myFirst Fone R2 Reviewed.

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myFirst is a Singapore homegrown Technology company that aims to build and provide quality hardware and software for children. Riding on the success of the myFirst Fone R1s, myFirst released the upgraded myFirst Fone R2. Let’s dive right in to see the new changes for the myFirst Fone R2.

What is myFirst Fone R2?

The myFirst Fone R2 is the upgrade to the game-changing myFirst R1s watch phone. Built for children aged 5 – 12, the new Fone R2 boasts of lighter weight and sleeker profile than the myFirst Fone R1s. Not only that, almost every aspect of the watch phone has been upgraded. AMOLED display with enhanced visuals, enhanced water resistance and water-lock mode, enhanced GPS tracking, upgraded camera with a wide lens, music player, and a comprehensive fitness tracker to keep track of your child’s heart rate. The myFirst Fone R2 also comes with an in-built eSIM which covers 85 countries worldwide and can be activated instantly through a paid subscription.

The myFirst Fone R2 comes in five different colours; Acai Purple, Cotton Candy Mix, Nougat White, Macaron Pink, and Mixed Berries. It is available at major retail shops and myFirst website for SGD299.00.

Aesthetics.

Sleeker and lighter, the myFirst Fone R2’s thickness was reduced from 16.5mm to 13.6mm and shed off 7 grams weighing just 46 grams now. It might not feel much to adults, but to a child, it’s a significant change, especially when they wear it throughout the day. Another noticeable change is the curvature of the strap, the R1s’s strap was pretty rigid due to the way it was fixed onto the frame of the watch phone. The R2 with its reduced size managed to remove the curvature allowing the strap to fit snuggly around a child’s arm.

The myFirst Fone R2 boasts a brighter 1.3-inch AMOLED screen which also reduces power consumption by 20% with its auto ambiance light sensor. Circular face with a 5 5-megapixel front-facing camera on the right which has an expanded 84-degree wide angle lens which is an improvement but I felt that it still could not capture much of the background.

The myFirst Fone R2 has a new button on the top of the watch called the Magic button which lets you custom function with single, double, or long presses. The other 3 buttons are the same as the predecessor, 2 buttons on the left and 1 bigger button on the right.

On the rear of the watch is the charging port and the heart and fitness sensor that monitors the user’s heart rate and fitness statistics. The heart rate tracker also automatically notifies the parent’s myCircle app if the user’s heart rate surpasses the designated threshold.

Performance.

Much like the Fone R1s, the myFirst Fone R2’s main functions are secured voice, video calling, and texting between the user and parent and other approved personnel. The upgraded Fone R2 also uses the myFirst Circle app as the master control center which has a better response time to the myFirstFone app.

As this is my first time using the myFirst Circle app, I need to download the new app and set up the myFirst Fone R2. The myFirst Fone R2 comes with an inbuilt eSim which provides a free 1st month subscription. Therefore setup was quite fast and I was able to use the R2 in a breeze. But as I already have a sim card for my daughter’s R1s, I would prefer to use back my own telco’s sim card.

In terms of user experience, the R2 is notably much faster and smoother than the R1s. Swiping across functions, calling, and accepting video calls are more user-friendly. One of the main highlights is the myFirst Circle 2.0 which is like our Facebook or Instagram. My daughter was spamming posts on the myFirst Circle 2.0 once she found out about the function and would frequently check if the post was uploaded.

I know because I have myFirst Frame installed at my work desk and would constantly receive her posts and know what she had been doing all day. Although there are not many people on the myFirst Circle 2.0 application, I feel that it is more of a social media for the family nucleus surrounding the child.

In terms of battery life, the myFirst Fone R2 can easily get through a whole day without charging. However, this also depends on the user’s usage type, I will have to charge her watch phone daily as she will be video calling me 5 to 6 times a day to check on me.

When she is not video-calling me, she will be using the music player and dancing in her playroom. Once in a while, I will spy on her and check on her location, I will know when my helper brings her out to play at the playground as I will get a notification that she’s out of the GeoFence location that I set. For a parent, it is quite handy as I will be able to monitor her location and her health through the heart/fitness tracker and remind her to rest and drink more water.

The Bottom Line.

Overall, the myFirst Fone R2 is a great upgrade to the R1s. It is not overly complicated for a 5-year-old and addresses the main priorities for parents which are safety and connectivity. The addition of the myFirst Circle 2.0 application provides a safe platform for kids to learn about social media early on. It also gives parents and caregivers access to the daily lives of the child even if they don’t stay together.

For the price of SGD299, I felt that it is justified given the improved hardware and software which allowed a smoother user experience. It is also a smartphone and fitness tracker combined which gives a lot of value. The water resistance and water lock mode are a plus which allows accidental spills or during waterplay sessions. However the resistance is for 3 meters and up to 5 minutes, therefore I will suggest removing the watch phone before waterplay sessions.