imoo Watch Phone Z1 Review: a kid tracker that mostly works like a dumb phone on the wrist

I bought the imoo Watch Phone Z1 for my kid as a middle ground between “no phone at all” and “full smartphone with TikTok and everything”. Schools near us don’t allow phones in class, but a lot of kids are starting to walk to school on their own, and I wanted a way to call and track my child without opening the door to social media and full-on screen addiction. So this watch looked like a decent compromise: 4G, GPS, calls, but no Instagram, no games, nothing fancy.

We’ve been using it daily for a while now, mainly for school runs, going to friends’ houses, and when my kid goes to the park. I set it up with a cheap nano SIM (similar to GiffGaff/Lebara/Tesco like other reviewers) and used the imoo app on my phone. My expectations were simple: I wanted the watch to 1) show me roughly where my kid is, 2) let us call each other clearly, and 3) not die halfway through the day.

In practice, it does those three things most of the time, but not perfectly. When it works, it’s actually reassuring: I can see my kid on the map, call them quickly, and they don’t have to carry a phone in their pocket. But there are a few quirks: network drops if the APN settings aren’t right, messaging that feels half-baked, and the occasional GPS delay. So it’s not a magic safety device, but more like a pretty solid dumb phone with GPS strapped to the wrist.

If you’re imagining flawless live tracking and instant connection 100% of the time, you’ll be disappointed. If you treat it more like a basic tool that gives you a good idea of where your kid is and a simple way to call them, it’s a lot easier to live with. That’s the mindset I ended up with after a few weeks: useful, but not something I would blindly rely on in a real emergency.

In terms of value, the imoo Z1 sits in a weird middle ground. It’s more expensive than the super-cheap kids’ GPS watches you see all over Amazon, but cheaper than giving your kid a half-decent smartphone plus a proper smartwatch. I looked at some cheaper alternatives before buying this, and the reviews were full of complaints about terrible apps, useless GPS, and watches dying after a few months. So I decided to pay a bit more for something that at least seemed more mature based on recent reviews.

What you’re really paying for here is the combination of:

• Reasonably accurate GPS tracking when the network is set up right.
• Clear voice calls and usable video calls.
• Class mode and stranger call blocking for peace of mind.
• A watch form factor that schools usually tolerate more than a phone.

On the downside, it’s not perfect for the price. The messaging is half-baked, with no proper SMS reply option from the watch, and you’re locked into voice messages and emojis via the app. The app itself is functional but not polished, and the fact that you sometimes have to play with APN settings or even unbind/rebind the watch is a bit annoying for something that isn’t exactly bargain-bin cheap.

So overall, I’d call the value pretty solid if your main goal is a safer step before a smartphone. If you just want a very rough idea of where your kid is and don’t care about calling or video, a cheaper basic GPS tracker might be enough. But if you want a wrist device where you can reliably call them, see where they are, and keep them away from full-blown smartphone life for a few more years, the Z1 makes sense, as long as you accept a bit of fiddling and not-perfect software in exchange.

Design-wise, the imoo Z1 looks like exactly what it is: a kids’ gadget. The green version I have is bright and clearly aimed at children, not adults. The watch body is a rectangular resin case with a 33mm digital screen and a silicone strap. It’s not tiny, so on a smaller wrist it looks a bit chunky, but my kid actually likes that because it feels like a “real device” rather than a toy. If you’re expecting something sleek and subtle, this isn’t it. This is more “Power Rangers communicator” than “nice minimalist watch”.

The screen itself is fine for what it needs to do. The resolution is 240 x 240, and the brightness goes up to around 1000 nits according to the specs, which matches my experience: you can see it clearly in sunlight on the walk to school. The touchscreen is responsive enough, though small fingers sometimes tap the wrong thing, especially in menus. It’s not laggy like some cheap kids’ tech, but it’s also not as smooth as a smartphone screen. Just good enough to navigate basic icons and answer calls.

There’s a camera on the front for video calls. Picture quality is nothing special, but my kid loves the fact they can see me and I can see them. It’s more about the novelty and reassurance than about crisp HD. The speaker and mic are on the side and bottom; sound comes through clearly enough for normal calls even outside, as long as there isn’t heavy traffic noise. Volume can be turned up quite high, which helps, but then everyone nearby can hear the conversation, so it’s not exactly private.

Overall, I’d rate the design as practical and kid-friendly, but not subtle. It looks like a kids’ smartwatch, it feels like a kids’ smartwatch, and that’s fine if that’s what you expect. My main complaint is just the bulk: on smaller wrists, it’s quite a block, and you definitely notice it under a tight sleeve. On the other hand, my kid thinks it looks cool, and that matters more than my opinion in this case.

Battery life on the imoo Z1 is pretty decent for a kid’s 4G watch, but it depends heavily on how you set it up. The battery is 740 mAh, which on paper doesn’t sound huge, but remember this is a small device with a tiny screen. In my actual use, after sorting out the network settings, we get between 2 and 4 days on a charge, depending on how many calls and video calls we do. When my kid just wears it for school runs and occasional short calls, it easily goes three days without hitting red.

At the beginning, before I fixed the APN settings, the battery drained faster. The watch was constantly hunting for a stable data connection, which seems to chew through power. Once I put in the correct APN for my SIM (like other users did with Lebara, GiffGaff, etc.), the watch stopped dropping off the network and the battery life noticeably improved. So if you’re seeing it die every day, double-check the SIM/network configuration in the app, because that made a big difference for me.

Charging is straightforward: there’s a magnetic charging cable in the box. It’s not wireless like fancy watches, but it snaps on easily enough. From low battery to full takes roughly a couple of hours. We’ve fallen into a simple pattern: throw it on the charger every 2–3 nights while my kid is asleep, and it’s always ready in the morning. No one in the house has had to stress about it dying halfway through the school day once we got into that routine.

One thing I like is that the class mode/night mode helps indirectly with battery. During school hours, the screen is mostly off except for the time, and the kid can’t mess around with calls or camera, so less power is used. At night, you can either power it off or let it go into a low-activity state. Overall, I’d rate the battery as “good enough for normal kid use” but not something you can ignore for a week. It’s not a fitness band that lasts 10 days; think of it more like a mini phone that comfortably lasts a few days between charges if you don’t hammer it with video calls.

On the comfort side, the imoo Z1 is okay but not invisible. The watch weighs around 50 grams, which doesn’t sound like much, but on a kid’s wrist it’s noticeable. My child complained a bit the first two days, mainly saying it felt “big”, but after a week they stopped mentioning it and now just wear it by default whenever they go out. The silicone strap is soft and flexible, and it has a standard tang buckle, so it stays secure even during running and climbing.

The strap length is generous, so it fits both skinny and chunkier wrists. My kid is on the slimmer side, and we’re still far from the tightest hole, so you have room to grow. The inside of the strap is smooth, no sharp edges or weird plastic bumps. We had no skin irritation so far, even with sweat and water play. The watch is IPX8 water resistant, and my kid has washed hands with it, played with water in the garden, and even splashed around without taking it off. No issues yet.

Under long sleeves, it can be a bit annoying. Because the case is chunky, it catches on tighter cuffs and jackets, and my kid sometimes has to pull the sleeve up to check the time or answer a call. Not a deal-breaker, but worth knowing if your child hates anything bulky on their wrist. At night, we take it off because there’s no need for it during sleep, and the class/night modes handle the “don’t disturb” part anyway. The watch can auto power down at night and come back on in the morning, but we usually just throw it on the charger.

In day-to-day use, once the novelty wears off, it basically becomes like a slightly big digital watch that also rings. My kid doesn’t baby it: they run, jump, climb, and occasionally bang it against doors and playground equipment. So far, no cracking or major scratches, just the usual light wear on the strap. So in terms of comfort and wearability, I’d say totally fine for most kids, as long as they accept a bit of bulk on the wrist. If your child hates wearing watches or bracelets, this probably won’t magically change that.

Durability was a big concern for me, because kids are not gentle with their stuff. The imoo Z1 is rated IPX8 water resistant, and in real life that’s been solid so far. My kid has washed hands, splashed in the sink, played in the garden with water guns, and even worn it in the rain. No water damage, no fogging under the screen, nothing weird. I still tell them not to wear it for full-on swimming or long baths, but for everyday accidental splashes, it’s handled everything without drama.

The case is made of resin, and the strap is silicone, so there’s nothing too fragile here. Over time, the strap has picked up some minor marks, but that’s normal. The watch has survived some decent knocks: hitting door frames, scraping on playground equipment, and a couple of drops from kid height onto hard floors. So far, no cracks in the screen, just a few light surface scratches you only see when the screen is off and you look closely in good light.

The buckle and strap holes are holding up as well. Sometimes with cheaper kids’ watches, the strap starts tearing around the holes or the buckle bends. After regular daily use, I don’t see any of that yet. The watch also hasn’t unbuckled itself during play, which I was a bit worried about. Once it’s on properly, it stays on, even when my kid is hanging upside down on climbing frames.

From a durability point of view, I’d say it feels built for kids, not adults. It’s not premium, but it’s clearly designed to take some abuse. If your child is very rough on their stuff, I’d still consider a screen protector just in case, but for normal school and outdoor play, this thing holds up. The only long-term unknown is the battery health after a year or two, but that’s the same with pretty much every rechargeable gadget. Based on other users’ comments and my own experience so far, I’m not worried about it falling apart physically anytime soon.

The main reason I bought this watch was performance as a safety-ish tool: GPS tracking and reliable calls. On that front, it’s mostly good, with some annoying hiccups. Let’s start with the GPS. When the watch has a solid 4G signal, location is usually pretty accurate. I can see my kid’s position on the map within a few meters, often down to the right side of the street. I’ve even used it to find the watch itself when it was lost at school, and the location led us basically to the right door, which lines up with some of the positive Amazon reviews.

However, the accuracy depends a lot on network quality and settings. Out of the box, some people (and me at first) had issues with the watch dropping network or the app showing it as offline, even though the watch itself showed 4G. The trick, which others also mentioned, is to set the APN manually in the app according to your SIM provider. Once I did that, connection and battery both improved. Before that, it would sometimes show no location or be way behind real time, which is stressful if you’re checking where your kid is.

Call quality is actually one of the strong points. Voice calls are clear in both directions, similar to a basic smartphone on speaker. My kid has no problem hearing me on the street, and I can understand them fine. Video calls also work reasonably well on 4G or Wi‑Fi, but you can tell the camera and bandwidth are limited: it’s more choppy than a WhatsApp call, but still usable for a quick check-in. There’s a bit of delay sometimes, but nothing dramatic. Where it struggles is when the signal is weak; then calls might fail or cut out, and the watch can appear "offline" in the imoo app even though it technically has some connection.

The app itself is okay but not polished. You can:

• See live or recent location.
• Check step count and movement history.
• Send messages/voice notes and set class mode.
• Change settings like APN, contact list, etc.

The imoo Watch Phone Z1 is basically a 4G kids smartwatch with GPS, phone and video calls, and a companion app for parents. It takes a nano SIM (Vodafone/O2/Telekom-type networks; people use GiffGaff, Lebara, Tesco, etc.), and once it’s set up, the watch can make and receive calls, send voice messages through the app, and share its location with you. There’s no open internet browser, no WhatsApp, no TikTok, and basically no real games, which for me is a plus, not a minus.

From the parent side, everything runs through the imoo app. You add yourself and a few other trusted contacts, set up things like class mode, and manage who can call the watch. You can also see the watch’s last known location, track movement history, and send short messages or emojis. In theory, it’s a simple closed ecosystem: only people you approve can talk to your kid, and you see where the watch is on a map.

Function-wise, I’d describe it like this: it’s a dumb phone with GPS and a camera, worn on the wrist. You can:

• Make normal phone calls (sound quality is surprisingly decent).
• Do video calls via data (works best on strong 4G or Wi‑Fi).
• Use GPS to locate the watch within a few meters most of the time.
• Enable school/class mode so it behaves like just a watch during lessons.

If you want a full-featured smartwatch like an Apple Watch or a mini smartphone for your kid, this isn’t it. If you want something that lets you call them, see roughly where they are, and avoid giving them a full phone, this covers that use case reasonably well, with some rough edges in the software and connectivity that you need to be ready to tinker with a bit.