I’m asking for categories, not specific product recommendations.
Here is the problem.
My child (12 y.o.) does not yet have a mobile phone. When his friends visit, they are each already glued to their phones. Their phones are already their fifth limb, at this young age.
I’m eager to keep my kid active, athletic, musical, and social by delaying a mobile phone even longer, but he does need a communication method (“I’m staying an hour longer at my friend’s home”, “Remember your tennis lesson; don’t linger in the school yard”, etc).
And so I went ahead and bought a watch (from Apple, series 9) as a (Christmas) gift. My plan is to encourage it as a Strava device (cycling, tennis, skiing, …) that continue an active lifestyle, not to mention better eye health, nor burdening a child with constantly looking for the electronic gadget. A watch remains on the wrist.
But, formally at least, such a watch requires a phone (an iPhone, in this case).
Have I made a mistake? Should I be looking for a watch from one of the many makers of fitness trackers (Garmin, Fitbit, …) since the communications options will be similar or better?
