TickTalk 4 Review - PCMag

The TickTalk 4 ($189.99) is an all-in-one smartwatch, phone, and GPS tracking device that works champion for children betwixt the ages of 5 and 12. With it, your kid tin marque calls, constitute texts, and nonstop integer greeting cards to a database of approved contacts. Notable improvements implicit its predecessor see a escaped iHeartRadio Family subscription, enactment tracking, amended artillery performance, and enhanced parental controls. The TickTalk 4's plan is simply a small excessively bulky, however, and we wished it offered geofencing features similar galore competitors. Ultimately, the Verizon GizmoWatch 2 ($99.99) and the Jiobit ($129.99) stay our Editors' Choice winners successful this class acknowledgment to their cheaper upfront costs and much precocious tracking capabilities.

A Durable (But Bulky) Design

If you’re acquainted with Zack Morris' old-school compartment telephone from Saved by the Bell, the TickTalk 4 doesn't stray excessively acold from that aesthetic. It's not rather arsenic oversized oregon boxy arsenic an aboriginal '90s phone, but it surely shares immoderate plan elements, specified arsenic crisp corners and unnecessary bulk. It is besides rather dense astatine astir 2.4 ounces. For reference, the 41mm aluminum Apple Watch Series 8 weighs astir fractional that astatine 1.37 ounces. The ticker is disposable successful black, blue, oregon pink.

(Credit: Erika Rawes)

One vantage of the dense bumper astir the perimeter, however, is the extortion it provides against harm if your kid ever drops oregon different mistreats the device. To trial its durability, I dropped the TickTalk 4 connected factual from a tallness of six feet; the ticker inactive worked good afterward and the surface didn't amusement immoderate cracks oregon scratches. It carries an IP67 standing for particulate and h2o resistance, which means it should past the occasional descent into location sheet oregon aquatics astatine the section pool.

Comfort is different story. Because the ticker is truthful bulky and heavy, it mightiness overpower a child’s wrist. The maximum wrist size the TickTalk 4 tin accommodate is 7.5 inches, which was ample capable to acceptable my 14-year-old daughter's wrist, but the plan is rather rigid. Specifically, the set is fixed astatine a perpendicular presumption to the ticker face, which means the ticker volition ne'er prevarication level connected a surface. For immoderate kids, the ticker look whitethorn extremity up hovering somewhat supra their limb portion the set squeezes either broadside of their wrists. This tin make an unnatural and uncomfortable sensation for the wearer. And, dissimilar galore different smartwatches, you can’t swap retired the band.

TickTalk sells charms and a powerfulness basal for the watch, but doesn’t connection changeable bands for this model. When we asked the institution astir this limitation, a typical explained that the set houses other antennas that assistance amended cellular performance. We don't similar that you person to take betwixt comfortableness and performance, but that's the world here.

The Cosmo JrTrack 2, meanwhile, has a sleeker plan that's much comfy for larger wrists. The Jiobit tin besides beryllium a amended enactment for comfortableness due to the fact that of its unconventional clip-on design.

TickTalk 4 Setup Process and Monthly Plans

In the TickTalk 4's box, you get the device, a magnetic charging cable, insubstantial instructions, a SIM tool, and a SIM card. Setting up the TickTalk 4 took maine little than 15 minutes (outside of charging time). Once I activated the SIM card, I lone needed to download the TickTalk genitor app (available for Android and iOS), make an account, and travel the app setup prompts.

(Credit: Erika Rawes)

TickTalk partners with mobile virtual web relation (MVNO) Red Pocket Mobile for cellular service. The ticker includes a Red Pocket SIM(Opens successful a caller window) successful each bundle purchased successful the US. One payment to TickTalk’s program is that there’s nary contract, and pay-as-you-go monthly fees are affordable (starting astatine $9.99 per month). It’s 1 of the cheaper monthly program options disposable for a kids’ smartwatch. 

There are different bearer options for the TickTalk 4, specified arsenic adding a caller enactment to your T-Mobile service. This enactment whitethorn beryllium pricier though (typically $25 to $35 per month), arsenic the TickTalk doesn’t enactment with T-Mobile’s wearable program and alternatively needs a regular compartment telephone program with talk, text, and data. TickTalk works with immoderate different GSM carriers (think SpeedTalk oregon MetroPCS), but the kid’s ticker volition not work(Opens successful a caller window) connected Sprint oregon Verizon arsenic of this writing.

For comparison, you indispensable wage betwixt $33.33 and $52.99 per period for the AngelSense tracker's work plan. Joibit's subscription costs are much comparable, betwixt $8.99 and $14.99 per period depending connected the declaration length.

Navigating the TickTalk 4

The TickTalk 4 is casual to navigate and a young kid should beryllium capable to find each of the watch’s functions without issue. The main ticker look shows the time, date, web status, and measurement counter. The measurement antagonistic tin gamify the acquisition of tracking activity, allowing household members to vie against 1 another. There are a fewer further screens and 2 buttons connected the side. You tin customize the reddish fastener to instantly telephone a genitor oregon designated exigency contact, portion the metallic fastener wakes oregon turns connected the watch.

Additional screens grip calling and texting, arsenic good arsenic see widgets for photos, greeting cards, reminders, settings, music, a calculator, and a timer. The ticker offers escaped entree to iHeartRadio Family, too; Kidz Bop and Disney stations are acceptable to spell retired of the box. Kids tin perceive to euphony via the talker oregon Bluetooth headphones. The instrumentality supports Bluetooth 4.2 for connecting to headphones and Wi-Fi 4 for indoor instrumentality tracking and strategy updates.

(Credit: Erika Rawes)

I was impressed with the 2 5MP cameras—one handles selfies and the different takes images of the surrounding world. In testing, the front-facing camera captures decent self-portraits portion the different produces bully images for a smartwatch. Don’t expect smartphone-quality photos, but a kid should beryllium capable to seizure moments with acceptable clarity and make meaningful photograph albums. Both cameras enactment reasonably good successful some dim airy and nonstop sunlight.

The 1.54-inch capacitive interaction surface is functional, but could beryllium much responsive. It was frustrating to participate my Wi-Fi password during setup, for instance, due to the fact that I had to retype definite letters and numbers respective times. People with larger thumbs, successful particular, mightiness conscionable person to judge that typos volition look each present and again. Fortunately, the instrumentality offers a talk-to-text feature, which makes it easier to constitute messages by voice.

TickTalk 4 App Options and Controls

The TickTalk app gives parents power implicit each relation of the device. Foremost, kids can’t telephone oregon substance anyone who’s not an approved interaction (parents tin adhd up to 53 specified people). My teen girl recovered this facet frustrating, but I admit the control. For younger kids oregon grounded teens, this benignant of setup is ideal. In my case, I let my girl to interaction her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and a fewer prime friends that I deem safe. Moreover, the ticker prevents her from utilizing immoderate societal media applications oregon a web browser.

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Otherwise, parents get the flexibility to toggle galore of the watch's features connected oregon off, including the telephone dial pad. Guardians tin besides adhd customized reminders if their small 1 needs to decorativeness their chores oregon homework.

Tracking Your Child With the TickTalk 4

It's casual to support tabs connected your child's determination via the TickTalk app with 1 large exception: The TickTalk 4 doesn't enactment geofencing similar the Cosmo JrTrack 2 oregon GizmoWatch 2 do. Geofencing allows you to acceptable GPS boundaries that your kid should not cross, specified arsenic a schoolhouse country oregon neighborhood. The cardinal is that geofencing often alerts parents erstwhile a kid moves extracurricular of a defined geofenced area, which mightiness bespeak occupation oregon a alteration of plans. That said, it does connection respective different neat features.

For instance, erstwhile you alteration the Tracking mode, the app continuously updates your child’s determination each 10 minutes. In Power Saving mode, the app tracks your kid's determination lone erstwhile you click the locator icon successful the app. You tin besides illustration your child’s humanities way implicit the past 3 days and take betwixt a basal representation oregon 3D presumption wherever you tin spot the nonstop date, time, and code information for your young one's activities.

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The institution uses nationalist Wi-Fi, GPS signals, and compartment towers to find the ticker wrong a scope of 100 to 500 feet. The tracking was reliable successful testing; it consistently reported the aforesaid determination information arsenic an iPhone 13 erstwhile my girl went retired with some devices.

TickTalk 4 Calling, Video Calling, and Texting

As mentioned, the reddish fastener connected the watch's close broadside makes it casual for a kid to telephone their designated genitor successful an urgent situation. There’s besides an easy-to-use genitor widget that lets kids interaction a genitor close away. If you’re disquieted astir random strangers calling oregon messaging your child, don't; lone approved numbers tin scope the TickTalk 4 and anyone who wants to interaction your kid indispensable bash truthful done the TickTalk app.

Parents adhd trusted contacts via the genitor dashboard. Those trusted contacts indispensable past download the TickTalk app to their ain instrumentality and participate the watch’s TickTalk ID fig to implicit the pairing process and alteration communications. This setup request helps beforehand privacy, security, and safety. Parents tin springiness contacts either afloat oregon constricted entree to their child's watch: Those with constricted entree tin lone call, message, and nonstop greeting cards to your child, portion those with afloat entree tin besides presumption determination tracking details.

Kids tin person calls via the speakerphone connected the ticker oregon done paired Bluetooth headphones. Any messages your kid sends oregon receives amusement up successful the genitor app automatically, truthful they won't beryllium capable to fell their communications.

TickTalk claims the artillery lasts for astir 60 hours of mean usage oregon 100 hours connected standby, and I recovered this assertion reasonably close successful testing. My girl wore the ticker for 2 days earlier needing to recharge it.

A Rugged Watch, Phone, and Tracker for Kids

The TickTalk 4 is simply a coagulated smartwatch for young children due to the fact that it limits them to approved contacts, it accurately tracks their location, and it tin withstand the perils of day-to-day life. We're not thrilled by its bulky, perchance uncomfortable plan oregon finicky interaction screen, however. Moreover, the deficiency of geofencing mightiness beryllium a woody breaker for immoderate buyers. Ultimately, our apical choices successful the kids' ticker and tracker class stay the aforementioned Verizon GizmoWatch 2 and the Jiobit due to the fact that of their superior designs and geofencing tools.