What better way to introduce technology to your tiny tots than with a wearable smart device that’ll teach them how to tell time and encourage them to be more active. Alcatel sent over a review unit of their smartwatch/activity tracker designed for kids and here’s what we think of it.
Design: 3.5/5
At first glance, you can tell right off the bat which market this smartwatch is aimed at. In terms of design, the watch is devoid of sharp corners and is aesthetically structured with just the right curves that make it very child-friendly. Our review unit came with a smooth, blue-colored, silicon rubber strap and sub-inch, single color OLED display bordered with plastic material in orange.
Like most smartwatch-activity tracker combo, the Move Time presents few but easy-to-manage controls. There are four tactile buttons: the two on the right are labeled as the SOS and power buttons, respectively. Meanwhile, buttons on the left side are for controlling volume. The buttons also serve as gateway to other functions I’ll be going over later.
The back is where you’ll find the pogo pin charging port and a nano sim slot located right under a flap that’s secured in place with a screw. The package ships with a tiny screwdriver to help you in setting up the watch.
Hardware: 4/5
The Move Time’s 0.95-inch OLED display is nothing spectacular but will grab your child’s attention with its animated icons, specifically when a parent is calling. At just 40 g, the watch is lightweight and feels like it’s barely there. This is great for kids who are first time watch owners and get easily irritated by wrist accessories.
Powering the watch is a 380 mAh battery that tops up easily and promises to last up to four days when on stand by. In use, the battery holds up well and will be able to serve its function for at least two days.
There’s a speaker on top of the display for listening to voice messages or taking calls. A microphone is also in place to record the user’s voice or for calling registered numbers.
User Experience: 3.5/5
Although the watch is on the child, parents have total control over who gets to contact their tot and vice versa. Once the SIM card and Move Time app are installed, the parent can begin setting up the watch. Pairing information that’s to be entered in the app can be found on the watch itself or the package. The app’s interface shows your kid’s current location, location history, contact numbers programmed in on the watch (limited to 10), messages, school time, and more.
The app-watch pairing offers various features for parents who constantly worry about their child’s safety. The monitor function allows you to stealthily listen to the sounds surrounding the watch through your paired phone. Meanwhile, the electronic fence feature enables you to set a range on the map as a “safe area.” When your child leaves this zone, you will immediately be notified.
For the kids, this GPS-enabled smartwatch shows on its display the steps they’ve taken daily and is pretty accurate in recording authentic movements. The watch has support for 2G networks, which lets your child place outgoing calls to numbers the administering parent has programmed in. By holding the volume key for three seconds, the child can start recording a voice message that will be sent to all contacts. The watch can also be switched to airplane mode, send SOS alerts and ping the paired phone when the owner arrives home.
Value: 3.5/5
Parents who want to keep tabs on their child when they play in the neighborhood playground or participate in after-school activities will take delight in this genius creation. It has an IP65 certification, meaning it is water-resistant and remains intact even when your kid randomly jumps in puddles or when they sweat it out during PE. Moreover, the smartphone app gives you total peace by constantly updating you of your child’s whereabouts through a pinpoint icon that moves as your child travels.
What’s Hot:
- Easy-to-use controls
- Efficient supplementary app
- Lightweight
What’s Not:
- Display could have been a touchscreen
Bottomline:
Got an active kid who’s always on the move? You might want to consider this.
Specifications:
- Display: 0.95-inch OLED display, 94 x 64 pixel resolution
- Connectivity: GPS, GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and 2G
- Battery: 380 mAh
- Design: IP65 rated
- OS compatibility: Android and iOS