The LG KizON is a brand new wearable technology for kids, designed exclusively for
pre-school and primary school children that gives parents a simple, safe and convenient
way to communicate with them. The LG KizON has been designed
specifically for children to wear on their wrists to be used as a direct
communication device with a primary designated phone number. Kids can instantly get in contact without the need to remember telephone numbers, or carry a phone. In addition, parents can set the KizON to send updates on the wearer's location throughout the day, and all the information is delivered to a dedicated smartphone app. The LG KizON brings peace of of mind by delivering real-time tracking information and by giving children the ability to securely communicate with parents via the press of a button.
With its GPS capability, durable kid-friendly
design and functionality and long lasting battery life, the LG KizON
offers a secure way of tracking a
child’s location, and provides an effective way to communicate, giving parents peace of mind and giving children greater freedom and
independence while they play.
Initial Thoughts
As a parent to a five year boy, his safety and security is at the forefront of my mind. I am, by nature, a worrier and I try to keep an eye on his whereabouts at all times. I am aware that this may restrict his ability to explore his environment and play freely. We love going on family days out and he enjoys going into soft play areas or playing in parks. He is such a sociable lad, always striking up conversations with other kids and joining in games. With me constantly trailing him, I know I am restricting his freedom. It would be better for me to watch him from a distance, ensuring his safety without cramping his style!
The LG KizON offers a means to monitor my child's whereabouts and maintain a way of directly communicating with him when out and about. This would clearly provide me with peace of mind and allow him the chance of spreading his wings. Any unusual movements would be spotted instantly to avoid any incidents of wandering off, and if he became fractious, a quick press of the button would instantly phone my mobile.
How We Got On
The set up process for the LG KizON is quick and easy, with step by step instructions for downloading the app onto my smartphone and setting up designated numbers. The LG KizON is switched on my holding down the call button on the handset. The app can then send a request to the device, connecting the parent's phone to the child's KizON. This enables the tracking and allows calls to be made between the parent and child.
We went away to Wales for an Easter break, which gave us an ideal opportunity to test out the LG KizON in a real life situation. Freddy was really excited to wear the device on his wrist. Having previously downloaded the app onto mine and Ian's phones, we were connected as the primary and secondary contacts. The app also showed us Freddy's location on a map that appeared on the screen. We gave him a little lesson in how he could call us and we practiced phoning him so he could answer the call. It really is straightforward. The device is adjustable and was comfortable for Freddy to wear, and the design is really kid friendly (the blue version has little trucks and cars on it).
Freddy went into an outdoor play area at the resort we were staying at and we sat on a bench while he played. It was so reassuring to be able to phone him to keep tabs on what he was up to and tell him when it was time to leave. Freddy was able to answer by pressing the button on the front of the device. If the child fails to answer after ten seconds, the call automatically connects so you can listen through the microphone. Freddy was also able to ring us if he needed to. For me, this is the greatest feature of the LG KizON. Being in contact with your child is very comforting and gave me the confidence to allow him a little bit more freedom without constantly following him around. For me, the LG KizON is not a replacement for my parental vigilance, but it is a great tool, which helps me relax a little and lets Freddy gain a bit more independence.
The tracking worked best when both devices, the KizON and my phone, had a good signal. Unfortunately in some parts of Wales the network is not very good, which meant that it sometimes struggled to find the exact location. However, when back in our hometown the tracking is accurate to an individual address. As it uses GPS technology to track the device, it will understandably work best in places with a good network.
The tracking would be really useful for my 12 year old who goes from school to friends' houses and then off into town independently. Being able to know where she is would be very useful as her mobile is generally turned off and in the bottom of her school bag. If LG ever launch a teen tracker, I will definitely be in the market for one! A similar system for the elderly would also be very useful.
For 5 year old Freddy, he will never be too far away from me to really need to track him during a normal day. But for holidays and days out this is an excellent product, and if he ever did wander off, it would be an absolute godsend to be able to track his whereabouts. As a precautionary measure, this is invaluable.
I absolutely loved being able to be in phone contact with Freddy. The device is really easy to use and a friendly voice lets the child know that they are making a call and when the call is ended. When receiving a call there is a really cute ringtone and a flashing light to alert the child. Wearing the KizON on his wrist meant Freddy couldn't drop it, put it down or lose it. It is always on his person without him having to worry about it. Freddy felt very grown up having his own 'mobile phone' on his wrist.
As it has a simple pre-configured one button to dial function, he doesn't need to remember a phone number or have a handwritten copy of my phone number tucked in his back pocket. He knows that with a touch of a button he can contact me. This will be really useful for birthday parties or play dates.
The battery is good for 36 hours and if it starts running low, an alert is sent to the parent's phone, giving the adult the responsibility to keep it fully charged. The KizON contains a SIM card with its own phone number and you can add credit for making the calls. Only designated numbers can make calls to the phone making it very secure.
The app interface is really good. You can set it up to notify you of battery life, to tell you when the device is on or off and to set location reminders at set times. You can control the KizON's power and volume, allow up to four contacts and enable auto-connect directly from your phone. You can also make a search and call through the app. The map can be viewed using a traditional road map, or using street view. It is all very user friendly and intuitive.
My only slight criticism of the functionality of the device is that the button you use to make calls is also the button that needs to be held down to turn the device off. So I have inadvertently phoned myself up a few times while switching it off. However, a voice does say 'good-bye' once the button has been held in for 8 seconds so if you are patient it isn't really a problem. It's just me being too hasty!
Both Ian and I were really impressed with the LG KizON. It gave us that bit of extra security knowing we could contact Freddy at any time and that he could phone me if he ever got in any trouble or felt frightened. Although we still won't let him go off completely on his own, this ability to contact him does make it easier to let him go into parks or play areas independently. The tracking is a very reassuring back up to have in the event that we ever lost track of our son. I hope it is something we won't need to use, but it is good to know that we could find him if we ever needed to.
The LG KizON will be launching in the UK soon.
The set up process for the LG KizON is quick and easy, with step by step instructions for downloading the app onto my smartphone and setting up designated numbers. The LG KizON is switched on my holding down the call button on the handset. The app can then send a request to the device, connecting the parent's phone to the child's KizON. This enables the tracking and allows calls to be made between the parent and child.
We went away to Wales for an Easter break, which gave us an ideal opportunity to test out the LG KizON in a real life situation. Freddy was really excited to wear the device on his wrist. Having previously downloaded the app onto mine and Ian's phones, we were connected as the primary and secondary contacts. The app also showed us Freddy's location on a map that appeared on the screen. We gave him a little lesson in how he could call us and we practiced phoning him so he could answer the call. It really is straightforward. The device is adjustable and was comfortable for Freddy to wear, and the design is really kid friendly (the blue version has little trucks and cars on it).
Freddy went into an outdoor play area at the resort we were staying at and we sat on a bench while he played. It was so reassuring to be able to phone him to keep tabs on what he was up to and tell him when it was time to leave. Freddy was able to answer by pressing the button on the front of the device. If the child fails to answer after ten seconds, the call automatically connects so you can listen through the microphone. Freddy was also able to ring us if he needed to. For me, this is the greatest feature of the LG KizON. Being in contact with your child is very comforting and gave me the confidence to allow him a little bit more freedom without constantly following him around. For me, the LG KizON is not a replacement for my parental vigilance, but it is a great tool, which helps me relax a little and lets Freddy gain a bit more independence.
The tracking worked best when both devices, the KizON and my phone, had a good signal. Unfortunately in some parts of Wales the network is not very good, which meant that it sometimes struggled to find the exact location. However, when back in our hometown the tracking is accurate to an individual address. As it uses GPS technology to track the device, it will understandably work best in places with a good network.
The tracking would be really useful for my 12 year old who goes from school to friends' houses and then off into town independently. Being able to know where she is would be very useful as her mobile is generally turned off and in the bottom of her school bag. If LG ever launch a teen tracker, I will definitely be in the market for one! A similar system for the elderly would also be very useful.
For 5 year old Freddy, he will never be too far away from me to really need to track him during a normal day. But for holidays and days out this is an excellent product, and if he ever did wander off, it would be an absolute godsend to be able to track his whereabouts. As a precautionary measure, this is invaluable.
I absolutely loved being able to be in phone contact with Freddy. The device is really easy to use and a friendly voice lets the child know that they are making a call and when the call is ended. When receiving a call there is a really cute ringtone and a flashing light to alert the child. Wearing the KizON on his wrist meant Freddy couldn't drop it, put it down or lose it. It is always on his person without him having to worry about it. Freddy felt very grown up having his own 'mobile phone' on his wrist.
As it has a simple pre-configured one button to dial function, he doesn't need to remember a phone number or have a handwritten copy of my phone number tucked in his back pocket. He knows that with a touch of a button he can contact me. This will be really useful for birthday parties or play dates.
The battery is good for 36 hours and if it starts running low, an alert is sent to the parent's phone, giving the adult the responsibility to keep it fully charged. The KizON contains a SIM card with its own phone number and you can add credit for making the calls. Only designated numbers can make calls to the phone making it very secure.
The app interface is really good. You can set it up to notify you of battery life, to tell you when the device is on or off and to set location reminders at set times. You can control the KizON's power and volume, allow up to four contacts and enable auto-connect directly from your phone. You can also make a search and call through the app. The map can be viewed using a traditional road map, or using street view. It is all very user friendly and intuitive.
My only slight criticism of the functionality of the device is that the button you use to make calls is also the button that needs to be held down to turn the device off. So I have inadvertently phoned myself up a few times while switching it off. However, a voice does say 'good-bye' once the button has been held in for 8 seconds so if you are patient it isn't really a problem. It's just me being too hasty!
Both Ian and I were really impressed with the LG KizON. It gave us that bit of extra security knowing we could contact Freddy at any time and that he could phone me if he ever got in any trouble or felt frightened. Although we still won't let him go off completely on his own, this ability to contact him does make it easier to let him go into parks or play areas independently. The tracking is a very reassuring back up to have in the event that we ever lost track of our son. I hope it is something we won't need to use, but it is good to know that we could find him if we ever needed to.
The LG KizON will be launching in the UK soon.
“I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network ResearchPanel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity”.
