Stay in touch with your kids without phone
A FIRM which specialises in safety-first tech for children, myFirst’s round smartwatch Fone R2 enables video calls and has its own eSim connection to mobile data.
It can be used as a phone, GPS tracker, music player, camera, clock and fitness tracker.
The main benefit for parents in buying and utilising a GPS watch such as MyFirst Fone R2 is that they can communicate with their child at any time – without giving the youngster access to a smartphone and the internet. There is no need to worry about unsafe apps or games.
Communication can be done through texts, momojis, audio calls and video calls. Parents can control exactly which contacts children can call. In an emergency, children should be able to quickly call for help. Text replies on the watch are limited to an array of customisable preset quick replies.
MyFirst Fone R2 also enables a child’s location to be tracked, so even without making a call a parent has the peace of mind of knowing exactly where their offspring is at any given time.
Control
The watch also includes Smart Location Tracking which the firm said does not rely on GPS data. It cleverly suggests and classifies frequent locations based on motion detection and Wi-Fi SSIDs.
Parents can also disable certain features during lessons using Class mode.
Fone R2 is aimed at children between the ages of five and 12. It comes with a built-in heart rate sensor and pedometer. You can monitor your child’s fitness data.
Battery life is about a day and a half but I would get into the habit of charging it daily so your child does not get caught out.
A mobile phone modem with eSIM support is installed, and how it works is you buy a €9.99 per month Stay Connected subscription from MyFirst Fone. You get the first month free.
The bad news is this watch only works with the MyFirst Fone eSim, so you have no choice but to buy the subscription.
Verdict: MyFirst Fone R2 is a decent substitute for younger kids who shouldn’t be carrying a smartphone just yet.
The watch costs £199.99.