Garmin announces Star Wars, Marvel and Disney-themed Vívofit Jr. 2

Enlarge Image

Garmin's newest kids activity tracker, the Vívofit Jr. 2, has gone Hollywood.   

Thanks to a licensing deal with Disney, parents can now buy their kids a Vívofit with Disney, Star Wars and Marvel-themed bands. Characters include Minnie Mouse, BB-8 and Marvel's Captain America, and each band theme offers a corresponding mobile app adventure where children can complete missions to unlock a new character.

With a list price of $100 (£80, AU$130), the Vívofit Jr. 2 costs $20 more than the original (which now sells online for a little bit less). However, this new model has a color screen while the original had monochrome display.

The replaceable battery is designed to last at least a year and each tracker comes with one of two band options: a stretchy band for smaller wrists or an adjustable band for older kids. Additional bands cost $30.

We'll let you know how much of an improvement the Vívofit Jr. 2 is over the original as soon as we get our hands on one. Here are its key features, according to Garmin:

• Water-resistant design (swim and shower safe)
• 1+ year of battery life (battery is replaceable but not rechargeable)
• Tracks steps, sleep and 60 minutes of daily recommended activity
• 60 minutes of daily activity unlocks a new adventure in a corresponding Disney, Star Wars and Marvel mobile app experience 
• From the mobile app parents can assign and reward chores, set up scheduler alerts (to finish homework or brush teeth, for example), view step and sleep information and more
• Kids can initiate timed step challenges with their nearby friends
• The app allows for multiple profiles so parents and siblings with compatible Garmin devices can also have their steps listed on the step leaderboard to promote healthy competition
• Price: $100 (£80, AU$130)