Fitbit has introduced its new Fitbit Ace 3 fitness tracker, bringing improved battery life, a new animated watch face, and a Minions tie-in to kids' wrists

The past year has been tough on kids, with many schools closed and activities cancelled, and while the Fitbit Ace 3 won't solve all of that, it will help kids stay active with a number of features designed to encourage exercise and healthy behaviors It will help them stay active

Here's everything you need to know about the Fitbit Ace 3

The Fitbit Ace 3 is available for pre-order today and will begin shipping on March 15 It costs $7995 in the US and £6999 in the UK

Design-wise, the Fitbit Ace 3 has subtle changes from the previous model It is more curved than before and looks more comfortable on smaller wrists, but we will have to wait until we use it to find out for sure about this

The Fitbit Ace 3 will be available in two bold color schemes at launch, with kids able to choose between black and red or blue and green options We like that Fitbit is not offering only pink and blue, the usual choices for children's devices

New straps can be added, and two Minions-themed bands will be available in the summer; Fitbit also promises "more engaging Minions features and products" coming soon

The Ace 3 is also waterproof to 50 meters, so you don't have to worry about your kids going for a swim or spilling a drink

Fitbit has not announced screen specs, but the Fitbit Ace 2 had a 072-inch OLED touch display with a 128 x 72 resolution Leaked information over the weekend indicates that the new model will have a 240 x 240 resolution, but given the rectangular design, this does not appear to be correct We will update this article as soon as we receive confirmation

On a basic level, the Ace 3 tracks your child's steps and active minutes, as do none of the best fitness trackers But what really helps here is the animated clock face, where the character changes and grows as your child progresses toward daily goals

In all, the Fitbit Ace 3 has over 20 clock faces, six of which are animated Just keep in mind that using these can have a negative impact on battery life

Sleep tracking is again included, along with bedtime reminders and a silent alarm that wakes the child with a gentle buzzer This is all designed to ensure that children get a healthy amount of sleep each night

However, heart rate tracking is not available: the Fitbit Ace 3 has a heart rate sensor, but it is not activated

One thing that is noticeably improved in the Fitbit Ace 3 is the battery life: the Fitbit Ace 2 could be used for five days, but the third generation of Fitbit's children's wearable has upped that number to an impressive eight days

The Fitbit app combined with a family account has both parent and child views to provide a tailored experience for each age group This means parents can track their child's progress, approve friend requests, and manage what their child sees in the child version of the app

Ace 3 also makes it easier for parents to stay in touch with their children If the child has a smartphone, they can receive incoming notifications on their wrist

The Fitbit Ace 3 is likely to be a strong contender for the best fitness tracker for children The second-generation Ace 2 was already an excellent product, but the Ace 3 improves on it in several ways

The price is reasonable, and the tie-in with the "Minions" series is sure to please many youngsters: especially the tie-in with the new movie "Minions: The Rise of Gru," due out in 2022

I will let you know what I think once I try it