User-friendly, kid-centric smartwatches with parental controls and safety features are increasingly being seen by parents as the favored alternative to smartphones, particularly for pre-teens and younger.
While these devices still require a data plan — usually around $10 a month — they tend to offer better battery life than smartphones, in a lighter, always-with-you package. I just got my hands on the latest entry to the space, TCL’s Movietime MT48 smartwatch for kids, at MWC 2026, Europe’s largest tech show, and it checks all the right boxes, from build quality to battery life, smart features to tracking modes.
