Nandini Roy Choudhury, writer
News in brief
- Apple has launched a new promotion webpage for its Apple Watch features designed for children, aiming to boost the number of young consumers who own their products.
- The webpage highlights the convenience of texting and calling, monitoring children’s location, and maintaining an active lifestyle, providing peace of mind for parents.
- The rebranding aligns with the movement to limit or prohibit smartphone use in schools, and Apple is targeting both young consumers and older Americans with safety features.
News in details
Apple recently launched an unconventional approach to boost the number of youthful consumers who can now own its products.
As part of a revamping strategy for its collection of Apple Watch features that have been developed exclusively for children, the iPhone manufacturer launched a new promotion webpage on Wednesday. The website, which refers to the Apple Watch as “an amazing contact for kids,” demonstrates how parents can utilise the device to maintain connections with their children, who may be too young to handle smartphone.
“Convenient for texting and calling.” Be aware of your children’s location. Excellent strategies for maintaining their active lifestyle.. This is their freedom from control. Further the message on the website stipulated, peace of mind for parents.
It was originally named as “Family Setup.” At present “Apple Watch For Your Kids” is the name of the software which allows parents to monitor their child’s location and administer the device.
Apple’s argument is that a cellular-connected watch will provide parents with peace of mind while their children are wandering, playing or exploring, by allowing them to call or text home. Apple is not explicitly stating that a watch provides safety and connectivity features without the disturbances from social media apps and activities that are included with a smartphone.
The rebranding is occurring in tandem with a movement in certain regions of the country to limit or prohibit the use of smartphones in schools, as concerns regarding the potential negative effects and disturbances of social media use among children continue to escalate.
The state of Virginia was directed to establish regulations for cell phone-free schools by Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin in an executive order issued on Tuesday. Additionally, public institutions in Los Angeles and New York City are implementing policies that restrict the use of cell phones. The Pew Research Centre reports that 72% of secondary school teachers and 33% of all instructors consider cell phones to be an important safety concern in the classroom.
In 2020, Apple introduced Family Setup, which enables parents to configure a child’s Apple Watch from their phone and to manage messaging options. The Apple Watch SE is a low-cost and colourful model that the company has introduced. It includes features that parents can use to disable notifications and diversions while on school timings.
An Apple Watch that does not necessitate a paired phone will necessitate cellular connectivity, which typically incurs an additional fee, as well as a recurring charge to a service..
An Apple Watch is owned by 34% of U.S. teenagers, according to a May survey conducted by Piper Sandler. Apple’s watch device, which was introduced nearly a decade ago, is dependent on young consumers. Apple is also promoting the device to older Americans with safety features that can detect an accidental fall or vehicle collision, as well as monitor cardiac activity.
Watch sales are reported in conjunction with headphones and other accessories. In 2023, Apple reported wearables sales of $39.85 billion, a 3% decrease from the previous year. They represented approximately 10% of the total earnings.
Source : CNBC News
