.
FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa has all the basic parental controls as FreeTime but with an added content subscription service for all Echo devices where users can access more than 300 Audible kids’ books; kid-friendly, ad-free radio stations and playlists; character alarms; premium Alexa skills from Disney, Nickelodeon and National Geographic.
Both FreeTime and FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa will be on Echo Dot Kids.
David Limp, SVP Amazon devices and services says, “Tens of millions of households already use Alexa, and today we’re excited to introduce an entirely new way for kids to have fun and learn with Alexa.
“With Echo Dot Kids Edition and FreeTime on Alexa, parents can have peace of mind knowing their kids are getting age-appropriate content, while they listen to music, ask questions, enjoy Audible books, use Alexa skills, and more. We can’t wait for parents and kids to try this out.”
Amazon joins the likes of Facebook and YouTube creating alternative versions of their products/platform for kids. Facebook has Messenger Kids and YouTube has its own app aimed at children.
The Echo Dot Kids comes in red, blue or green. The Echo Dot Kids is priced at US$79.99 and Amazon FreeTime Unlimited starts from US$2.99 a month.
For those who are so inclined to get it for their kids, it is only available in the US but expect it to come to Australian shores in the future.
The Echo Spot however, is now available for purchase.
Amazon’s releasing its new Echo Dot Kids Edition. Parents everywhere are overjoyed to finally hear, “Alexa, watch this!”
— Life📌UɴPιɴтereѕтιɴɢ (@LifeUnPinterest) April 25, 2018
