One of the massive halls at Barcelona’s Fira Gran Via, which recently hosted Mobile World Congress, was the Tata Communications booth. And inside it on display was the Omate x Nanoblock smartwatch (launching in June; India plans yet to be announced), which has been designed keeping children in mind. Smartwatch is one category that’s becoming popular not just among adults but also among parents who are looking for gifts for their children. 

The last few years have seen a debate around what’s the right age for a child to get a smartphone. On an average, children got their first smartphones around age 10 in 2016, according to the research firm Influence Central, down from age 12 in 2012. So what’s the perfect age for giving them smartwatches? And, more importantly, is it safe?

t2 chatted with ANTHONY BARTOLO, chief product officer at Tata Communications, the company which has provided its MOVE platform to the Omate x Nanoblock. 

The big question: Do kids need smartwatches?

I’m a parent myself, and I think I can speak for many mums and dads out there when I say that it can be difficult to decide what technology to bring into a child’s life and when. While many kids now have cell phones, some parents still aren’t comfortable giving their littlest ones fully-fledged smartphones. So, for parents who still want to be able to connect with their kids, a smartwatch could be the next best thing. 

It’s not just about knowing where your kids are — a smartwatch also lets you see how much exercise your child gets during the course of the school day, for example. And, a smartwatch can help kids remember what time they need to catch a bus to get to football practice, for example… just like adults use calendar reminders on their smartphone.

What does Tata Communications bring to the smartwatch?

This is not a joint venture. Omate x Nanoblock is a smartwatch by Omate for kids. Tata Communications’ role is to provide the smartwatch with reliable, secure, high-quality network connectivity anywhere in the world. We do this through our Tata Communications MOVE platform, which is built into each Omate x Nanoblock. 

There are many kids’ smartwatches in the market, but what makes the Omate x Nanoblock different is that Tata Communications’ MOVE platform carries all location, messaging and video calling data over an end-to-end encrypted virtual private network, ensuring maximum security. Working with us also helps Omate accelerate its international expansion outside its home market in China, because we have relationships with more than 600 mobile network operators. So Omate doesn’t need separate data connectivity agreements with different local mobile network operators in each country. 

Coming back to the question of security, German telecommunications agency Bundesnetzagentur banned smartwatches for kids last year because GPS-tracking devices can be hacked. What’s your take on it?

Anything aimed at children — whether a smartwatch or another electronic device, or a toy or a game — has to be safe to use. I welcome rules that are designed to keep children safe and protect their privacy. But, instead of a blanket ban on all kids’ smartwatches, there should be a greater focus on the industry to put security and data privacy front and centre of all children’s electronics devices. That’s what Omate had done with its Omate x Nanoblock. No data can be intercepted by unscrupulous individuals.

Microphone on smartwatches can pose a security threat…

Some children’s smartwatches have a microphone which parents are able to turn on remotely to listen in on their kids. That could be seen as a violation of a child’s privacy. The Omate x Nanoblock doesn’t have this feature.

MORE OPTIONS

Tencent QQwatch: With the QQwatch companion app, parents can control their child’s device right from their smartphone. They can set up the device, add the contacts, manage ‘safe zones’, send text messages, track their child’s location and call their child from the app. Rs 13,999

Orbo Kids: It comes with a built-in camera and on board is 1GB memory (expandable up to 32GB). Rs 8,685

Kamron: Supports GPS/Wi-Fi positioning, IP66 waterproof, pedometer and comes with ‘take off’ alert. Rs 5,999

Mathures Paul
What’s your favourite gadget from childhood? Tell t2@abp.in