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The idea of a kids "smart" watch is pretty simple: provide essential communication and safety features, and as few distractions as possible. You can of course track location, and communicate (call or message) with approved contacts.

Xplora also includes a camera, so your kid can communicate visually. I think this is important. What if your kid gets a scrape and you want to see how bad it is? Your kid can show you.

The X5 Play and XGO3 are roughly similar in size. The "big" difference is price, but it's actually just a $20 difference.

X5 Play vs. XGO3  

Both are very comfortable to wear thanks to a soft rubber strap. That's obviously important if you expect your kid to actually wear it all day. They are large and plastic, but most kids aren't demanding titanium with a premium feel. They are light, which again, is critical for all-day comfort and less grumbling from the wearer.

XGO3  

The XGO3 is the cheapest in the lineup at $130 (currently on sale) or $150 (normally). One standout oddity is the micro-USB charging port on the back. This does mean you can use a standard charger if you lose the included one. But I think some people might find this annoying to use after a while.

X5 Play  

The X5 Play runs $150 (currently on sale) or $170 (normally). For that, you get a slightly larger, better display. You also get a much more pleasant-to-use snap-on charging connector.

There are also important software features added with the X5 Play. It has a whole extra screen with four extra "apps", like music player and SMS. The cheaper XGO3 can only message with the app for parents, while the X5 Play can send standard text messages (to parent-approved numbers only, of course.)

interface  

face

I found the interface delightfully intuitive and easy to use. Just tap on things, swipe up/down to scroll, and swipe right to go back, exactly as you'd expect.

The messaging app can also do emoji and voice messages, so your kid can communicate however they prefer.

What Xplora wants you to know is what the watches can't do. No social media, no internet, and no games. (Well, except the step counter that gives you points, which you can redeem in the company's off-watch game system.) They're pretty locked-down, and that's intentional. You can lock them down even further (to just an SOS function) in "School Mode", controlled via the app for parents.

parent app  

The app for parents (for both iOS and Android, of course) looks fairly straightforward. It has all the necessary functions, and step tracking.

I think the X5 Play is an easy choice over the XGO3. The difference in price is small, and I definitely prefer the POGO-pin charging and extra flexibility of SMS messaging.

My only hesitation is that they've already announced the X6 Play and X6 Pro. The screen, battery, and camera are improved, and they have more physical-activity sensors. They are higher-end watches starting at $199, and the X6 Play won't be available until "late 2022". (And the X6 Pro, not until 2023.) But if you have an older, more discerning kid, they might be worth the wait.

Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.

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