Inside: A review of the Xplora XGo2 children’s smartwatch. Included press sample.
We recently reviewed the Xplora X5 Play with my eldest and it motivated her to move so much that when the chance came to review the XG02 I knew that my youngest daughter would absolutely love to have the chance to compete with her sister.
The Xplora XG02 children’s smartwatch motivates children to get active, rewarding them with points to spend on the Xplora Goplay Platform. It has mobile phone and GPS tracking capabilities to keep parents happy – allowing kids to have a little more freedom. Running on Android technology it is an easy to use, affordable, smartwatch for kids aged 5-12.
Lily is almost 8 years old and is very much influenced by what goes on around her. When she saw her sister getting coins for moving more with her watch, she was absolutely determined to do better! And so far, she’s in the lead!
Who are Xplora?
The company was co-founded by Sten Kirkbak, a father of four, who has worked with technology for almost 20 years. He first came up with the idea of a trackable smart watch when he lost his son while out shopping and couldn’t find him for more than half an hour. Every parent’s worst nightmare!
Sten realised that with the aid of technology, he could make something that meant we could have peace of mind while not having to have our kids with us 24/7. He went on to create the Xplora band and the company has gone from strength to strength.
Xplora was also founded with the mission of giving children safe access to digital life and to encourage a better balance between screen time and physical activity.
Xplora XG02 Children’s Smartwatch
The Xplora XG02 comes in a variety of colours; pink, black, green and blue. The faces themselves are black, with the straps being of different colours unlike the X5 Play that has colour on the face too. My daughter loves everything pink so we went for that option.
Key Specs
Running on Android 4.4 with a 1.4” capacitive touch colour LCD screen and a resolution of 240 x 240, it is easy to use and is incredibly responsive with its 1.2 GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex A7 frequency, 512MB RAM and Spreadtrum SC9820E chipset.
Including a 700mAh battery providing 72 hours of standby battery and working with Wi-Fi as well as 4G, 3G and 2G connectivity, the watch ensures reliable connectivity and is also IP67 water resistant so can survive being out on a rainy day or splashing in the paddling pool in the garden.
Key features
Completely GDPR compliant, it is an ideal first phone for children aged 5-12. Kids can make and receive calls to pre-saved contacts. This means no risk of unsolicited calls or accidental calls to strangers.
The contacts can be managed on the parent’s app (free to download) and so the adults are in complete control as to whom the kids are able to communicate with. Another feature I love is the fact that it does not feature social media – there is just no need for them to have any access to those apps at this age.
As well as calls, the watch can receive and reply to text messages – again, only to those pre-saved numbers. This is all due to the sim card slot making it possible to have either a pay as you go or monthly contract with your chosen provider.
The watch has a 0.3 megapixel selfie camera and 4GB storage, so kids can take photos and keep their favourites.
The screen is customisable with different backgrounds – Lily likes to change them according to where she is and what time of day it is. The menus are super easy to use too – perfect for little ones to get to grips with.
The XGO2 also has an in-built torch function which is great for visibility as well as fun nighttime games! Lily has enjoyed making shadow puppets at bedtime with hers and it came in handy when we went camping recently.
Of course, my daughter’s favourite feature is the fact that the watch is also a step counter. The XGO2 accurately tracks steps and these are then converted into Xplora Coins to be used in the Xplora Goplay Platform.
My favourite feature is the School Mode option which allows parents to set a timeframe where the watch can only be used as a watch. This means no messing around in class taking photos or checking their step count every 5 minutes.
Xplora Go Play
For every 1000 steps they take, they earn 1 coin. This motivates kids to spend more time taking part in physical activities offline in exchange for virtual rewards – such a clever idea!
Coins add up over time and can then be spent on the Go Play Platform between Friday evening and Sunday evening each week. Rewards include items such as Nintendo Switch, Scooters, LEGO and much more! The more they move, the greater the reward.
Alongside the coin system are bonus campaigns. Xplora team up with amazing brands to bring fun games and challenges to the platform. Again, the more they move and gain coins, the higher they will rank on the leaderboards for the campaigns.
If they achieve a top 3 placement on the leader board, kids can also receive exclusive prize bundles which could include Bluetooth speakers, Amazon Fire kids tablets, instant cameras and RYZE Tello drones!
Children who wear Xplora smartwatches and engage with the Goplay platform typically take up to 300% more steps a day than regular users and I can see why!
How is my child’s data protected?
Xplora and the X5 Play comply with the strictest security and transparency standards in Asia and Europe, including GDPR compliance, to ensure that all the data is well protected from misuse and exploitation. It is also CPRA and CE/FCC compliant.
Final thoughts
Lily has been so much more active since wearing her watch. Where she may usually tell me she is bored and doesn’t know what to do, she now takes herself into the garden to bounce on the trampoline and earn some more steps! I would definitely recommend this watch if you have a child that needs a little motivation to move.
Check out myxplora.co.uk/ to find out more.