Many parents agree that smartwatches are often better than smartphones for kids, especially younger kids. Many are designed for simple communication and have many educational features and games kids can play while waiting in rooms. Their limited processing power and intended use may protect children from potential scams and other harmful and inappropriate content compared to smartphones. Many modern smartwatches come with smartphones' essential features, such as GPS tracking and communication. These two features make the idea of smartwatches as a child's first smart device all the more tempting for parents.
GPS tracking
GPS tracking is an essential feature in almost all modern smartwatches. Parents who often worry about leaving their children out of sight in parks will immensely benefit from this perk. GPS allows parents to track their children's live location by receiving geolocation pings on their smartphones. The best thing about it is that they work from essentially anywhere globally.
Unlike smartphones, location data is kept and delivered in more detail and accuracy with dedicated kid-friendly smartwatches.
Due to their limited intended use, most smartwatches have long battery life. They will stay on for days without a recharge, which keeps the tracker on longer. Additionally, the GPS tracking feature stays on permanently while the watch is on – there is no "off" toggle, unlike most smartphones.
Real-time updates with GPS tracking that can't be turned off and long battery life – unlike most smartphones – ensure your child's safety is within a click away. Some of our smartwatches even have an extra feature that allows
SOS calling, entitling kids to send alerts to approved contacts in an emergency.
Making phone calls
Connectivity is the second and potentially more appealing benefit of getting your child a smartwatch. A dedicated kid smartwatch would be the best bet for parents looking for an all-inclusive device to communicate without worrying about excessive use or inappropriate content.
Nowadays, smartwatches can make calls and send text messages, making communication easy and exciting for children. Some parents are taken aback by unrestricted call access for their children, which might prompt the idea of strangers communicating with children via their smartwatches. Many dedicated kid-friendly smartwatches come standard with local calling and contact management. Parents can create a list of approved numbers to call or text their children – themselves, other family members, friends from school, etc. Nobody else will be able to contact them. This way, children are protected from unregulated call activities, such as those from telemarketers, scammers, or potential predators. This protective feature is unavailable in most modern smartphones.
However, not all smartwatches come standard with this capability. Some standalone GPS smartwatches do not possess the ability to make phone calls or send text messages without their smartphones within range. These smartwatches piggyback the cellular connectivity of linked smartphones, defeating the purpose of acquiring a dedicated smartwatch for your child – as they would require you to purchase a smartphone along with it.
Smartwatches with cellular connectivity can make and receive calls and text messages without a smartphone. Current 4G technology is the best bet at ensuring your child's smartwatch is connected to a fast and reliable network.
The importance of LTE
Cellular connectivity is required to take full advantage of smartwatch technology for children. An embedded 4G network, such as LTE, ensures smartwatches remain connected where Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are unavailable or if a connected smartphone – often those belonging to the parents – is not in range.
A smartwatch with an LTE function can stay connected to cellular networks. This means your device can receive and send messages and calls even if not connected to a phone. Carriers usually provide dedicated data plans for LTE-capable smartwatches. These plans generally come with their SIM card and can be a nano-SIM or an electronic SIM (e-SIM). The latter is part of new technology available in most current smartwatch models.
The nano-SIM, which goes inside modern iPhones, is about half the size of micro SIMs – or just as big as your fingernail. Smartwatches that use nano-SIMs would have SIM trays built into the device and require a physical SIM. Plans are relatively easier to find, as they are part of an older generation of technology and would be easy to transfer to a smartphone when you finally decide to acquire one for your child. Some people are also more familiar with setting up a nano-SIM card plan, which adds convenience.
The built-in eSIM will allow you to utilize your LTE plan with the apps inside your device as you would with a standard SIM card plan on your smartphone. Your eSIM plan will not have a physical SIM card already built inside your device. The e-SIM, on the other hand, is twice as small as a nano-SIM and is immediately embedded into your smartwatch. They are currently the latest iteration of SIM cards. When subscribing to an LTE plan, a virtual SIM profile is loaded into the eSIM using a simple QR code. The information in your eSIM is rewritable.
This virtual and non-removable version of regular SIM cards is usually soldered into the circuitry of newer smartphones and smartwatches that support the technology. This circuit stores your Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICCID). The ICCID has a unique number or identifier stored in your SIM card, which becomes the number you save in your contacts.
Parents may be concerned about how much data a smartwatch can use up. While data usage depends entirely on how long you use them and what you use them for, they are designed not to consume as much data as a smartphone, adding more to their appeal. However, parents can lend additional control to data usage by monitoring and managing the services their children can use.
Wonlex 4G smartwatches
Wonlex's dedicated range of child-friendly smartwatches fulfills its two main appeals to parents. GPS tracking comes standard with all our smartwatch models, while LTE is an option for our KT20 series. Our smartwatches have essential functions that make them intuitive for younger children. They are large enough to be easy to use and come with a clean display and simple icons to reduce distraction. Additionally, they come in vibrant, exciting colors kids will want to wear.
Our smartwatches are built with material that is highly durable and equipped with an IP67-approved waterproof rating, meaning they are 100% protected against common contaminants in a child's play environment, such as dirt and sand, and can withstand being submerged into a body of water up to a meter deep for half an hour.
In addition to safety and LTE connectivity features, our
4G smartwatches have HD video call capability as standard. A magnetic charging mode also comes as a standard to make charging hassle-free. Even with all these features, they are generally far less expensive than modern smartphones.
Bottom line
Smartwatches are an excellent option for parents looking to get their children their first smart device. When purchased right, smartwatches make the perfect all-in-one device for your child, packaged, fun, and affordable. Their
GPS tracking capabilities and
LTE connectivities are two of the biggest appeals, as are various other perks and features. To maximize the potential of these smartwatches, it is essential to remember the necessity for cellular connectivity, such as LTE or 4G, for smartwatches intended to be used without a linked smartphone.
Sources
- https://www.lifewire.com/lte-support-on-smartwatch-3441387
- https://smartwatchadviser.com/do-smartwatches-need-data-plans
- https://www.airalo.com/blog/esim-vs-nano-sim
- https://screentimelabs.com/does-your-child-want-a-smart-watch-heres-what-parents-should-know
