The great debate in parenting circles is when and what technology is appropriate for our kids as they grow up. This is especially true for phones.
Apple, in an attempt to sell more watches, believes that perhaps parents should opt for a smartwatch like the Apple Watch SE (2022) as an alternative to a phone.
The company has published a new webpage extolling the virtues of the Apple Watch and how it could be helpful to a child and their parent (as shared by 9to5 Mac). The program is simply called Apple Watch for Your Kids, and it highlights the Family Setup feature that debuted in 2020 with the original Apple Watch SE and watchOS 7 software.
The new page is live now, and also promotes a dozen or so reasons why an Apple Watch could benefit a kid. Listed features include, calls, text, Find My, music streaming, Apple Cash and more.
One interesting feature is Schooltime, which parents can control from their own connected iPhone. The feature acts as a kind of Do Not Disturb mode, so that kids aren't distracted by the watch when they should be paying attention in class.
Other advantages of the watch highlighted by Apple include its durability — which makes sense, as kids can be fairly rough on devices — and workout tracking, which seems to be overkill for kids.
An Apple Watch with LTE connectivity does not require an iPhone to perform any of the mentioned features, beyond the initial setup process. An iPhone can be used to manage the paired watch, you don't need a phone for day-to-day LTE Apple Watch use.
Setting up the watch does require that your child have an account in Apple's iCloud Family Sharing system which sets up children's IDs on iPhones and iPads. In the 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 less expensive model in the company's smartwatch line. It's kind of like a "starter" smartwatch offering 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 knocking down that price on occasion. (In fact, we could see some Apple Watch sales this week during the Amazon Prime Day event.)
The web page does note that any Apple Watch Series 4 or later can be used with the Apple Watch for Your Kids program, as long as it has cellular connection. This includes recent devices like the Watch Ultra 2 and the Watch Series 9.
Apple is rumored to potentially release a new SE model this year, which we may hear about during Apple's fall event when the company launches the iPhone 16 lineup.
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