the Vodafone NEO is a unique smartwatch for children,
which boasts popular characters from Disney
as well as got GPS tracker and activity tracker and also you could make a phone call out of it,
but is it worth the steep price? let's find out
hi guys this is Adam and you're watching Family Pop TV!
kids smart watches are a niche in the tech-world and the collaboration between Vodafone and Disney has brought a completely new product to the table.
the Vodafone's NEO's chunky, colorful design is the nicest we've seen on any kids smartwatch up to date
the NEO comes in a choice of two colors: mint and ocean blue.
though the strap is silicone it is quite thick and doesn't feel cheap like some other rubber straps do
it's comfortable to wear and feels light on the wrist, weighing just 40.6 grams
the strap itself is rather fiddly for the kid's device:
you have to pull it through the loop and then tighten it to push the clasp through one of the notches but it's really hard to put the strap through to secure the watch.
NEO's watch face is circular, surrounded by a plastic finish
the screen is bright and clear, it's a high quality 1.3 inch 240 by 240 display
it holding up well on the direct sunlight and not picking up fingerprints easily which is good.
to navigate, the NEO users can turn it on via power button on the bottom and then just swipe or tap the screen.
there's another button on the top right hand side of the watch which has a quick access to 5 megapixels camera.
the display has several animated and interactive Disney characters called here sidekicks.
children can choose between several sidekicks so we got here Elsa from "Frozen", Minnie Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, Iron Man, Darth Vader and The Child from Mandalorian.
the animations are brilliant with the character's expression and movements matching those you see in the Disney films.
NEO feels a bit bulky compared with fitbit on garmin's offerings,
but it can't be compared directly, because it does so much more than just count steps.
this is more like an Apple Watch for kids...
it's squeezing a 5 megapixel camera at the top of the watch and built in Vodafone smart sim card into its case,
the camera doesn't exactly take the best snapshots like for comparison the latest iphone but it's a neat little feature for kids to play with.
all these features comes at costs - as you can see the NEO is around 1.5 centimeters thick,
which means it sticks out a lot, so the watch might be a bit too cumbersome and heavy for children younger than 4 years old,
it's probably intended for a bit older children, however Vodafone hasn't given an age range for the watch.
anyway, everything is responsive and nippy and works well plus the watch is water and dust resistant to the IP68 standard,
so it should be able to take a fair bit of rough treatment.
I gave NEO to my 5-years old son Sebastian, who within a minute of giving the device was able to use the camera,
sent me an emoji text and made a phone call and found everything he wanted!
as a parent i appreciate the ability to see the location of child and communicate with him using the NEO's phone calls and text messages facility,
there is no live tracking as you get with some other kids watches where you can get your child's position on request,
you can stay in touch with your children with calls chat and fun emojis via smart app
instant messaging on NEO is simplified as it don't include a keyboard.
kids can only choose between a list of pre-written messages such as: "on my way", "call me please" or "at school" plus number of emojis.
to make a quick call from neo the big blue button has to be pressed and hold for around 5 seconds
which could prove really effective in the event of an emergency.
both, the built-in speaker and microphone produce clear and legible audio for phone calls obviously this can vary depending on your signal.
your child won't be able to link up headphones to the watch so calls are broadcast out loud,
i'm okay with it - let me know what's your opinion in the comment field below.
in the Vodafone's smart app it's easy to add up to 9 contacts, using mum or dad's phone,
meaning kids can't just call anyone or browse random stuff on the web which might otherwise be a worry.
I like it. Let me know what you think in the comments below
all the features on the watch include the weather, a calendar, calculator and a photo album of images snapped using the watch,
kids cannot access an open web browser using the NEO and there are no games currently on the NEO.
hopefully these will be added in the future updates.
the battery: as the NEO is basically a phone watch, it only lasts on average 24 hours on a full battery charge
and it drains even faster when used more heavily.
daily battery charging is necessary.
to help preserve the battery life you can turn off the sidekick mode and use the basic theme and turn down the brightness levels.
on average, the watch takes around two and a half hours to charge from flat to full.
the box comes with two straps: one traditional - and another which allows the watch to sit at an angle on the wrist for easier viewing.
i'll quickly show you how to replace the straps: first slide the latch and while holding it pull the strap away from the wash to remove it,
and to put it back or replace it with a new one you will just have to reverse the steps.
that's easy:)
the NEO is out now in the UK and Europe and you can buy it from the Vodafone website
this costs up front 99 GBP here (United Kingdom),
and there's an Amazon link in the video description where you could get it a bit cheaper - for 87 GBP.
you can choose between 7 GBP monthly subscription for a minimum of 24 months - or a 12 GBP monthly cost for a minimum of 12 months .
I agree this might be a steep cost, but don't forget that it's packed with really cool features,
and it's having the Disney brand attached.
let me know what you think in the comments area below.
that was a tech review of Vodafone NEO.
in the next video we're gonna review IMOO Z6 - so please stay tuned!
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see you next time - this is Adam
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