Today's review features a smart children's watch with a very simple name - LT21. This watch is designed for children who are too young to carry a phone and for parents who want to be able to track their child's location and contact them at any time. The LT21 supports a SIM card for calls and messages, mobile internet and has a GPS receiver. It's an attractive device and the description describes it as having endless possibilities.

Intro

For comparison, we purchased a reasonably well-known alternative in this category in Lithuania - Gudrutis Super-G Active Pro. These two devices perform similar communication and tracking functions, but the cost of the gimmick is about 3 times higher. We will try to solve whether these watches can become an alternative to the phone and how they manage to perform the functions listed by the manufacturers in this review. 

Unboxing

Let's start with LT21 - after unpacking the package, you will find a colorful box that will immediately appeal to little watch wearers. It includes a smart watch, a short user manual, two charging cables, a SIM card slot screwdriver and opener, and additional screws. Separately, we found a glass screen glued to the box, which is great for protecting your stuff.

In the package of the trick, you will find a watch, an additional bracelet (one with writing, one without), an additional SIM card holder, a SIM card slot opener, a charging cable and adapter, and a user manual. The latter is clear in the Lithuanian language.

First impressions and quality

The LT21 watch is made of hard plastic, and its bracelet is made of silicone. It is quite large (rather thick) and at first it gives the impression of a clunky and heavy watch, but it is not - it is light and its construction is solid.

When moving, shaking or pressing, nothing creaks or wobbles. On the back of the watch there is a place for magnetic charging, on the right side of the case there is one physical button and a spotlight, and on the left is the SIM card slot.  

In terms of size, the watches of both manufacturers are similar. LT21 is thicker by a millimeter or so, but its screen is 0.1" larger (the difference is very small and you should not pay attention to it). The body of the trick is made of plastic that is more pleasant to the touch.

In the back part, you will find a magnetic charging slot, and temperature and pulse sensors hidden under the glass. On the right side of the case there are two physical buttons (one of them SOS for a quick call), and on the left, like the LT21, you will find the SIM card slot.

Preparation and connection with the phone app

We insert a SIM card into the LT21 watch (we purchased a TELE2 refill for this test) and turn it on. Following the user's instructions, we download the SeTracker2 app to the phone and register in it. After turning on the watch, we find the registration QR code and connect to the app.

In the following steps, you will need to specify the relationship (dad, mom, child) between the app and the watch user in the app. Everything is quite simple and fast, but the app on the phone is only in English (the watch has Lithuanian).

Pairing the gadget with the phone is also easy using the Super-G app, and the connection steps are facilitated by the user manual written in Lithuanian. Unlike LT21, you won't find any family ties here and you can have up to 10 contacts at a time.

Clock management

For those who have already used a smart watch, both options will be easy to understand. LT21 resembles a smartphone with Android software. Swiping to the side will take you to the menu, which can be optionally arranged with 4 icons per window or one at a time.

The watch has the Lithuanian language, and the language can be changed through the settings. It is true that some words and terms are not translated from English and remain so, but the latter are mostly settings that a child (unless out of curiosity) will not touch. All main functions are translated into Lithuanian.

Swiping from the bottom of the main window will access quick settings, such as brightness, spotlight, volume, etc. Swiping from the top of the main window will allow you to see missed notifications.

The Gudruti watch is more limited in its capabilities. Swiping to the sides will access the main menu icons. Although this display is convenient enough, the icons are displayed one by one and this cannot be changed.

In the main window, when you swipe from the top, you will see the weather, and from the bottom, you will see the QR code. The latter is only needed when pairing the watch and it would be better if it were hidden in the menu itself (the QR code is often called up by an accidental touch).

GPS tracking

One of the most important features, GPS tracking works really well on both watches. It takes about half a minute to find the location and both watches indicate the location accurately. If the child is in kindergarten, the exact part of the building where he is is visible. Tracking is also accurate when driving a car, being away from buildings or in a high-rise building.

Extremely rare, but minor inaccuracies (+-30 meters error) occurred with both watches. Both LT21 and Gudrutis use Google Maps in their apps. When you find the clocks, you will also see the address. True, Gudrutis almost always shows it inaccurately. If the map is pointing north according to the compass, the displayed address is south, usually one house or street away.

In both apps, you can choose links to the location of the watches - LT21 will use Apple Maps for navigation (using an iPhone), while Gudrutis will navigate with the Google Maps app. SeTracker2 and Super-G apps can set geofences. These are zones defined on the map, from which you will receive messages about crossing the zone when you leave or enter them. 

Also, both apps have GPS tracking history. It is possible to select a day (in the case of the LT21 and the exact time) and repeat all the locations where the watches have been tracked via GPS. Unlike Gudrutis, in which GPS tracking is automatic and the frequency is not changed, LT21 allows you to automatically determine the location every 10 minutes, 1 hour. or manually. When opening the corresponding apps, the location of both watches is automatically found.

Video calls and audio messages

LT21 and Gudrutis watches have video calls, and their quality is quite similar. Watch cameras don't deliver very good quality, but faces and surroundings are easily recognized. Video calls between watches and phones take up to half a minute to connect. True, LT21 has a significant advantage over Gudrutis - LT21 allows group video calls, so father, mother and child can talk at the same time.

In Gudruti, a video call is only possible with one person at a time. In the first days of the test, it was not possible to make a video call to Gudrutis (we could call from the watch), there was no notification about the incoming call. After a few days of use, the problem was partially resolved as 4 out of 5 calls reached the watch. After contacting the manufacturer, the issue has been logged and a resolution is still pending at the time of review.

Another feature that both watches have is audio notifications. After opening the corresponding menus, we can record voice messages and send them both from watches and from phones. This feature is one of the most convenient of all available for short conversations.

In the case of a new message, the downside of Gudrutis is that the new message symbol is visible on the home screen, but whether it is an SMS message or an audio message is not clear until we open the messages. LT21 has a display of new messages (swiping from top to bottom) and selecting a received message moves to the corresponding section.

Voice calls and SMS messages

Traditional communication methods are available with both watches. These are voice calls and text messages. LT21 and Gudrutis can receive voice calls, and calling from them is also easy.

Both watches receive SMS messages - in Gudruti we can only read an SMS message, and in LT21 we can reply (the keyboard is difficult to use, so it is better to only reply with single words). There are no clear leaders in sound quality. In both video and audio calls, voices are heard clearly even in the background noise.  

Functionality differences between LT21 and Gudrutis

The LT21 watch has several important advantages that we missed in Gudruti. One of them is a secret photo. Through the app, we can choose to take a remote photo and get it instantly. If the watch is still, we can see the environment, people's silhouettes or facial contours. And although the photos are usually blurred (due to the movement of the hand), we can predict where the child is at the moment from the environment.

The second function is a secret call. After entering the phone number in the app, we receive an audio call, which means we can secretly listen through the watch's microphone. Both of these functions are completely hidden and invisible to the watch user.

LT21 also has a few extra apps that Gudruti doesn't have. One of them is the schedule. In the phone app, you can summarize the data for the whole week and see it on the watch. There are also several games, a calculator, an alarm clock and a voice recorder.

Although the Gudruti is on the surface simpler in terms of functionality, it has several important features that the LT21 does not have. These include pulse measurement, body temperature measurement (not very accurate, because the wrist is measured, but the error is not large), stress level measurement, and a stopwatch, which is useful for children when competing.

Battery

Both watches have relatively similar battery life, with one day of tracking, geofencing, camera, and a few video calls per day. At the end of the day, the battery level ranges from 20% to 30%. A fully discharged LT21 watch 100% reaches the battery level in an average of 1.5 hours, while Gudruchis with the included charger took a little more than 2 hours. 

Verdict

Gudrutis is nicer to the touch, and its control is easier to understand for little ones who have not yet used a phone or other smart devices, but this is only one side of the coin. Functionality is more important and from a personal point of view LT21 is far ahead of Gudruti. 

In terms of price, Gudrutis is 3 times more expensive, but is it 3 times better? Unfortunately, no. If we had to choose for long-term use, our family would choose the LT21 smart watch.