Apple's Cutesy New Website Pushes Apple Watch for Kids

[erthquake]

This is an horrible product that should have never went to market. The fact that people are still buying it shows the brand power that Apple has. Seriosuly, if you are thinking about buying this just don’t. It’s an horrible niche product, you will have to charge it every day and still won’t do anything that your phone can’t do. Also, it’s really uncomfortable. If you are seriously thinking of buying one then at least buy the ultra so you don’t have to charge it every day.

I don't mind charging my watch every day at all. I charge it when I shower and when reading before bed. That will last me overnight and all day, including my active workout monitoring which usually run 30-100 minutes a day. I got my watch after I had an afib event three years ago, and it was hugely valuable for helping me sort out some electrolyte issues, which ultimately traced back to too much caffeine.

But I agree it's not necessary for kids, especially when at school. If parents want to give it to their kids to offer them a longer leash outside of school to develop more independence, then I'm open minded to that.

 

[svish]

Good to know about this. A cheaper watch will definitely help to increase sales.

 

[cicalinarrot]

For kids, by kids?

 

[beanbaguk]

No, it is just a company that knows a lot of their "customers" would do everything for their logo, even locking their sons in their "ecosystem" since they are kids.

Spot on.

 

[beanbaguk]

This is an horrible product that should have never went to market. The fact that people are still buying it shows the brand power that Apple has. Seriosuly, if you are thinking about buying this just don’t. It’s an horrible niche product, you will have to charge it every day and still won’t do anything that your phone can’t do. Also, it’s really uncomfortable. If you are seriously thinking of buying one then at least buy the ultra so you don’t have to charge it every day.

I agree with your sentiment regarding kids, but as a very active individual, I think the Apple Watch is great for my workout routines. The fact that I can track my runs, heart rate, music, and have a phone to hand, all on my wrist, is brilliant. Before this, it meant using an HRM strap and my bulky phone. It's a game changer for sports.

It's also great for elderly users. My mother-in-law frequently falls over due to balance issues, and the Apple Watch has twice notified us of her falls. For this, it's brilliant.

Ultimately, it has its uses, but for most, it's a waste of time and money.

 

[beanbaguk]

Omg, an iphone at 10? My kid is 9, but he (like almost everybody in his class) are informed they won't receive any phone before ~15. They can play and have fun without a phone...

You need a phone to configure the Apple Watch. As far as I know you cannot configure multiple watches on a single phone.

 

[Jeaz]

The wonky bit of all this is that if the child has an iPhone, all the clever functions just goes out the window, like being able to force the school watch face during school hours and so on.

 

[gagarin]

Requirements seems to be off since you cannot setup updated (WOS8 +) AW4 on iPhone 6S at all

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

The school has phones, I can reach my kid if I need to.

Okay, but that requires the school (by extension all of the staff) to actually *allow* your kid to use their phone.

I totally understand from an educational perspective why phones are being banned in schools.
But I also totally understand parents who would want a non-stop, 24/7 and most importantly a *direct* line straight to their kid, without any middleman interference.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

You need a phone to configure the Apple Watch. As far as I know you cannot configure multiple watches on a single phone.

You can.
You can even set up a Watch specifically for a child or an older family member, directly to your phone.
They’ll still have their own number and set-up, it’s just through your phone.

How to Set Up an Apple Watch Using Family Setup

Family Setup is an Apple Watch feature in watchOS 7 that's designed to allow parents to set up Apple Watches for their children without them...

www.macrumors.com

 

[ignatius345]

Okay, but that requires the school (by extension all of the staff) to actually *allow* your kid to use their phone.

Have you been in a school before? You call the office if there's an emergency (a real emergency, not asking them what they want for dinner) and they either pass the message along to the kid or they bring them to the office to talk to you directly. Nowhere in that does the kid need to have access to any kind of cellphone or device.

I totally understand from an educational perspective why phones are being banned in schools.

Yep, and it turns out that the "educational perspective" is the actual reason they're in school in the first place. And it turns out that having them sucked into their phones the whole day makes it extremely difficult for them to focus on what's happening around them (or, you know, learn stuff) while they get sucked into highly addictive social media, messaging each other, taking videos, and all the other stuff that these highly addictive devices do. Adults struggle to focus with smartphones around, so it should be a surprise to exactly no-one that kids do even worse.

But I also totally understand parents who would want a non-stop, 24/7 and most importantly a *direct* line straight to their kid, without any middleman interference.

That sounds like a great way to raise kids who are incapable of functioning on their own. And the "middleman" we're referring to in this case is the ****ing school who is legally responsible for keeping your kid safe all day.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I don't mind charging my watch every day at all. I charge it when I shower and when reading before bed. That will last me overnight and all day, including my active workout monitoring which usually run 30-100 minutes a day.

Us Garmin users are just perplexed by this

I charge my watch about every 10 days maybe?

Couldn't imagine having to worry about the state of charge all the time like this (for a Watch in particular)

 

[beanbaguk]

You can.
You can even set up a Watch specifically for a child or an older family member, directly to your phone.
They’ll still have their own number and set-up, it’s just through your phone.

How to Set Up an Apple Watch Using Family Setup

Family Setup is an Apple Watch feature in watchOS 7 that's designed to allow parents to set up Apple Watches for their children without them...

www.macrumors.com

I wasn't actually aware of this. Thank you.

 

[beanbaguk]

Us Garmin users are just perplexed by this

I charge my watch about every 10 days maybe?

Couldn't imagine having to worry about the state of charge all the time like this (for a Watch in particular)

It's a very different device. The Garmin uses a low-resolution MIP display, relying on reflective light to view it properly. This is great for low resolution, ultra-low powered displays, but since Apple Watch offers much more, such as communication, cellular data transfer, rich notifications, and an app ecosystem, it's not comparable.

(I also own a Garmin Fenix, which is now stored in a drawer and I plan to sell it....eventually).

For me, the Apple Watch is a better device, although I have completely disabled notifications. I can't stand the constant reminder that something is happening.

My Ultra 2 model will keep charge for 3 days, and I've managed to get just over 6 days on battery saver while on holiday abroad. (I turned off cellular as annoyingly Apple Watch isn't capable of roaming).

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Us Garmin users are just perplexed by this

I charge my watch about every 10 days maybe?

Couldn't imagine having to worry about the state of charge all the time like this (for a Watch in particular)

Do you wear it in the shower too? If not, what's the harm in charging it in that time?

 

[Butler Trumpet]

I really wish you could set up an Apple Watch and pair it with an iPad.

Also, I've had 2 Apple Watch SE with Cellular on Verizon for my kids - they are both incredibly inconsistent when it comes to Find My. If my kids put on the watch, unlock it, and head out the door, they don't update in Find My unless I call them. Then it stays up to date.... mostly. If I don't call them, Find My won't update. This happens consistently on both watches.

 

[timber]

Apple certainly has a good angle here particularly for younger kids but I have found more useful to just buy a phone even if its use is forbidden in school (and it is in my case, it's in the bag completely muted).

The watch is too limited to communicate and I can still track the phone and control everything that runs on it. And he got a Pixel which is cheap and capable.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Apple certainly has a good angle here particularly for younger kids but I have found more useful to just buy a phone even if its use is forbidden in school (and it is in my case, it's in the bag completely muted).

I feel like Apple Watch for Kids is at odds with the iPhone SE. At similar pricing, why not get the more robust and capable phone?

Or, why not save the money and get them an Android like you did?

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Have you been in a school before? You call the office if there's an emergency (a real emergency, not asking them what they want for dinner) and they either pass the message along to the kid or they bring them to the office to talk to you directly.

Yes, clearly the point went way over your head, so I’ll break it down.

Schools can be great.
They can also be a terrible place, you don’t really have to look far to find news stories about horrific things happening.

So, I could totally understand why a parent would want a direct, no compromise, private connection to their child.
At the end of the day, a call made through the school is being monitored, and as unfortunate as it is not every school has a flawless staff.

I don’t have any children, but if I ever do, I’m certainly not sending them to school with the only way they can contact me being through a staff member. Absolutely not.
Certainly not giving them a smart phone either, but a basic phone? A smart watch that can mostly just do calling and texting, restricted just to family members? Absolutely.

Also, let’s not forget that the Apple Watch has location tracking, an absolutely essential tool in 2024.

Yep, and it turns out that the "educational perspective" is the actual reason they're in school in the first place. And it turns out that having them sucked into their phones the whole day makes it extremely difficult for them to focus on what's happening around them (or, you know, learn stuff) while they get sucked into highly addictive social media, messaging each other, taking videos, and all the other stuff that these highly addictive devices do.

Please research before you say things.
The Apple Watch has no camera, has no ability to access social media freely without a connected smartphone, and can be paired to a parent phone who can control who they are allowed to contact and what parts of the day.

In fact, you can make the watch basically nothing but a watch that can make a phone call if absolutely necessary during school hours.
But even with restrictions off, functionally it’s closer to an iPod nano than it is any sort of smartphone.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I feel like Apple Watch for Kids is at odds with the iPhone SE. At similar pricing, why not get the more robust and capable phone?

Or, why not save the money and get them an Android like you did?

To start with, the iPhone SE starts at $429.
The Apple Watch SE can be found for under $200.
But more importantly, the entire point of getting a smart watch instead of a smart phone for your kid is so they don’t have unrestricted access to the Internet at all times.
The watch can call, text, play music and track activity. That’s about it.
There isn’t even close to unrestricted access, there is no web browser, there’s no camera, you can’t download social media apps without a connected phone, it’s quite restricted.
As I said in my previous comment, the Apple Watch is closer to the iPod nano then it is an iPhone in terms of functionality.
And when I was growing up, tons of kids had iPod nanos

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Good idea Apple. In the face of growing awareness of the damage screen time is doing to early childhood brain development, "get out ahead of it". This ought to help ensure the consumer hordes offspring are fully captured.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

To start with, the iPhone SE starts at $429.
The Apple Watch SE can be found for under $200.

With Cell (required for this) the watch goes up to $300 starting. The iPhone can also be had at ~$200 if you shop around.

But more importantly, the entire point of getting a smart watch instead of a smart phone for your kid is so they don’t have unrestricted access to the Internet at all times.
The watch can call, text, play music and track activity. That’s about it.
There isn’t even close to unrestricted access, there is no web browser, there’s no camera, you can’t download social media apps without a connected phone, it’s quite restricted.
As I said in my previous comment, the Apple Watch is closer to the iPod nano then it is an iPhone in terms of functionality.
And when I was growing up, tons of kids had iPod nanos

It's my understanding that, with parental control features, access to all of that can be heavily restricted by the parent on android and ios. When I was briefly working in education, one of my students had an iPhone that was locked down to the point of absurdity. She would end up watching short form videos with a friend on their phone anyways.

There's also the plus side of not having to "graduate" them to a phone as they get older, one would simply have to loosen the restrictions on their phone.

 

[skgmaz]

I mean, if you have the technical knowhow and the disposable income to buy your kid a watch + monthly fee, you probably also travel the world periodically. My son's watch was a no-go on a trip to Vancouver. Multi-week trips to Europe or Asia are pretty dang common right now with the current exchange rate.

 

[skgmaz]

No, T-Mobile's watch plans (including the "non-paired" plans) explicitly supports international roaming. Not supporting roaming is an Apple-imposed restriction.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Multi-week trips to Europe or Asia are pretty dang common right now with the current exchange rate.

They are?
With who?

I'm obviously not rich