Isaac is 9 and had just started asking for his own phone as some of his friends have started getting them.
Personally I feel that 9 is too young and the age we gave our older children their own phones was 11, when they started secondary school.
On the other hand, Isaac is getting more independent, he walks to and from school on his own and is now trusted to go to the park with his friends. I did panic a couple of weeks ago when I couldn’t find him, but it turns out he had gone to his friend’s house over the road without telling me.
Now there is a solution which we are both happy with – the Oaxis WatchPhone, which is the first of its kind in the market.
The Oaxis WatchPhone is a smartwatch your child wears on their wrist which features GPS. Kids can use it as a conventional watch, whilst parents can log into a smartphone app to track their actual location in real-time. The WatchPhone app displays a lovely and clear map image, so you can check that they are where they should be and can set Geo-Fenced safety zones which highlight geo-locations on the map so when a child moves outside of this area, the nominated smartphone will be alerted.
The watch uses the 3G network to keep in touch which means you need a pay as you go SIM card to get started, but you can pick them up very cheaply these days and as the watch doesn’t need data it won’t cost a lot to run.
The Oaxis WatchPhone also features an SOS function which, when pressed, will immediately call the number programmed into it, and supply the parent’s app with the exact location of of the watch.
If the SOS is activated, the nominated smartphone will receive information on the child’s location and a 30 second voice memo automatically recorded on the WatchPhone and children can be sure help is on its way.
I have to admit I found it a bit of a faff to set up. You need to download the app (available on iTunes or Google Play) before the switch the WatchPhone on but the instructions were not clear. There was a QR Code to scan, to pair the watch with the app and I eventually found the place to scan it by swiping left on the app to reveal the screen.
Once I had done that, I had to fill in my details on the app and then played with the settings to see what each one did.
To call Isaac I just need to press the phone button, or to send him a text you need to click on the speech bubble. We can even track his steps from the app as well as his watch and set an alarm for the morning.
So what does Isaac think of it?
Being a tech lovely boy, he loves having his own WatchPhone and is using the built-in pedometre which tracks his daily steps.
The WatchPhone has an interactive touch screen which displays images which he loves and which are incredibly life-like. Isaac finds the WatchPhone easy to navigate and loves that he can call or text me at any time, although there is a classroom mode which silences the WatchPhone at specified periods to minimize distractions. It drowns out all notifications except for SOS function, which will still be usable.
I am also confident that all location data is protected and accessible only to me or my husband as the watch has a 128-bit encryption algorithm built into it.
The battery life could be improved as it needs to be charged on a daily basis, but it shouldn’t be worn at night so Isaac pops it on charge when he goes to bed and the watch is only splashproof so shouldn’t be worn in the shower or for swimming.
The WatchPhone is now available on Oaxis.com for a limited period at the special launch price of only £79.99 with free worldwide shipping.
Oh Eva is desperate for this watch!! She talks about it constantly, I think her friends at school have them! They are quite fiddly to set up but the kids love them don’t they?!
This watch is such a great idea for young kids. Loving the concept and the responsibility they will gain without being given something like a phone.
How interesting! I haven’t heard of this. But I think it’s pretty nifty! I think my little brother could do with one of these. ☺️
I think this would have been a brilliant half way step to a phone when mine were in junior school. One of the benefits I like the most of their phones is the ability to see where they are, and for younger children out on their own I think this is really important.
Oh wow, this looks cool. I had never seen of of these before, great idea 🙂
I love the look of the watch. My son would adore it.
I haven’t even thought ahead to the kids wanting phones! This looks like a good alternative to get them started!
Such a cute watch my nephew would really like it
Taslyn|www.hiddenbeau-t.co.uk
Oh that’s really interesting, and sounds like a great early alternative to a phone for them. Great review
What a great compromise on having a cool gadget that Issac loves, without breaking the bank with an expensive monthly phone contract! x
Your blog post is very impressive. I love it! This Watch seems to be awesome. Well, you can also try SOS Watch for your family as well as children. This watch also have amazing features to ensure safe of your child. You can easily get an SOS alert in case of an emergency.
I have a grandson moving to South Dakota from Canada. I would love to buy him a smart watch because their home is surrounded by national forest. Being so far away it will be peace of mind. The ad that I read, however, says that the battery life is 60 hours. Is that right?
Ours has not lasted 60 hours – I would say 48 tops
Hello, you wrote this great review of the Oaxis Smart Watch, albeit back in 2017 but was also your most viewed blog of 2018! I’m thinking of buying one for our soon to be 8 year old daughter and wonder if you have anything further to add about the watch? In particular, is the item still in use; do you remember how mush data was being used by the Sim or were calls/videos made largely used using the internet; was the video calling of a decent quality – was the image pretty clear? The cost of the watch us now £130 so want to be sure it’s worth it! Any advice would be appreciated! P.S. I would t have entertained the idea of of “first fone” but with lockdown and very little social contact for our only child, we have resorted to iPad FaceTiming and we feel this watch is a half-way without giving in and getting her a phone (that won’t be until she starts Secondary School!).
Hi, we have ended up giving my 9 year old an old iphone5 now as she likes to speak to her friends via video chat and this watch won’t be good enough. Hope that helps