Targeting the Apple Watch (or a cheaper version of it) to kids is the smartest thing Apple has done in years. 

Last year on ATP, Marco talked about setting up his pre-teen with an Apple Watch. It was the first time I’d heard a parent trying this, so I set on a journey to figure it out for my (now) 11 year old. 

Because my cell phone carrier doesn’t support Apple Watch Family Setup, we opted to add a phone line for an old iPhone and pair a new Apple Watch SE with Cellular (2nd gen) to that iPhone. 

We then put the iPhone into a drawer and leave it off most of the time. The Apple Watch, now on cellular, has become the perfect device for our kid to use and communicate with us. 

It’s now a few months in and I’m really happy with the results. The Watch doesn’t have any infinity wells, has very basic games, and communication is utilitarian at best. It’s a fantastic stop gap between now and when we have the conversation about a cell phone (or smartphone), which will likely come when our kiddo needs to start driving. 

(Via Threads)