More to kids’ smartwatch than track and trace...
THE NEO OFFERS PARENTS PEACE OF MIND BUT THERE’S A LOT OF FUN FOR LITTLE ONES TOO
THE thought of strapping a tracking device to your child’s wrist may well fill you with horror, but I’m not sure it should – especially now Vodafone’s Neo is on the scene.
The new “smart kids’ watch” strikes me as not just harmless, but actually quite useful for parents and children alike.
For parents it offers a simple and safe way to keep an eye on where your children are, as well as offering safe and private ways to communicate with them. For the children it’s a fun and friendly device, with a limited feature set that seems to strike the right balance.
For a start, it’s not just an adult smartwatch with some of the things taken away. It’s a thoughtfully executed piece of design that aims to do just a few things well.
For an extra sheen of pizzaz (and presumably to make it more attractive to the kids as well) Vodafone has teamed up with Disney for some special features.
The watch is simple enough – two buttons, one on the bottom to go to home, and one on the top right to perform an action. The touch-screen is clear and bright and offers simple swipe navigation to access features.
For the adult in charge, there is a smartphone app, which is the heart of the system. From there, the parent can set various parameters for the watch, including setting contacts – the watch cannot communicate with anyone unless given the go-ahead from here.
The app is also the place to see where the watch (and hopefully the child) is.
It’s very simple to set up, and offers remarkable peace of mind, even if all you want to do is make sure your kids have not left your garden…
For children, the device is fun to use and offers great features that will help make them feel the watch on their wrist is not just about mum and dad keeping tabs on their whereabouts.
Chief among these features is the camera – yes, the wrist-worn device features a camera so children can snap their friends and anything else that catches their eye (apart from themselves – this outward facing camera is selfie-unfriendly by design).
Obviously, it’s not the best camera you can buy, but it’s functional and useful and, above all else, fun. Sharing is with contacts only.
The Disney tie-in also allows users to select a character side-kick to personalise their watch – there are six to choose from. Although that feature can be turned off and you can opt for a neutral appearance. The side-kick will animate on screen, and users can interact with them through various features across the watch.
The watch also features an activity tracker measuring exercise and steps, plus a weather app and a calendar, which parents can use to schedule events like football practice or homework time.
So it’s by no means as sinister as you might imagine – the tracking element merely offers parents the opportunity to see where their child is at any given time, and the communications element offers interaction with up to nine others, all of whom must be approved from the parents’ app.
There’s no connecting to the internet and certainly no Facebook or Instagram.
Aimed at those aged six and up, and as one of the first smartwatches designed from the ground up for kids, it hits the mark in terms of establishing a nice balance between safety, utility and fun.
The Neo costs £99 plus a £7/ month subscription. Find out more at Vodafone.com