Garmin Ltd.

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Somewhat Bullish +40

My son wonโ€™t be getting a phone for a long time thanks to the Garmin Bounce 2

AI-generated analysis

๐Ÿ‘ฆ An eight-year-old boy tested the Garmin Bounce 2 after getting separated from his parents during a football tournament.

โŒš The smartwatch is designed to delay smartphone adoption by offering two-way calling, texting, and real-time GPS location tracking via LTE.

๐Ÿ’ธ The device has an RRP of $299/ยฃ260 plus a mandatory monthly or yearly LTE subscription fee for connectivity features.

๐ŸŽจ Kids appreciate the teeny-tiny 1.2in AMOLED screen which mimics adult Garmin sports watches and is offered in teal, black, and lilac.

๐Ÿง’ Setup is handled through the Garmin Jr app, allowing parents to set emergency contacts and safe-zone geo-fencing alerts easily.

โœˆ๏ธ Live location tracking proved accurate at airports and Universal Studios, providing parents with significant peace of mind during travel.

โš ๏ธ Voice call quality can suffer from delays and clarity issues, making it better for quick check-ins than long conversations.

๐Ÿ“Š GPS activity tracking is highly accurate compared to other devices like the Apple Watch, motivating kids to hit daily step goals.

๐Ÿ’ง Waterproof design allows the watch to be worn during swimming without needing to take it off or worry about damage.

๐Ÿ”‹ Battery life requires daily charging, with live location tracking consuming a significant amount of power throughout the day.

๐Ÿซ School mode can be enabled to prevent distractions from games while still allowing the child to see the time and track steps.

๐ŸŽฎ Simple games are included which delight children whose handheld consoles might be lost or left behind in luggage.

๐ŸŒ™ Sleep tracking works accurately without providing a sleep score, preventing youngsters from becoming obsessed with performance metrics.

๐Ÿ† Parents can issue tasks and rewards through the app to encourage positive behavior and engagement with the device.

๐ŸŽต Amazon Music streaming capability allows kids to listen to music directly on the watch face.

๐Ÿ’ฌ Text messaging works well for casual communication but the device lacks internet access, social media, or web browsing capabilities.

๐Ÿ‘ฎโ€โ™‚๏ธ The watch supports setting up to three emergency contact numbers that it will call if assistance is requested.

๐Ÿš€ Long-term testing over a month showed high adoption rates with children happy to wear the watch for school and sports activities.

๐Ÿ“‰ The device effectively functions as a normal sports watch while providing parents with robust safety monitoring tools.

๐ŸŒ While primarily marketed for US and UK markets, the device uses LTE connectivity which requires active data plans in both regions.

Bullish Signals
  • The Garmin Bounce 2 features high build quality with a clear, bright 1.2in AMOLED touchscreen and is waterproof, allowing the child to swim without removing it.
  • Parents benefit from advanced safety features including real-time location tracking, safe-zone alerts, and geo-fencing that notified them immediately when their son left the hotel boundary.
  • The device successfully helped delay a smartphone purchase for an eight-year-old while providing two-way calling, text messaging, and activity tracking via GPS.
  • Key safety features like emergency calling allow parents to set up to three emergency numbers, providing significant peace of mind in crowded places like Universal Studios.
  • The step counter proved accurate even when compared against an Apple Watch, helping children compete for rewards like 'most steps' or 'most active day'.
  • After one month of use, the user reported that their son really likes the watch and is always happy to wear it to school and on trips.
  • The Garmin Jr app makes setting up daily step goals, safety numbers, and activating school mode easy for parents to manage remotely.
Risk Factors
  • Parents must purchase an additional LTE subscription for $9.99/month ($99/year) on top of the $260 RRP device cost.
  • Voice calling functionality suffers from noticeable delays and poor audio quality, limiting it to quick check-ins rather than full conversations.
  • Battery life is insufficient, requiring daily charging with heavy power consumption specifically during live tracking features.
  • The device lacks internet access and social media capabilities, restricting its utility for older children actively requesting smartphones.
Full Analysis
GRMN's Garmin has been testing its new kid-focused smartwatch, the Bounce 2, to determine if it can effectively replace smartphones for children by offering essential safety features without full internet access. The device is designed specifically to delay or replace a smartphone purchase, as parents often struggle with giving eight-year-olds unrestricted mobile devices. It features LTE connectivity, two-way calling, text messaging, and real-time GPS location tracking via the Garmin Jr app, which also allows for geo-fencing alerts and safety number programming. In a two-week test involving travel to Universal Studios in Florida, an eight-year-old user found the watch comfortable and appealing due to its design similarity to adult Garmin sports watches and a bright 1.2-inch AMOLED screen. The real-time location tracking proved accurate during family trips, providing parents peace of mind while the child engaged in activities like swimming without needing to remove the waterproof device. However, call quality was noted as occasionally delayed or unclear, making it more suitable for quick check-ins rather than lengthy conversations, and battery life requires daily charging, especially when using live tracking features. The hardware supports GPS activity tracking, simple games, and Amazon Music listening, though the games are basic and not designed for distraction-free environments; a school mode can be activated to lock these down while allowing time display and step counting. The device comes in teal, black, or lilac with an RRP of $299/ยฃ260 and requires an additional LTE subscription ranging from $9.99 monthly to $99 annually for messaging and tracking features. While some parents might find the monthly fees a barrier compared to initial hardware costs, the review concludes that for younger children who are not yet internet-savvy, the Bounce 2 offers a viable alternative to early smartphone adoption while providing robust safety tools for parents managing independent or traveling kids.