I knew I’d officially become that aunt — the cool-but-slightly-irresponsible one — when my nephew marched up to me in November, looked me dead in the eye, and said, “Aunty, I want a phone for Christmas.” Not a toy phone. Not a hand-me-down. A proper one. He said it with the confidence of a child who has never once paid a phone bill.
Now, he’s six. Still loses water bottles weekly. Believes Santa is real but also suspects Rudolph has a side hustle. The idea of handing this tiny hurricane a full-blown smartphone felt… unhinged. So began my hunt for something that wouldn’t send me straight onto the family group chat with a panicked apology.
Enter: the myFirst Fone R2. A child friendly smart phone / watch hybrid that promised connection without chaos. And, just like an Xmas miracle, delivered.
For context, the myFirst range has become a quiet favourite among parents and aunties who’ve been burned by “kid tablets” that last six minutes and “family-friendly apps” that lead straight to ads for things children should never see. Their whole mission is to give kids real tech without the real-world dangers. Cameras, watchphones, headphones — basically, if a grown-up version exists, they’ve made a kid-safe one that won’t end in tears.
So I wrapped the myFirst Fone R2 for Christmas, crossed my fingers and prepared for his reaction. Reader, the child who clearly didn’t get the memo and snuck a sneak peek before Santa’s official arrival, screamed. In a good way. In a “I’ve just become a tiny influencer” way.
The watch does a lot — calls, video chats, voice notes, activity tracking, music, photos — but it does it all in a way that feels intuitive for kids who still sometimes forget to put their shoes on the right feet. The Knock-Knock feature is his current obsession. He spends half the afternoon pinging his cousins with “Knock-Knock” requests just to get a silly photo back. Pure chaos. Pure joy.
And I, the responsible adult in charge, still get to breathe because the safety features are actually solid. GPS tracking updates regularly. Safe zones can be set around school and home. Only parent-approved contacts can call or message, which means he can’t accidentally FaceTime my ex or try to book a table at Totti’s. There’s an SOS button, classroom mode, and absolutely zero third-party apps. It’s like tech with bumpers on.
The eSIM is another win. No tiny plastic cards to lose. No “I accidentally swallowed it” situation. Just instant connectivity and global coverage across more than eighty-five countries, which made it perfect for our Boxing Day trip to New Zealand. His parents got to watch him say “Kia ora!” on video chat from two suburbs away — extremely wholesome content.
The design itself is slim, sleek and surprisingly grown-up looking – which is crucial because in my experience, toddlers in this age bracket have the same aesthetic standards as the interior design team responsible for David Jones’; festive decor.
Kids can also customise the straps, faces and wallpapers which, for my nephew, is apparently more exciting than the features themselves. He currently has a rainbow strap and a watch face featuring his own selfie. Iconic behaviour.
As the aunt who bought it, the biggest win is that it nails the middle ground. Nephew gets the feeling of having a “real” device. His parents get control and visibility. And I get the smug satisfaction of gifting something that wasn’t ripped from its packaging, played with once, then ignored forever. This one actually sticks.
So, if you’ve got a little one in the family who’s writing the annual letter to Santa, but also googling “how do reindeer fly?” — this might be the gadget that keeps everyone festive, functional and fuss-free.