With the ubiquity of technology it’s getting harder to keep kids away from the potentially tricky world of a fully fledged smartphone. At the same time, the desire it there to take advantage of technology to keep track of and communicate with one’s children. The Vodafone Neo Kids Smart Watch aims to fill both of these gaps.
A watch for 6-9 year olds that comes preloaded with a range of Disney properties to entertain you child and entice them to use the device, Neo works as a standalone device as well as a companion for an adult or adults’ phones.
Child-Proof
Vodafone Neo Kids Smart Watch is a light but solid device. The thick plastic body inspires confidence as does the ample glass on the display.
The strap is angled to fit better but on a smaller wrist it can end up sitting slightly askew. There is a second strap that allows the watch to sit slightly angled to allow for more comfortable viewing which is a nice touch.
The straps are of similarly great quality to the device. Vodafone Neo is of a rugged enough build to survive on a child’s wrist.
Child-Friendly
The visual design is surprisingly good. Rather than gaudy, Neo is bright and fun to look at. The combination of white and mint on our review model is, honestly, more aesthetically considered than I expected.
The circular display sits inside a thick black bezel that blends nicely into the squircle footprint of the device. A wonderful touch is the metallic strap-stop in a matching mint to the silicone.
Another neat touch is a fingerprint resistant coating on the display. In practice Vodafone Neo stayed cleaner than expected in use.
The display itself is bright enough to use outdoors on sunny days. Again, making sure that was possible is a big deal when it comes to kids’ devices of this type.
And yet another consideration in design is the water and dust resistance rating IP68. While it’s not recommended to go in the pool, Neo should stand up to the watery japes of childhood.
Children’s Allowance
The device is primarily an effort to allow adults peace of mind but it would be a bit useless if the child didn’t actually want to wear the device. To that end, there are some fun features and some personality to help make device their own.
A 5MP camera takes adequate snaps and a quick access button for the capture option gives a nice tactility to Vodafone Neo.
While the watch is far from a fully featured smart device, it offers weather, a calendar, a calculator and a photo album to go with the camera. Parents can add appointments to the calendar to keep their kids in the loop.
A step counter should encourage a few steps out of the user.
It’s enough to make a kid feel like grown-up, something children that age are into if every single toy ever made is anything to go by.
The menu isn’t particularly intuitive to an adult but for a child, it has the important stuff in the right place.
Child-Safe
The safety and communications features are similarly well chosen and quite well implemented. Parents can use the companion app to track their child.
The watch allows for a contacts list with two-way calling as the device has a e-SIM attached to the Vodafone Neo plan. The speaker is loud and mic is better than adequate for the job.
Calls have a five-minute limit to save battery power, something to bear in mind.
Messages can similarly be sent back and forth with pre-programmed responses and emojis on the device to fling back to mammy or daddy. It’s a decent solution that’s good enough for adult smartwatches.
Night Watch
One area where the device wasn’t quite as impressive was in terms of battery life. Vodafone Neo needs a daily charge as it won’t quite do a full day with intended use. The device will cover most waking days of most 6-9 years old but a little extra just in case would have been nice.
The other issue is the daily charge adds to the workload of a parent. At over two hours to charge from 0-100%, charging overnight will be many parents’ only option and this may lead to days when the watch is forgotten at home.
Review unit provided by PR; Vodafone Neo is available for €199 upfront with one year of free Neo service, which costs €9.99 per month thereafter
