The big debate in parenting circles is about when and what kind of technology is appropriate for our kids as they grow up. This is especially true for phones.
Apple, in a bid to sell more watches, believes parents may want to opt for a smartwatch like the Apple Watch SE (2022) as an alternative to a phone.
The company has published a new webpage touting the virtues of the Apple Watch and how it could be useful for a child and their parents (as shared by 9to5 Mac). The program is simply called Apple Watch for Your Kids and highlights the Family Setup feature that debuted in 2020 with the original Apple Watch SE and watchOS 7 software.
The new page is now live and also features a dozen reasons why an Apple Watch could be beneficial for a child. Features listed include calling, texting, Find My, music streaming, Apple Cash and more.
One cool feature is Schooltime, which parents can control from their own connected iPhone. This feature acts as a sort of Do Not Disturb mode, so kids aren’t distracted by the watch when they should be paying attention in class.
Other benefits of the watch that Apple is touting include its durability (which makes sense, since kids can be pretty aggressive with devices) and workout tracking, which seems like overkill for kids.
An Apple Watch with LTE connectivity does not require an iPhone to perform any of the features mentioned, beyond the initial setup process. An iPhone can be used to manage the paired watch, you do not need a phone for day-to-day use of the Apple Watch LTE.
To set up the watch, your child must have an account in Apple’s iCloud Family Sharing system, which is used to set up child IDs on iPhones and iPads. In iCloud Family, watches can be selected and set up for a family member. The system will guide you from there.
Apple’s webpage highlights the Apple Watch SE 2, a cheaper model in the company’s smartwatch lineup. It’s sort of an “entry-level” smartwatch that offers most of the features of Apple’s mainline watches at a lower price. The Apple Watch SE with LTE connectivity starts at $299, with Apple Watch deals occasionally bringing that price down. (In fact, we might see sales on the Apple Watch this week during the Amazon Prime Day event.)
The webpage states that any Apple Watch Series 4 or later can be used with the Apple Watch for Your Kids program, as long as it has a cellular connection. This includes recent devices like the Watch Ultra 2 and Watch Series 9.
There are rumors that Apple could potentially release a new SE model this year, which we could hear about at Apple’s fall event when the company launches the iPhone 16 lineup.