Apple Watches for Kids – A Parent’s Guide 2023

In this digital and technological era, we have sighted that everything getting digitalized, from contacting someone to track. People use top-notch gadgets to be more innovative and technologically advanced. Many leading technological brands in the market are making their mark, but Apple is on the firing line. Apple smartwatches are making their impression in the market with their incredible features. As Apple is a bestselling brand among adults and youth, but now iPhone user parents are burning with curiosity to know when Apple is launching something for kids. Parents from all over the world want an Apple watch for their kids due to its ideal features of it. 

This device has a pile of advantages. This gadget permits them to track their children. Don’t skip here. Continue to read this article. You will find which device is best for your child. But first, let’s provide information to those who do not have information about the working of the Apple smartwatch. So, for them, let’s dive into this.

What does an Apple watch do on the mark?

The Apple Watch is not a regular watch you can wear on your wrist because its characteristics are more than an ordinary wristwatch. But when your children are vexing you to buy an Apple watch, you should have a piece of comprehensive knowledge about the features of the Apple watch. It is not just telling you the time like any other ordinary watch but keeps you updated, healthy, and entertained throughout the day. 

Mini iPhone

Let me tell you a fantastic fact about the Apple watch it can connect to your iPhone, and you will receive notifications about the happenings on your social media accounts. To optimize your health, it will count your steps and track your heartbeat. Plus, this watch allows its users to listen to music. You can also set your digital agenda through it like you can set program reminders. It is like a mini iPhone; you can send and receive calls and messages with the help of your Apple watch.

Heaps of fitness and health features

Apple is trying to fix health and fitness issues through its high-tech digital wristwatch. Its top-notch features are just insane. The Apple Watch has so many features linked to wellness that it’s challenging to list them all. The watch can help, for example, if you’re concerned that your child will become a lazy slob. Not only will it track steps, but if your kid has been playing video games or watching YouTube for too long, it will prompt them to get up and move.

Modern health functions on the Apple Watch’s most recent editions can perform echocardiograms and check your child’s blood oxygen levels. These are very convenient features, but they won’t take the place of frequent trips to the physician.

House of Entertainment

The entertainment component got your child to beg for an Apple Watch in the first place. Your kid won’t get bored with an Apple Watch. That’s because a sizable library of music, podcasts, audiobooks, apps, and games will always be accessible with a single tap.

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What are the Advantages and Drawbacks of an Apple Watches for Kids?

Responsible parents always worry about what is good or bad for their children. We can all assume a child needs a watch at a very young age. It can distract their attention from studies and co-curricular activities. Here we are just discussing the pros and cons of the Apple watch. It is up to the parents to decide whether it is okay for their children to have such kind of gadget. Parents should have complete knowledge, and here we are trying to deliver our best, but the decision is yours. You have the right the make a healthy decision for the betterment of your children. 

Here are some advantages of the Apple smartwatch, which will prove to be extremely useful for taking decisions. 

Fitness alert

Besides other features, a distinguished part of the Apple Watch is health and fitness alerts. This device will remind your kid to be active and energetic. Health reminders will not make your child a couch potato. It will engage your children in healthy physical activities. This watch records all actions and encourages doing more to keep themselves healthy and fit. 

You will see a prominent difference in your children’s lives before and after having this watch. It pushes its user to keep doing something healthy and not to sit in the same place for too long. It counts the walking steps and tracks the heart rate. Kids will notify about their heartbeat with a notification when the heartbeat is fluctuating, getting high or low. This clever gadget is also concerned about your kid’s unhealthy or irregular activity. It can be a good option for your children to leave them with a health-oriented device that will keep them motivated throughout the day. The latest version of Apple watches also entertained you with the ECG app. 

Enjoy Safety Features

Kids’ safety is always the first and foremost priority of the parents. The reason for being more demanding among the parents is the astonishing safety features of this Apple smartwatch. Parents connect the watch with their iPhones and track their kids when they are not with them. Apple’s family sharing account makes it possible for parents to have an eye on their children any day, any time. This account activates the GPS tracker that helps parents to track their kids. 

Additionally, in case of any emergency, the Apple watch assists you with an SOS alert. The look will automatically alert the local emergency service with your child’s location when they press and hold a button on the side of the device. Find my kid app on the Apple watch is also beneficial for locating your children if they are at the park, a shop, school, with friends, or anywhere else. Another plus point of this device is when your child leaves or arrives at the concerned location, you will receive a notification. 

You can see that there are plenty of advantages to having this watch. All you have to do is download the app and enjoy all the safety features. 

Communication Feature

You can always be in touch with your child through the Apple watch. Kids are not responsible for keeping iPhones to communicate with them when they are out of sight. But this watch is tied to their wrist, and they do not have to take care of it. So, with the help of this gadget, parents can communicate with their children, and there are fewer chances of missing any call child. 

Support LTE Coverage

The Apple Watch can function flawlessly using Wi-Fi or LTE while still connected to the iPhone. Even if the battery tends to deplete quite quickly, this is still far from ideal, but Apple is constantly expanding LTE coverage. It means that in the coming future LTE Apple watch will be able to permit that contact with children for the whole day without losing the connection.  

Practice Parental Controls

Apple allows parents to enjoy all the parental controls through the watch, just like from the phone. Parents can have an eye on the content that their kids have access to. Thus, you can protect your kid from entering vulgar and offensive content. Keep your child safe with Apple parental controls. 

Although there are plenty of benefits of the Apple watch in spite of that we cannot neglect its drawbacks of it. Now let’s discuss the drawbacks of the Apple watch.

Expensive rates

The major problem with an Apple Watch is the significant commitment it requires. Many parents are hesitant to allow their children to roam the streets with a $500 watch fastened to their wrist since it makes them an easy target for theft and harassment. The latest series of Apple watches are more expensive, but old versions are not less costly. 

Offering a child one of the newest Apple devices is like giving the burglar an open invitation if adults are routinely robbed for them. Along with tons of benefits, some drawbacks of this device also exist. Now it’s totally up to you to hand over such an expensive watch to your child.

Extreme responsibility on a kid

Are you sure your kid is much more responsible for carrying such a high-cost gadget with him or herself at a very young age? 

Children can be distracted and struggle to keep their belongings in place for various reasons that aren’t always their fault. You’re giving your child a lot of responsibility when you give them a $500 watch. Imagine how terrible they will feel if it is taken, lost, or damaged. And when you could obtain the same features for half the price or less, is that worth it?

I only know that I wouldn’t have wanted to be saddled with such a heavy burden at that age. Before giving this Apple watch to your children, ensure they are responsible enough to take care of it. Otherwise, you can try some other options, same features but at economical rates. 

Is the Apple Watch a cause of complexity among the other kids?

Due to the high rates of Apple watches, everyone cannot afford them. Only the elite class can have it. Therefore, other children may get jealous and feel complex when they do not have such expensive gadgets. Thus, it can be said that due to the unavailability of this device in every class of society, some kids may feel jealous and complex about not having it. Hate and stress issues can raise due to this problem among children at a very young age, which can ruin their mental health and cause psychological issues. 

Is the kid’s version of the Apple Watch just around the corner?

Now all the pros and cons of the Apple watch have been discussed. While there are tons of advantages of this device, meanwhile we cannot neglect its disadvantages of it. So, parents are looking forward to the kid’s version of the Apple watch and expecting a budget-friendly price with the same features. They are very curious, so there are hints that Apple is developing a children’s Apple Watch, even though the company, which now leads the wearables market, has not made an official announcement. 

It appears that Apple is working on a “Schooltime” mode, which would be targeted chiefly at youngsters. Additionally, there has been evidence that Apple is attempting to make it possible for an iPhone to sync with many watches. If you’re a parent and want to set up alerts for your kids, this would only make sense. The Family Setup option, the Memoji app, and the Family Cash app for chores and allowances are some of the most recent additions.

Apple is probably working on a kid-friendly version of its best-selling wrist-based device, even if there is no hint of a kid-friendly Apple watch without an iPhone attached anytime soon.

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Choose the Best Apple watch for your Kid.

There are a few options to think about when buying an Apple Watch for your kid. Let’s examine each of these in more detail.

Here we will compare some of the Apple series in detail so that you can choose the best Apple watch for your kid. We will discuss series 1, series 2, series 3, series SE, series 5, and 7. 

Let’s compare series one and series two first.

Apple Watch Series 1 and 2

You can choose older models of the Apple Watch Series, like series 1 and 2. Both were the earliest models, so they have fundamental features and are budget-friendly. Let’s see the differences. Thus, you can easily decide which version is best for your children and affordable for you.

Above all, the significant specification differences are mentioned. Parents can quickly decide which series they want, but they should also know how children can make fun of the outdated versions. So they should choose wisely too. 

Now let’s move on to Series 3 and 5, which are more similar to each other, yet they have some differences too. So now let’s compare them.

Apple series 3

With a starting price of just $199, the Apple Watch Series 3 is the most affordable watch model. In contrast to the more recent watch models, the battery life and retina display are comparable to more expensive models. However, as these options are only accessible with later models of the Apple Watch, parents who were interested in the Family Setup feature or the cellular connectivity option would be dissatisfied. Let’s compare some other features one by one. 

Apple Watch Series 3	Apple Watch Series 5
The Series 3 has a 38mm screen option, which may be more appropriate for young children.	The Series 5 is only available in sizes 40 mm and 42 mm.
The Series 3 watch is only available in black and white.	The Series 5 comes in a variety of multiple colors. The Series 5 adds gold to the mix as well.
The Series 3 watch only supports SOS Alert (e.g., calling 911 in the US)	The Series 5 watch is also more efficient in terms of child safety.·       The Series 5 watch is preferable because it supports international emergency calling. Additionally, it features fall detection, which is advantageous.
The Apple Watch Series 3 only offers GPS.	But on the other hand, The Apple Watch Series 5 features a compass and GPS. It simplifies the process for your child to find their way around if they get lost.
The series 3’s speaker is louder than the series 5’s speaker. Thus, your offspring can miss any important notification.	The company claims that the Series 5’s speaker is 50% louder than the Series 3’s speaker, making it user-friendly for your youngster to hear warnings and notifications and to stay in touch with you.

Above mentioned differences are supposed to be highly beneficial for parents to make wise decisions for the betterment of their kids. Now let’s quickly jump on the Apple watch SE. 

Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE is a wristwatch that parents who are ready to spend more should consider. For less money, it includes many of the same functions as the most recent iteration of the watch while not having a smaller screen for kids.

For instance, the SE and the Apple Watch 7 both provide the coveted Family Setup feature and the fall detection function and noise monitoring for hearing protection. Moms and dads like all of these features because they provide security and safety for young children. The SE has a $279 starting price.

Apple watch series 7

The Apple Watch Series 7 does offer several important features that parents and children may take advantage of if their budget allows it. Due to the availability of titanium and stainless steel, it is the most robust Apple watch on the market. Only an aluminum finish is offered for the Series 3 and SE models of the Apple Watch.

The blood oxygen and ECG apps and a faster charging option are further features unique to the Apple Watch Series 7 in addition to the watch’s design. Nevertheless, you should budget an additional $200 to $300 for these items.

What are the alternatives to the Apple Watch?

There are still lots of options open to you if, for whatever reason, you aren’t satisfied with the above-mentioned Apple selections.

Fitbit Ace

The Fitbit Ace, unlike any Apple alternatives, is a smartwatch made especially for children. However, its focus on physical fitness lacks many safety and security elements that parents might want for their kids. However, the watch’s low $79.95 makes it appealing, and parents may consider adding security protections using third-party apps.

Vtech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2

Kidizoom doesn’t support GPS tracking. It will aid your child’s learning of the time, photography, gaming, and step counting. Being only $50, it is also a kid-friendly smartwatch.

Garmin Vivofit Jr.

The kid-friendly Garmin watch is another option for the Apple Watch. Though it costs only $89.99, the Vivofit Jr. is more equivalent to the Fitbit Ace since it puts kids’ movements and activities ahead of their safety and security. The activity monitoring function and the In Case of Emergency (ICE) widget are two appealing options for parents.

TickTalk 3 Smartwatch

Due to its use of 4G LTE and ability to follow your child using GPS, the Tick Talk 3 is a massive favorite among parents. TickTalk 3 costs $169 and enables you to stay in touch with them using FaceTime, 2-way calling, and messaging.

Pingo App

The Pingo app for kids is another choice to consider if your child already owns a smart device. By downloading this software to an existing appliance, parents can receive many of the capabilities of an Apple Watch or an alternative without the additional cost.

Pingo was explicitly created for safety, not for exercise. This program is perfect for you if your primary concern is your child becoming lost or getting into a harmful scenario. Pingo will alert you in an emergency and provide real-time information on your child’s location.

Sprint: WatchMeGo

With WatchMeGo, you can geofence a safe area around your child so that you are alerted when they leave it. This feature allows you to GPS track your child. Sprint’s WatchMeGo watch lets you send messages but not calls and lets the kid play games. There is a $144 cost.

Verizon: GizmoWatch

The GizmoWatch comes in pink and blue colors and allows you to track the child and manage their contacts. You can stay in touch through calls and messages and set up ten references. Verizon GizmoWatch, which costs $100, counts steps and even reminds your youngster to do things.

T-Mobile: TIMEX FamilyConnect

The FamilyConnect is a terrific option if you’re interested in tracking your child because it keeps them in a secure family network, allows you to set up geofencing, and even has an SOS alert. The $168 T-Mobile kid’s watch allows you to stay in touch with them via calls.

The bottom line

We advise holding off on purchasing an Apple Watch for your children in favor of the upcoming kid’s version. The Tick Talk 3 (fantastic for following them) or the Vtech Kidizoom are our recommendations in the meantime, or if you believe an Apple Watch is too expensive for a kid under 12 years old (an excellent first smart device). The Apple Watch may be a good option if you’re buying for an older child or teenager, but you should talk to your child about the responsibility such a purchase implies and how they feel about being monitored.

On the contrary, there are cheaper-priced smartwatches if you only want a device to keep track of your child’s whereabouts. Additionally, you may access many of the same capabilities the Apple Watch offers for a lot less money if your child already owns a smart device by downloading third-party software. The final decision is yours!

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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)