What Makes a Kids’ Smartwatch Truly Suitable for Children? CNN Brand Studio Reveals imoo’s “Child-First” Design Philosophy
imoo EU|2026-08-28 14:25:24
Exploring how a child’s first connected device should be designed around their real needs.
As children gradually gain more independence — joining after-school activities, participating in sports, spending time with friends, or even starting to travel to and from school on their own — many parents face a new question:
Does my child really need a smartphone? Or is there a more suitable way for them to stay connected at this stage of growth?
Choosing a child’s first smart device is not simply about comparing the number of features. More importantly, parents need to consider whether the device is truly designed around children’s needs and everyday experiences.
Recently, CNN Brand Studio published a feature article titled
“Designed for Chaos: What It Takes to Build a Smartwatch for Kids,” exploring how imoo approaches kids’ smartwatch design by considering children’s lifestyles, usage habits, and their gradual journey toward independence.
The feature is not only about a product — it also raises an important question for parents:
What features should a truly child-focused smartwatch have?
“Building technology for children requires understanding how children think, play, communicate, and explore.”
— CNN Brand Studio, Designed for Chaos: What It Takes to Build a Smartwatch for Kids
What Makes a Kids’ Smartwatch Truly Designed for Children?
Unlike adult smart devices, the way children use technology is often more dynamic and unpredictable.
Children run, jump, play sports, explore outdoor environments, and may wear their devices during everyday activities where bumps, drops, or accidental impacts can happen.
Therefore, designing technology for children is not simply about making a smaller version of an adult device. It requires a different approach based on children’s real lives:
How do children actually use the device?
What concerns do parents have?
How can technology help children gradually develop independence?
CNN Brand Studio’s feature highlights imoo’s “child-first” design philosophy, including the complete process from product development and reliability testing to feedback from real families.
According to imoo, its product development process includes multiple durability tests, such as:
60,000 camera flip tests
20,000 micro-drop tests
10,000 charging-port plug-and-unplug tests
These tests are designed to help devices better handle the realities of children’s daily use.
However, designing products for children does not happen only in a laboratory.
CNN Brand Studio also highlighted that children of imoo employees participate in early product experiences, providing real-world feedback that helps improve product design.
For imoo, understanding children is not only about analyzing data. It is about observing how children play, move, communicate, and explore the world around them.
How Is a Kids’ Smartwatch Different from a Smartphone?
This is a question many parents consider as their children grow older and begin participating in more independent activities.
A smartphone provides access to the open internet, a wide range of apps, and social media platforms. In comparison, kids’ smartwatches are usually designed around children’s most important needs at their current stage of development, such as staying connected with family, improving safety, and gradually developing digital independence.
Kids’ Smartwatch | Smartphone | |
Communication | Parent-managed calls, messages, and contacts | More open communication environment |
Digital environment | Usually provides a more controlled experience | Access to a wider range of online content |
Safety features | Often includes location tracking and SOS functions | Requires additional settings and configuration |
Parental management | Contact and usage permissions can be managed by parents | Depends on system-level settings |
Suitable stage | Supports children as they gradually develop digital independence | More suitable for older children |
Instead of simply asking:
“Is a kids’ smartwatch better than a smartphone?”
A better question may be:
“What digital features does my child actually need at this stage?”
For children who mainly need to stay connected with family, share their location for safety, and have limited digital access, a kids’ smartwatch can be a suitable first step into the digital world.
It is not necessarily designed to completely replace a smartphone. Instead, it can serve as a transitional device as children gradually move toward greater independence.
What Features Should Parents Look for When Choosing a Kids’ Smartwatch?
The market for kids’ smartwatches continues to expand, with more features being introduced every year.
However, more features do not always mean a device is more suitable for children.
Parents may want to focus on the following key areas:
1. Communication and Parental Management
Easy communication with family is one of the most important functions of a kids’ smartwatch.
Voice calls, video calls, and messaging features allow children to stay connected with their parents after school, during activities, or whenever they are away from home.
At the same time, parents should consider whether the device supports a parent-managed contact system, helping reduce unwanted communication from unknown contacts.
2. Location Tracking and Emergency Assistance
As children begin to spend more time independently, location awareness and emergency communication become important concerns for parents.
A kids’ smartwatch with location tracking can help parents keep track of their child’s location, while SOS emergency features provide an additional way for children to ask for help when needed.
For example, imoo X10 features an SOS emergency calling function. When children need assistance, they can draw a “C” on the screen to quickly send an alert to their parents.
3. School Use and Daily Management
A well-designed kids’ device should not be about allowing parents to constantly monitor their children.
Instead, it should help children gradually develop the ability to use technology independently.
Parents can look for features such as contact management, communication restrictions during school hours, and screen time management, allowing them to adjust control settings based on their child’s age and individual needs.
4. Durability and Privacy Protection
Children may wear their smartwatches while running, exercising, playing, or participating in outdoor activities.
Therefore, whether a product can withstand the realities of everyday childhood is equally important.
CNN Brand Studio highlighted that imoo conducts multiple reliability tests during product development, including camera flip tests, micro-drop tests, and repeated charging-port tests.
At the same time, kids’ smart devices may involve personal information such as location data and communication records. Parents should also pay attention to how brands collect, transmit, store, and protect user data.
imoo X10: Bringing the Child-First Design Philosophy to Life
CNN Brand Studio’s feature explores how imoo responds to children’s real needs through thoughtful product design, and imoo X10 is a practical example of this child-first approach.
Designed for Communication
imoo X10 supports video and voice calls, helping children stay connected with their families.
Video calls make family communication more natural, allowing children to share their expressions and surroundings as well as their voices.
Whether children want to tell their parents about their day, share a special moment, or simply stay connected while away from home, video communication creates a more personal connection.
Designed for Safety
imoo X10 combines location tracking, parental management features, and SOS emergency calling to provide additional support for families.
As children gradually gain more independence and spend more time exploring outside the home, these features help parents stay connected and provide reassurance when needed.
Designed for Real Childhood Experiences
Children’s devices need to adapt to the way children actually live and play.
imoo X10 features a dirt-resistant design and up to 20 meters of water resistance, helping it handle everyday activities such as sports, outdoor play, and unexpected situations.
Designed for Exploration and Sharing
imoo X10 is equipped with Flip & Detach dual cameras, allowing children not only to communicate with their families through video calls, but also to capture and share the world from their own perspective.
As Alex Wang, Senior Product Development Engineer at imoo, shared in the CNN Brand Studio feature, one of the purposes of product design is to help families preserve meaningful memories throughout a child’s growth.
A family trip, an outdoor adventure, or even an ordinary day can become a moment worth revisiting in the future.
FAQ
Are Kids’ Smartwatches Safer Than Smartphones?
Kids’ smartwatches typically provide a more controlled digital experience through parent-managed contacts, limited communication environments, and parental control features.
However, actual safety depends on the product’s design, privacy protection measures, and how families use the device.
What Age Is Appropriate for a Child to Use a Kids’ Smartwatch?
There is no single age that applies to every child.
Parents can make decisions based on their child’s level of independence, daily activities, need for family communication, and the family’s approach to using digital devices.
Can a Kids’ Smartwatch Completely Replace a Smartphone?
Not necessarily.
Kids’ smartwatches are mainly designed for communication, safety, and limited digital connection, while smartphones usually provide more open access to the internet and apps.
For many children, a kids’ smartwatch can serve as a first step into the digital world before they are ready for a smartphone.
Do Parents Need to Consider Privacy Protection When Choosing a Kids’ Smartwatch?
Yes.
Kids’ smartwatches may involve personal information such as location data and communication records. When choosing a product, parents should understand the brand’s data protection policies and pay attention to privacy and security measures.
Technology Designed Around Children
CNN Brand Studio’s feature on imoo is not only about a kids’ smartwatch. It highlights a broader product design philosophy:
Technology for children should not simply be a smaller version of adult technology. It should be redesigned around children’s real lives.
From product testing to feedback from real families, and from safety features to communication experiences, imoo aims to find the right balance between connection, safety, and independence.
Because the purpose of technology should not be to make children grow up faster.
Instead, it should:
Help children explore the world with greater confidence, gradually develop independence, and stay connected with their families throughout their journey of growth.
Discover imoo X10
Explore a kids’ smartwatch designed around children’s real growth needs.