Ask what age you should give a child a smartphone of their own and you’ll get a range of opinions. Some people clearly see no problem with handing them over under the age of 10, while others are of the opinion that children should not access the technology until they are old enough to deal with any potential repercussions. Going by adult responses to smartphones, that age is clearly “never”.
In the real world, parents are struggling with how to balance the reality of the modern world with wanting to protect their child. There are many reasons why smartphones might become an issue long before we feel ready. And so the smartwatch steps into the ring.
But these devices have their issues too. Primary schools often restrict their use, for the same reason as smartphones, because they can record video and audio in the classroom. And relying on parents to implement school mode that shuts them down in the middle of the day can be problematic in some cases.
A new watch claims it takes all that into account. The PanPan smartwatch says it is school friendly while still giving you a way to reach your child if necessary.
The device, which is being offered by Tunstall Emergency Services, is a simple smartwatch that avoids some of the usual add-ons for kid-focused products. There are no games, no cameras and the only time the microphone will work is when you are making a call.
In other words, many of the concerns that lead schools to ban smartwatches are not an issue here.
The PanPan watch has a few functions. It acts as a GPS tracker for the wearer, so you can locate them when needed. There is an SOS button on the side that can send an alert to the nominated person when needed, and two-way calling to the preloaded contacts via the built-in sim card.
It also counts steps, has a heart rate monitor and, unusually for a child’s watch, supports falls detection.
That is because there are two target markets for this watch. The first is seniors who may need emergency assistance – a key market for Tunstall. The SOS button and falls detection come in very handy here. For that, Tunstall offers a monitoring service that has its own monthly fee.
The second group is the aforementioned children who are too young to have a mobile phone but need a way to get in touch with parents in case of an emergency.
The PanPan should be relatively school-friendly. The built-in microphone cannot independently record audio, eliminating that concern. And there are no apps or games to distract children either.
To make a call, you press and hold the button on the side. The watch will then call the preprogrammed number in slot number one. If the call is not picked up, it will go to the next one on the list.
One thing to note: the watch can’t distinguish between voicemail and a person picking up the phone. If it reaches your voicemail first, it will end there rather than going to the next number on the list.
On the first day we were road-testing it, my seven-year-old called me three times in under 45 minutes. One call was from inside the house because he didn’t want to walk up the stairs and possibly cede control of the remote control by doing so. Another came while he was on the football pitch and wanted to show off to his friends.
Thankfully the novelty soon wore off.
Parents can also call the number linked to the watch, which was preinstalled by Tunstall, along with the list of SOS contacts. It is the perfect in-between solution if you aren’t ready for the full experience.
There is a smartphone app for parents, helpfully called PanPan, but it is mainly for monitoring the watch. You can see the location of the watch, view historical location data and deal with geofence alerts if the wearer leaves a specific area.
It also shows battery levels and (if needed) fall alerts. You can’t edit the emergency contacts through the app yet, although that can be solved by Tunstall.
There is one feature that would be useful to have: the ability to lock it out for certain times of the day. Some child-focused smartwatches have a school mode that you can schedule, which stops the watch being used at certain times. The PanPan doesn’t offer this function, or at least not in the same easy way as other watches do. That means anyone with the number could call the watch at inopportune moments – including in the classroom.
The watch itself costs €200, and the monthly sim card is €12, which is on a par with what other watches and plans will set you back.
Good
The PanPan watch has a lot going for it. It is easy to set up and, once it is up and running, minimal intervention is needed. The battery life is decent, at around five days.
School friendly, with no voice recording or video features that would concern teachers.
GPS location is accurate, which is essential for fast-moving seven-year-olds.
Bad
There is no official school mode which would stop calls being made or received by the device during school hours.
Anyone with the number can call the watch, unlike other child-focused devices that limit who can communicate with your child.
Everything else
The design is minimalist, although you can swap the strap out for different-coloured options to personalise it for your child.
Verdict
A good middle-of-the-road option for parents who need to keep in touch with their under-12s.
