Overview of Vodafone NEO Smart Watch

The Neo is not like most smartwatches I am used to revisiting. For starters, it's a little cumbersome and more colorful. It doesn't track my heart rate or breathing, and it won't connect to my phone to give me notifications on my wrist.

However, it will allow me to stay in touch with my seven year old without having to hand over a cell phone.

In case it's not obvious, the Neo smartwatch https://www.rafiqsonsonline.com/product-category/omax-watches/ is not made for my age group. It is designed for kids and their parents to provide a point of contact and a way to track every thing from their current location to their activity level throughout the day.

Designed for kids ages six to nine, it's colorful and cartoonish, with a range of Disney characters and wonders to choose from to personalize the watch. Each of the characters has their own animation, for example, Elsa will throw some ice magic.

The controls are simple: two buttons and a touchscreen so you can scroll through the menus.

The watch https://www.rafiqsonsonline.com/product-category/tissot/ comes with two straps: one that holds the watch straight on the wrist and the other that places it at an angle. It is designed to make it easier for your child to see the dial. It is also a durable strap and is not easy to remove from the wrist, which can be a problem for parents. The watch is not cheap, so you won't want to lose it within days of receiving it.

The setup is pretty straightforward. The Neo smartwatch has a built-in Vodafone simulator, so all you have to do is activate it. You do this through the Vodafone Smart App and it usually takes less than 10 minutes.

This is where people can stumble. To set up the app, you need to be a Vodafone customer. This is because all these smart devices - watches, baggage trackers, and so on - operate on a subscription basis. You'll need a Vodafone account to be charged accordingly, but it's easy to bypass - access to a Vodafone prepaid SIM card would be fine.

Speaking of subscriptions, how much will Neo cost? The first 12 months you get for free, and after that it's just under 10 euros per month. It might sound cool, but if you were to hand over the smartphone to your young child, you would have to top up with credit every month - plus you get a 12 month period for free.

Once everything is up and running, you can set up a list of contacts who can communicate with your child through the Smart app - again, provided they are Vodafone subscribers. These contacts can send messages or call Neo; all others are blocked.

This is an encouraging moment for parents who may be concerned about handing over the phone to their child; Not only is he less likely to get lost or stolen, there is tight control over who can communicate with the child. You can also set up a “quiet time” to keep your child from chatting at any time of the day or night.

CAMERA

There is a built-in camera for your child to take a couple of photos, although they won't compete with your smartphone. They also appear in your app, giving you full visibility into everything your child is doing with the watch.

USEFUL FUNCTION

Another useful feature is that it pinpoints your child's location precisely, so if he's not where he needs to be, you can quickly find him through the Smart app - or at least find the location of the watch.

ACTIVITY

The activity tracker also shows how active your child is and when he was last active, so if you have concerns about his physical activity during the day, you can keep a close eye on him. I found this less appealing as it felt too much like what I was hovering.

Battery life was decent too, although like most of these watches, it has a proprietary charger. He just seems to be begging to be lost, so keep an eye on him.

QUALITY FACTOR

It is durable, well-designed and has a touchscreen that can be operated by small hands. The animation of the cartoons is a nice touch and was definitely a bonus for my test audience. The ability to restrict communication with unapproved contacts was vital, and the lack of shared internet access was another bonus.

NOT VERY GOOD

Paying € 10 a month after the first year of use can put some people off. Also, you need access to a Vodafone account, although the prepaid sim will do the job.

REST

The watch strap is durable, although the material may not fit all small wrists. Calendar and weather information is also available on the watch, so you can teach your child a little more independence as they get older.