Vodafone, Disney and Yves Béhar join forces to create new children's smartwatch
A new collaboration has launched between Vodafone, Disney and Yves Béhar’s studio FuseProject. The goal? To create the world’s best smartwatch for kids
‘To redefine what it means for parents to support their kids without being intrusive was the main experience and design challenge,' says Yves Béhar. But why now? ‘Parents are facing a new tension – kids are wanting more freedom and independence while parents worry about their safety and crave moments that allow them to be part of the child’s journey,' says Tom Guy, Vodafone’s Smart Tech chief product officer. Béhar adds: ‘In a world more connected than ever, we focused on better understanding how parents are looking for new ways to stay in touch with their children — protecting and monitoring them as they approach their preadolescent years.'
Guy describes the Neo watch as ‘a new way to connect that could both reassure parents and empower kids.’ Having worked with Béhar previously (notably on the development of Hive) and also Disney earlier in his career when he was in the gaming industry, Guy says: ‘Yves shares my belief that tech shouldn’t exist just for the sake of tech but actually improve everyday living.’ Béhar concurs. ‘When designing with technology, I am interested in bringing solutions for the aging, the young, and people with health and wellbeing needs, rather than another entertainment gadget for the comfortable middle part of life.’
So, what does Vodafone’s Neo smartwatch actually do? Before the prototyping started, the collaborators consulted children and parents across the EU to better understand the needs of their audience. 4000 interviews later, the answer was clear – parents wanted a smartwatch that addressed their existing frustrations with tech; an experience to keep children entertained (note the outward-facing high-resolution 5MP camera, activity tracker and Disney characters), but with parental controls for safety and reassurance (que the tracking app and ability to make calls and texts).
A child-friendly quick call button can be held down for five seconds to ring a family member; the angled watch face improves viewing; and the customisable strap is secured by a simple loop and buckle design. As well as the hardware, Neo also features a simple, frictionless software experience from Vodafone and Disney’s world class designers.
Notably, the watch intentionally blocks access to the internet or social media – to assuage parental concern around internet safety and over-stimulation. An accompanying Vodafone Smart App allows parents to view the watch’s location, personalise and monitor its circle of trusted contacts, and manage screen time through a ‘quiet mode' setting. There’s a monthly subscription fee and all contacts have to be pre-approved by the parent, or guardian, before they can be reached.
It’s been subjected to Vodafone’s Secure by Design process – rigorous security testing by professional and external ethical hackers as well as physical testing like temperature tests. Plus, if the watch is lost or stolen, it can also be wiped remotely through a factory reset.
‘Neo is built for parents with young children aged between four and nine who want to use technology to help them save time, but also for children between six and nine who want a fun and exciting way to feel more independent,’ says Guy. A father of two teenage girls, he adds, ‘When they were younger, I would have loved to have had something that they could play around with emojis on, and send me messages through, while allowing me to know exactly where they were. I think that has the potential to create some really special moments for a lot of younger families now, and to give a kind of reassurance I could only have dreamt of when they were kids.’
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Tilly is a British writer, editor and digital consultant based in New York, covering luxury fashion, jewellery, design, culture, art, travel, wellness and more. An alumna of Central Saint Martins, she is Contributing Editor for Wallpaper* and has interviewed a cross section of design legends including Sir David Adjaye, Samuel Ross, Pamela Shamshiri and Piet Oudolf for the magazine.
-
‘Natural gold’ straw weaving by Hanny Newton wins the inaugural QEST Sanderson rising star award
'I have been passionate and driven to champion straw embroidery as an exquisite, sustainable “natural gold”’: rising star Hanny Newton on winning the inaugural award
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
‘If you’re a proper designer, you can design many different forms’: Jony Ive unpacks his modular LoveFrom, Moncler outerwear collection
Five years in the making, LoveFrom and Moncler’s shape-shifting jacket collection marks a new direction for Jony Ive. Speaking to Laura May Todd in Milan, he talks forging new paths and staying curious
By Laura May Todd Published
-
Francis Bacon at the National Portrait Gallery is an emotional tour de force
‘Francis Bacon: Human Presence’ at the National Portrait Gallery in London puts the spotlight on Bacon's portraiture
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Wearable tech that’ll help you hack, track and snack your way to success
The latest in discreet wearable tech, from biowearables to smart glasses, is designed to help you be your best self
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Disney edition of Leica Q2 marks the two companys’ century of collaboration
A limited-edition Leica Q2 is marked with the mouse, celebrating Disney’s origins as an original customer of the optical specialist
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New beauty brand challenges our perceptions of reality
The Unseen, an innovative material science company, is launching its beauty brand with an eyeshadow that looks different in physical and digital realities
By Mary Cleary Last updated
-
Aether audio eyewear takes care of sound and vision in one
With compact speakers embedded in high-quality sunglasses or glasses, Aether audio eyewear offers a very different listening experience to earbuds
By Jonathan Bell Last updated
-
Crafted to last: Ten c unveils S/S 2022 collection
The new S/S 2022 collection from label Ten c takes military-inspired technical wear to the next level
By Jonathan Bell Last updated
-
Yves Béhar and Dr Harvey Karp are rocking World Sleep Day
Created by paediatrician Dr Harvey Karp, and given a pared-back design by Yves Béhar, Snoo is a baby sleep solution we can all rest easy with
By Tilly Macalister-Smith Last updated
-
3D make-up artist Ines Alpha’s favourite Instagram filters
Digital artist and 3D make-up creator Ines Alpha shares her favourite Instagram filters for futuristic facial transformation
By Mary Cleary Last updated
-
Robotic tailors to AR trainers. Fashion retail is evolving digitally.
There's a host of innovative and immersive solutions which brands and retailers are bringing to shopping online today, from Savile Row tailor Huntsman to bricks-and-mortar boutique Browns
By Laura Hawkins Last updated