Put Baby Yoda on your wrist with Vodafone and Disney’s Neo smartwatch

European mobile operator Vodafone has teamed up with Disney to launch a new children’s cell phone called Neo. Vodafone says the Neo combines its technological capabilities with Disney’s entertainment chops to deliver a laptop that gives kids a sense of independence while allowing parents to stay in touch.

The most notable feature of the Neo is its Disney branding. The watch designed by Yves Béhar allows children to choose from a collection of “Sidekicks” that will end up on the main screen of the clock, including The Child / Baby Yoda / Grogu from The Mandalorian, Buzz Lightyear from Toy storyand Minnie Mouse. Vodafone says the Sidekicks will come alive throughout the day, and the company plans to add more characters over time at no additional cost.

Image: Vodafone

Besides injecting Disney charm, the Neo is primarily aimed at keeping parents in touch with their kids, with a few additional smartwatch features (although all of this requires a Vodafone subscription). With the watch, parents can call, text and get location updates of their child from the Vodafone Smart companion app. Parents can use the same app to create a “circle” of trusted contacts to text and call and limit screen time with silent mode. To boost children’s “independence”, the Neo can also receive calendar updates, check the weather, track activity and take photos with a built-in 5-megapixel camera.

Children’s clothing is not a new category, and many other mobile carriers such as T-Mobile and Verizon are picking up on the idea. Even Apple got into the game with Family Setup in watchOS 7, which we reviewed earlier this year. The problems with smartwatches for kids are twofold: Parents have to decide how much of their child’s privacy they are willing to sacrifice for their safety, and generally, these watches aren’t very good in the first place. .

Vodafone says the Neo won’t be released in Europe until early 2021, where it is expected to sell for £ 99 on a £ 7 per month subscription. If the Neo-specific Disney packaging catches your family’s interest, you can join the waitlist today.