“I want my daughter to feel free and confident, knowing that she can reach us whenever she needs, but I’m not ready to put a smartphone in her hands yet,” said one tech-savvy father of a 10-year-old. Herald.
He said the service will change the lives of parents.
“There are so many things that come with phones and the internet that feel older than a 10-year-old. The Apple Watch allows us to stay connected and gives him independence in a way that still feels safe and age-appropriate. It gives me peace of mind, and it allows him to be a kid a little longer.”
The service would allow his daughter to call or send messages to him and his wife – and they would be able to see where their daughter is if, for example, she wants to go shopping.
In that way, Apple Watch for Your Kids, he says, is perfect – if only it were available in New Zealand.
Instead, I would need to buy him an iPhone and get the phone connected to his Apple Watch to work, about $40 a month for the phone plan, and another $7 a month for the watch to be connected, even if he doesn’t use the phone.
“In America, it costs $10 a month to include it in your plan, and you can allocate it to its number.”
And giving a smartphone to a 10-year-old child at this time is also a risk, with access to social media channels posing its own risk.
“Many children who receive phones at a young age are not yet ready for responsibility, and are exposed to many dangers because of it,” Titania Jordan told the US Parents website last year.
I’m a writer and “chief parenting officer” at Bark, a company dedicated to keeping kids safe online.
But there seems to be good news soon.
All three of New Zealand’s main carriers – 2degrees, One NZ and Spark – said they were beyond Apple’s offering.
“The Apple Watch for Kids initiative is a fantastic service, and one we’re working to bring to NZ,” said 2degrees head of communications Quentin Reade.
“We don’t have any dates to share yet, but we will let you know when we do.
“Generally speaking, telcos need to create the functionality that device manufacturers put into their applications and platforms.”
A NZ spokesperson also said the company was aware of the service and “the benefits it can bring to Kiwi families, especially when it comes to helping children stay safe”.
“We’re in the process of exploring what it might take to support this service on our network, but we don’t have any confirmed plans or timelines to share at this time.
As with any new product or feature, we need to prioritize our efforts carefully, but we’re always passionate about technology that helps keep young people safe and gives parents peace of mind.
He said the service will require IT development as part of the product architecture. “Simply put, this is software technology that would allow an Apple product to talk to our networks and applications.”
A Spark spokesperson said the company has “no immediate plans” to introduce an Apple Watch for Your Kids.
He pointed to other services the company offers, including the Spark Kids’ Plan.
“We continue to explore opportunities to improve our production in the future.
“Parents who want their child to use a smartwatch without the need for a cell phone still have an option. Spark’s Smart Plan works with popular kids’ smartwatches, including the Spacetalk range.”
An Australian-based Apple spokesman had no comment yesterday, he said Herald that he had no information to share about the service and any New Zealand projects, either on the record or as background. He said he would meet when he did.
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s best journalists and news leaders. He has held senior and senior editorial positions at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a minority stake in NZME.
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