Hi all, looking to buy a new smartwatch for my kid, which has GPS tracking, calling and School Mode options.
Had a watch from Kids-o-clock, but my son used it in water and it stopped working. Based on experience, which watch do you think is good for school age kids.
Samsung boy negged you. Agree apple watch. My kid is using it as we are all in apple ecosystem
Nah, that's just the "JV effect". Everyone negs him.
What's wrong with a dumb, beater watch like a G-Shock? Cheaper, kid-proof and will outlast any smart watch.
Do you really need to GPS track your kid 24/7?
Do you really need to GPS track your kid 24/7?
Not 24/7, just when they are going to/from school…
Police say the same man is believed to have approached two girls riding scooters on Oak Bank Boulevard, Whittlesea earlier on Friday evening.
Victoria Police said in a statement that two girls, aged 13 and 14, fled and were unharmed.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/terrifying-al…
Lol, cool clickbait article from our alarmist tabloid rags masquerading as journalistic publications.
Seems a bit paranoid to me. Overall Australia has never been safer in terms of crime rates for all major categories of crime and yet modern-day parents think everyone wants to abduct their children like they're in an episode of To Catch a Predator. Reminds me of hysterical American suburban mothers and their penchant for calling the police/reaching for a gun on anything that even looks at their home/children slightly funny.
Lol, cool clickbait article from our alarmist tabloid rags
You're obviously not a parent.
@jv: That's hilarious coming from the user who posts 30-40 comments on OzBargain per day. I'll take your "parenting" advice about as seriously as I take every single comment of yours, i.e. not very.
You're getting awfully sensitive these days JV, is everything alright? All those negs seem to be taking their toll on you?
@jv: From the fact that no one takes you seriously? Maybe if you contributed something remotely of value once in every 200 comments (other than bolded words and cringey dad jokes), I might actually give a sh*t… as it stands now, you're the last person anyone should be taking parenting advice from.
@jv: You know if someone replaced you with a script/chatbot, no one would know the difference? Unfortunately for you, you do have to be a sentient organism in order to reproduce.
This "terrifying alleged abduction" is more of a media beat up done to terrify the public. It's done to sell papers or ads and to get your attention. There's no evidence apart from an allegation frenzy that it was the same man. I suspect the perpetrator was known to the woman. Most crimes are like this - where the people know each other. Maybe a DV incident or failed relationship where the guy's gone crazy.
Get out of here with your rational, level-headed thinking, JV's got his paranoid, media-fuelled delusions to indulge in so he can vicariously can live out his white-knight "model parent" fantasy on OzBargain.
This "terrifying alleged abduction" is more of a media beat up
It was on the radio news the other day.
@jv: So because it was on the radio, it must be true and also it must prove your claim that child predators are everywhere and children are actually less safe these days?
Classic JV logic.
So because it was on the radio, it must be true
They interviewed the mother, so it probably was true.
well its not to track the kids 24/7.
There are instances where we have to leave kids alone like taking the bus to school. Its also handy if we go to crowded places, gives that extra peace of mind that our kids can contact us if there is an emergency or if they get lost..
Why do you feel the need to track kids on the bus?
At big, crowded events, just give them burner phones. How often is that?
Will small kids be reliable at charging the watch every night, and wearing it?
Why do you feel the need to track kids on the bus?
To know they arrived safely to their destination.
Sorry, I forgot to answer your question. Apple is the best smartwatch, but only if you already have iPhone.
Android watches have the advantage that they can use a cheap eSIM, instead of monthly fee for Apple family plan.
Do you really need to GPS track your kid 24/7?
one woman here spends much of the day tracking her primary school kid….
I'd hate to be a kid these days… My olds would have lost their mind thinkin where we used to go
It depends on what you want to spend.
I've had a look at the Moochies, Spacetalk, Pixbee and Apple smartwatches.
An Apple Watch SE with cellular would probably be the best quality and most reliable, but probably on the more expensive side of things. From memory Apple have their own esim service you can sign up to when you first activate the device. A lot of the other watches seem a lot chunkier and more plastic in their build. Also if you're worried about the 'cool' factor for the device from your kids perspective, an Apple Watch will probably more attractive in their eyes.
There's probably some alternatives I haven't seen but Apple watch would be my pick if you're happy to spend the money.
If you don't wish to give an iPhone to a child, cellular Apple Watches using esim family plans (via BetterRoaming, previously Truphone) work well - cost is $10.99/month.
Apple watch SE celular version refurbished (get it from the official apple refurbished website, NOT from FB marketplace or eBay. This way you get it cheaper from the apple source).
Trust me, I've tried most of all other rubbish out there. I would have saved money if I just went with the expensive apple watch first. I hated the price tag, but it works exactly as you described.
The Battery doesn't last all day on older models, so try to get the newest models if budge allows, otherwise the charger charges pretty quickly.
Also, make sure you get a screen cover from eBay to protect the watch from scratches.
I swear I've seen this minature android phone, which comes with a wrist strap and can fit on the wrist and has large battery sim card slot and GPS with minimal OS. most products like this require sub to use but this one didn't.
you can probably find it easily by searching google images. would be better than a complicated Apple watch with 18 hours battery?
I just read that they are shutting down certain 4G phones now or something so should make sure it will still connect.
I think got this and found it quite useful https://www.bigw.com.au/tech-audio/smart-watches-fitness-tra…
Spacetalk Adventurer 2
Our son has had the original Adventurer for 4 years now and our daughter has had the Adventurer 2 for almost 2 years now. Simple to setup and gives the kids tons of freedom / responsibility but it all depends on your family dynamics and how much you want them to be independent.
I never liked the mobile phone idea for kids - I struggle enough with getting them to stop watching stupid stuff on their iPad's. Apple watches aren't durable enough and are too expensive. None of the kids at the school have em either.
If you're paying for after school care and you're on the cusp of getting them to be independent on their own at home, this watch bridges the gap. They can call you for any issue and allows them to feel comfortable knowing you're just a quick call away. Avoiding after school care will pay for the watch very very quickly.
Forgot to mention that it also makes coordinating the kids getting home for dinner so much easier. The kids will run over to their friends house and I just call them over when dinner is ready. Allowing kids to be kids!
Make your kid where an airtag and just buy a cheap Casio watch.
My family live within the HomeAssistant ecosystem. We all have 24/7 tracking. Makes things easier with automations when the system knows where you are. So, yes, I can see where the kids are at all times. They can see where I am too. It's not being done covertly so no big deal.
Edit: And Galaxy Watch Ultra. Has all the options and amazing battery life.
Apple watch