Xplora XGO2 Review

Reviewed by Sian Manning

This watch is something I have looked into a lot, I have a son that likes to wander, we go for a walk and he takes his own path, stops to do his own thing or runs off to climb a tree. I have often joked with him he needs a tracker and I was going to get him a pet one!

The XGO2 comes in a compact little box, the branding is on all sides of the box, the front has a window so you can see the watch inside, the watch has a little sticker on the front so that you can see what it could look like when it is working, the sides and back give you details on what the watch can do, the key stats and information on the app and the Xplora coin scheme.

Inside the box the watch sits neatly on a black cardboard sleeve, under that you get the charger, a small welcome guide with a thank you, pictures of the watch colours available and a small graphic of the key features of the watch. There is a support leaflet in the box too with contact details should you have any issues and warranty website details too. Also in the box is a little packet with a tiny screwdriver, a sim remover tool and a spare screw in case you need one.

In the parcel from Xplora you also get a giffgaff sim in the box so that you can get it all sorted and working straight away.

The watch itself feels lovely and sturdy, it is quite chunky so definitely suited to older children, we got the black one, but the watches also come in green, pink and blue too, so you can find something that suits your little ones personality and likes. The strap is soft silicone and does up with a standard buckle fastening, it goes quite small and wide so should fit a wide range of wrists, big or small. The charger sits neatly on the back of the watch magnetically when it is charging, its a great feature as it means that my son can put it on charge without help and I don’t have to be worried that he is going to break the charger or port (like has happened multiple times in the past). To get the sim card tray out you need to undo 2 little – tiny, tiny – screws (this is the reason you get an extra I think, the chances of loosing one during this process is high!). Then you can ping the lid part off, mine flew across the room, I had to race the puppy, it was a fast paced race to see who would win, him to eat it and run or me to be smug, I was faster for once, thankfully I won and snatched it up. Then you can pop the sim into the watch, put the screws back in and get it working.

You also need to download the Xplora App on you phone, tablet or device, this allows you to track your watches location, add contacts and also edit some of the settings on the watch, you can set times for a ‘school mode’ this is a great feature and means that the watch can be used as a watch and they can’t play around at school and get distracted by the other features, you can set the times and days for this yourself. It’s not so fun for my son when he was trying to show off to his friends but peace of mind for me. This function also means that you cannot contact the watch unless the SOS feature is used.

The tracking on the watch is not pin point accurate but working on GPS, wifi and triangulation is pretty good, outside using GPS it is accurate to 25-75m. This is a great feature to check the whereabouts of your child without having to constantly call or message. My son will be allowed to walk to and from school on his own soon and this will give me the peace of mind to know he is on course and safe.

The watch itself has a lot of features that can be used, of course it has a call function, you can store up to 10 contacts into the device, peace of mind knowing only contacts you want are available as the numbers are set from the app, messaging is also available with the same numbers, it has a camera – not a great one – but a good feature for a watch and my son loves it, it has a torch, calender, voice notes, alarm, step counter and stopwatch amongst other things.

The sim card that comes needs to be activated before it can be used, you need to put credit onto it or sign up to a monthly top up before it will work, you can also use a different provider if you prefer or have one set up already to use.

Xplora also have Goplay, this allows you to join campaigns, earn coins and win prizes, you can spend your coins on great items too and you earn coins by being active, so walking to school, playing in the park or just walking around school will earn you coins to convert into some great items.

We had one slight issue with the watch where the metal end kept coming off of the strap when the watch was taken off, I messaged Xplora and sent a picture to illustrate the part I was talking about, they sent the image to their technical team and decided that the best way forward would be to send a new strap so we could change it over, it was quickly delivered and illustrates my experience of their exemplary customer service.

All in all for the price of this watch I think it reflects really good value for money, it is packed with features. It offers peace of mind for parents and guardians and it is a great watch and accessory for children, it bridges the gap between owning a phone and not being responsible enough too (you can’t lose a watch when it’s strapped to your wrist!). If your child is soon to be walking to school on their own and getting a sense of independence this is a great alternative to a first phone and I think offers more to you as a parent at a much cheaper and as a bonus it’s less likely to break or get lost. It would make a great gift too, who doesn’t want a watch for Christmas, pop some family numbers in there too and they can call them to say thank you for their gifts!

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £99.99

You can purchase this watch direct from Xplora here.