Kids GPS/tracker devices/watches

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Kids GPS/tracker devices/watches

Silvrav

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#311479 19-Jan-2024 12:48

Kids are getting of that age where mom feels like she wants to ensure they are safe while going out.

Does anyone have experience with something that actually works?

Spotted these that looks okish - https://www.kidswatches.co.nz/products/kids-gps-tracking-watch-with-hd-screen-4g

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#3183974 19-Jan-2024 14:26

Little more expensive but Garmin also have the Bounce that does something similar, possibly more features?

Garmin Bounce™ | Smartwatch for Kids

Goosey

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#3184135 19-Jan-2024 19:02

Google “spacetalk watch nz”

y’all get hits for noel leeming, Jb hifi and SPARK

Both have good info on the product page etc.

I think if you have a ‘chambers card’, it’s $223 for the cheapest at noeleem and I see it’s $200 on special at JB

Benoire

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#3184147 19-Jan-2024 20:48

We've got a pixbee for the eldest; sim is shared data from one of our phones and he has credit for calling. Watch does voice and video calling, it can recieve text messages and has a built in messaging app that only the parents can message words; the user can send emojis only. Built in GPS tracking with fencing and alarms and finally it does step tracking which my son uses as a game to see if he can smash his movement records daily.

Doesn't require a subscription to work unlike the Spacetalk, which is probably a better option but costs about $30 a month as you can't get it sim free in NZ, and the app on the phone is average but it works.

Might be worth a look?

UberHiker2

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#3234845 26-May-2024 16:15

Benoire:

We've got a pixbee for the eldest; sim is shared data from one of our phones and he has credit for calling. Watch does voice and video calling, it can recieve text messages and has a built in messaging app that only the parents can message words;

A month or so ago my son discovered he could reply to regular SMSs, just scrolling down there was a reply button. Unfortunately he lost the watch last week and when we got the replacement one the button was not there. Might be worth checking if you have that feature and what version of the firmware is installed. I've asked Pixbee to restore it because it is far, far more useful that the one-emoji replies it has now

Benoire

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#3234848 26-May-2024 16:26

UberHiker2:

Benoire:

We've got a pixbee for the eldest; sim is shared data from one of our phones and he has credit for calling. Watch does voice and video calling, it can recieve text messages and has a built in messaging app that only the parents can message words;

A month or so ago my son discovered he could reply to regular SMSs, just scrolling down there was a reply button. Unfortunately he lost the watch last week and when we got the replacement one the button was not there. Might be worth checking if you have that feature and what version of the firmware is installed. I've asked Pixbee to restore it because it is far, far more useful that the one-emoji replies it has now

Interesting. My sons watch won't recieve SMS messages at all so there is obviously no reply function, and he cannot send them either.. Its been on the only update since we bought it.

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#3234849 26-May-2024 16:32

Benoire:

Interesting. My sons watch won't recieve SMS messages at all so there is obviously no reply function, and he cannot send them either.. Its been on the only update since we bought it.

That might be something to do with the international prefix. When we first bought it the firmware only allowed setting of 11 digit numbers, so I had to enter mine as 021... But the SMSs arrive with the international prefix so it thought it was a different number. I returned the watch based on that, then a month or so later they issued a firmware fix and now that it can handle longer numbers it can definitely receive regular SMSs

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Benoire

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#3234965 26-May-2024 18:58

Hmmm how did you get the firmware as there are no new ones and it wont download a new one.

UberHiker2

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#3235033 26-May-2024 19:49

It’s on v30 now. Swipe along to the right and get the vertical list, the bottom of which is Update. In that blue screen with the almost illegible writing is an arrow in a circle. Tap that to make it check. Our one says AC920_80K_B1_Pixbee_W1_v30_20221012_20221012-1728 and no more updates to apply.

Though thinking about it now, it may have been a phone app update that allowed longer phone numbers

heavenlywild

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#3235037 26-May-2024 19:54

Pixbee sounds promising. Their app on Android has a pretty poor 2/5 rating. Any feedback from users?

Benoire

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#3235041 26-May-2024 20:01

UberHiker2: It’s on v30 now. Swipe along to the right and get the vertical list, the bottom of which is Update. In that blue screen with the almost illegible writing is an arrow in a circle. Tap that to make it check. Our one says AC920_80K_B1_Pixbee_W1_v30_20221012_20221012-1728 and no more updates to apply.

Though thinking about it now, it may have been a phone app update that allowed longer phone numbers

Interesting that my sons is on W1C_V38 no W1_v30; the first part of the string is the same but the numbers beyond V38 are different as they appear to correspond to build versions/dates.

UberHiker2

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#3235044 26-May-2024 20:05

If the date is something like 202404….. that would probably explain why our lost watch was able to reply to texts for a bit, but not why the new one won’t update

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Benoire

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#3235045 26-May-2024 20:07

its 2023, so newer than the one that could reply I guess. the website makes no mention of SMS replies; just recieving them.

UberHiker2

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#3235049 26-May-2024 20:21

heavenlywild:

Pixbee sounds promising. Their app on Android has a pretty poor 2/5 rating. Any feedback from users?

It can receive SMS but they claim it can't send them (though ours did for a bit). The GPS location is slow and rubbish, the classroom mode doesn't work, sending back one emoji is nearly useless. BUT, it doesn't require an on going subscription, it can make phone calls. I've just had to replace one and I decided to get another Pixbee in the hope that one day they'll restoring the text-reply feature. I couldn't give a toss about any other feature, I just want it to be able to send and receive calls and SMSs.

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#3235068 26-May-2024 21:10

Not sure how long these have been at pbtech for (maybe recently)

https://moochies.com/en-nz

Apparently claims to be Australia’s number one selling kids watch of its type…

I’m currently digging for pros and cons on this one….

Edit; pb tech link https://www.pbtech.co.nz/brand/moochies?sfr=Moochies

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#3235708 28-May-2024 08:33

Benoire:

its 2023, so newer than the one that could reply I guess. the website makes no mention of SMS replies; just recieving them.

Have you been able to receive a message yet? I'm currently stuck in a back and forth with their support team that can't even acknowledge that it could at one point reply to SMSs even with screenshots. One thing I did discover in poking around the menus is that there is a secret Developer Mode, which you can enable by tapping the Firmware Version label in the settings panel 5 times. Then scroll down to TP Settings. I haven't actually found anything useful in there about SMSs, just a lot of Android debug features with suggestions that it can be plugging in to USB to get diagnostics off it.

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