This child-friendly smartwatch keeps you connected to your child without screens

Xplora's gadgets introduce kids to tech without interrupting their play 
Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash
Amelia Heathman24 August 2018

The mash up of kids and technology in the 21st century is a difficult one for parents to manage.

On the one hand, smartphones are good because it allows you to be connected to your offspring, and you have the safety in knowing you can call them if you need.

But, there is also the pressure of ensuring they don’t have too much screen time and don’t become too glued to devices at an early age.

Norwegian company Xplora has a solution to this with its child-friendly smartwatches. The Xplora range has the basic functions of a phone, like storing numbers, being able to make calls, as well as GPS, but without all the negativities of smartphones like social media.

The GPS is a really important part of the Xplora offering, as co-founder Sten Kirkbak was inspired to build the products after losing his four-year-old son in a shopping centre.

“We continually strive to enhance our smartwatch and wearable technology in order to provide cutting edge features and tools to ensure that children remain safe, without curtailing their freedom or ability to explore the world,” he said.

At the European tech conference IFA next week, Xplora is unveiling two new watches: the Xplora 3S and Xplora Module X.

The Xplora 3S is water-resistant and has a camera
Xplora

The 3S is an upgrade on the current Xplora watch, complete with IP67 water resistance, a camera and photo storage, perfect for children who love to swim.

The smartwatch is set up using an app on the parent's phone who can then set controls such as the phone numbers stored in the device, enable push notifications, implement dedicated off-times, and the opportunity to view the child’s location at any time.

The watch has a child-friendly, easy to use interface, so the children can get used to the technology and its benefits.

As part of the launch of the Xplora 3S, the company is announcing integrating with Amazon Echo so parents can ask Alexa to check the location of their child. The children can also interact with the AI on their smartwatch, asking Alexa questions and access child-friendly content.

Kirkbak said this integration was all about making it easier for parents to communicate with the children.

The Xplora Module X is a GPS tracking device that can go in pet collars or on your bike
Xplora

The Xplora Module X is a GPS tracking device that can go in pet collars or on your bike (Xplora)

Finally, the Xplora Module X takes everything the company has learned about smartwatches and put it into a GPS device for anyone, aged five and above to try.

You can use it as a bike tracker, a pet tracker, or even a suitcase tracker.

“With the XPLORA Module X, we are catering for the needs of adults for the first time, allowing them to use our sophisticated location-based technology in a number of different cases. We look forward to showcasing these exciting innovations to the world at IFA 2018,” added Kirkbak.

The two devices will be on sale from 17 September on Amazon and Xplora’s website with the Xplore 3S available for £179.99 and the Xplora Module X available from £54.99.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in