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TickTalk 4 vs Xplora X6Play: Which Kids Smartwatch Wins in 2026?

After the Garmin Bounce vs Xplora X6Play comparison, the single most-requested head-to-head in my inbox has been the TickTalk 4 against the Xplora X6Play. I understand why. These two watches sit at nearly the same price point, target the same age range, and promise the same core features: 4G calling, GPS tracking, cameras, and parental controls. On paper, they are almost interchangeable.

But they are not. After strapping both watches on my kids for eight straight weeks -- the TickTalk 4 on my 9-year-old son Ben's wrist, the Xplora X6Play on my 10-year-old daughter Lily's -- I found clear, measurable differences in GPS accuracy, communication quality, battery endurance, and the overall parent experience. Every data point below comes from real testing, not spec sheets.

Quick Verdict (TL;DR)

Choose the TickTalk 4 if:

• Video calling is your top priority -- no other kids watch does it this well
• You want two cameras (front and side) for more photo flexibility
• Your child is 7-11 and wants a watch that feels more "grown-up"
• You prefer a slightly lighter watch on a smaller wrist
• Lower upfront cost matters more than long-term total cost

Choose the Xplora X6Play if:

• You prioritize a larger, sharper display
• Slightly better battery life makes a meaningful difference for your routine
• You want a more polished parent app experience
• Your child is 8-12 and wants a watch they will not outgrow quickly
• IP68 water resistance gives you more peace of mind than IPX7
• You value the Xplora activity rewards ecosystem (Goplay/Xplora coins)

Both are excellent watches. Neither is a bad choice. But the details matter.

Head-to-Head Specs Comparison

Same processor, same connectivity, nearly identical GPS positioning. The differences live in display quality, camera configuration, water resistance, and battery capacity.

Design & Comfort

Both watches share a rounded rectangular case with a touchscreen and silicone band. From three feet away, most people could not tell them apart.

The TickTalk 4 is 2mm taller and 1mm thicker than the X6Play, but 2 grams lighter. That extra thickness comes from the side camera housing, which creates a small bump on the right edge. Ben never complained, but I could feel the asymmetry when I tried it. The medical-grade silicone band held up well over eight weeks -- no cracking, discoloration, or skin irritation.

The Xplora X6Play feels more refined. The case is thinner, the edges more uniform (no side camera bump), and the food-grade silicone band has a subtly smoother texture. Lily wore it through soccer practices, art class, and sleeping with zero complaints.

Winner: Xplora X6Play, barely. Both are comfortable for kids 7-12. If your child has a smaller wrist, check our best smartwatches for 5-year-olds guide -- both of these watches might be too large.

GPS Accuracy: Real Test Data

This is the section parents care about most, and it is the one where I spent the most time collecting data. I tested GPS accuracy across five environments over the eight-week period:

The TickTalk 4 uses GPS + GLONASS, giving it a larger satellite pool. Outdoors, it was consistently 1-3 meters more precise. Indoors, the story flips -- the X6Play's Wi-Fi positioning locked onto access points faster, placing it within 20-45 meters inside a school building versus the TickTalk's 25-50 meters.

For practical purposes, both watches told me which building my kid was in, which part of a park they were at, and whether they had left a geofenced zone. Neither provides room-level accuracy indoors. For more on what GPS accuracy means for safety, check our kids smartwatch safety features explained guide.

Winner: TickTalk 4 outdoors, Xplora X6Play indoors. Essentially a draw overall.

Communication Features

This is where the two watches diverge most meaningfully.

TickTalk 4: The Video Calling Champion

The TickTalk 4's marquee feature is built-in video calling, and it delivers. Call quality over 4G LTE was surprisingly solid -- closer to a FaceTime call than I expected. There is about a half-second of latency, and video gets choppy on weak signal, but in normal conditions, it just works. The watch also supports voice calls, preset texts, voice-to-text, and voice messages.

Xplora X6Play: Voice Messaging Excellence

The X6Play supports 4G voice calling and technically supports video calling through app integration, but it is not the seamless built-in experience you get on the TickTalk. Where it shines is voice messaging -- one button press to record, release to send. Lily used this constantly, sending 5-10 voice messages per day. The X6Play also supports emoji reactions and a chat interface that feels more conversational than the TickTalk's messaging.

Both watches let parents manage approved contacts and include an SOS button. For a full breakdown of calling features, check out our best kids smartwatches with calling roundup.

Winner: TickTalk 4 if video calling matters. Xplora X6Play if voice messaging is more your style. In my household, video calling was a novelty that tapered off after the first two weeks, while voice messaging remained a daily habit.

Camera Quality

The TickTalk 4 has two cameras (5MP front, 2MP side-facing) versus the X6Play's single 5MP front camera. In daylight, both front cameras produce similar results -- sharp enough to identify who is in the photo, but grainy when viewed on a larger display.

The TickTalk's side camera is a fun bonus, though the 2MP resolution produces noticeably softer shots. Ben took about 400 photos over eight weeks, and the side camera shots were mostly blurry attempts to photograph the family dog. The X6Play's single camera actually produces marginally better selfies in low light -- Xplora's image processing is more aggressive with noise reduction.

Winner: TickTalk 4 for versatility (two cameras). Xplora X6Play for single-camera quality. Essentially a draw.

Battery Life

I tracked battery life meticulously for the full eight weeks. Both watches were charged overnight and worn from morning drop-off (~7:30 AM) until bedtime (~8:30 PM). Here is what I measured under normal daily use (GPS polling every 10 minutes, occasional calls or messages, no video calls):

The X6Play's larger battery and lack of a second camera give it a slight endurance edge -- 5-10% more charge at end of day on average. On heavy-use days, the TickTalk 4 occasionally needed a midday top-up while the X6Play always made it through.

Both watches require nightly charging. If battery life is your top priority, a simpler watch like the Garmin Bounce (2-3 days) might be a better fit. Our kids smartwatch buying guide covers battery performance across the market.

Winner: Xplora X6Play, by a small but consistent margin.

Parent App Comparison

The parent app is where you spend most of your time interacting with the watch, so this category matters more than people realize.

The TickTalk app (iOS and Android) is functional but not polished. The home screen shows location on a map with quick access to calling, messaging, and settings. Geofence management is straightforward. But settings are spread across multiple menus with inconsistent labeling, and I got duplicate geofence notifications on several occasions. A week-four firmware update helped, but the UX still feels like it was designed by engineers, not parents in a school pickup line. One unique feature: the TickTalk app allows remote listen-in, letting parents hear the watch's surroundings.

The Xplora app (iOS and Android) is more polished. A bottom nav bar puts the four key functions (location, messages, phone, settings) within one tap. The messaging interface looks and feels like a simplified iMessage thread. GPS history is displayed as a breadcrumb trail on the map, which is more intuitive than the TickTalk's timeline view. The app also integrates the Goplay rewards system, gamifying step counts with Xplora coins -- Lily was motivated by it for about a month before losing interest.

Winner: Xplora app, clearly. More intuitive design, better messaging experience, smoother daily interactions.

Monthly Costs & Total Cost of Ownership

Both watches require a cellular plan to function -- without one, you have an expensive watch that tells time and counts steps.

The TickTalk 4 costs $10 less upfront, but monthly plans run a dollar or two higher. Over two years, total cost of ownership is within $25-50 for most scenarios. Both work on T-Mobile and AT&T -- neither supports Verizon. For a full plan comparison, see our kids smartwatch monthly plans compared breakdown.

Winner: Draw. The cost difference over two years is negligible.

Durability & Water Resistance

The TickTalk 4 is rated IPX7 (submersion up to 1 meter for 30 minutes). The Xplora X6Play is rated IP68 (dust-tight plus submersion beyond 1 meter). In practice, both survived hand-washing, rainstorms, splashed drinks, and sweaty soccer practices. Neither is a swim watch. If your child needs pool-proof, check our best waterproof smartwatches for kids guide.

Both survived drops onto grass, carpet, and hardwood. I did not test concrete drops because I am not made of money, but both cases feel solid and the screens are recessed enough for some flat-surface protection. A screen protector is a smart investment for either one.

Winner: Xplora X6Play, technically. IP68 is more robust than IPX7, especially the dust protection. In real kid use, the difference only matters if your child regularly plays in sand or dusty environments.

School Mode Comparison

Both watches restrict functionality during class hours -- mandatory for most schools that allow smartwatches.

The TickTalk 4 disables everything except time display and SOS. You can set multiple schedules through the parent app. Clean implementation -- a small icon shows school mode is active and the touchscreen only responds to SOS gestures.

The Xplora X6Play works similarly but adds per-day scheduling and lets you choose which features stay active. You can allow step counting during school mode so kids earn Xplora coins at recess without full watch access during class.

Winner: Xplora X6Play, by a hair. More granular scheduling and feature control.

Verdict: Which Should You Buy?

After eight weeks of side-by-side testing with real kids in real life, here is my honest take.

Buy the TickTalk 4 if:

The TickTalk 4 is the right choice if video calling is genuinely important to your family. If your child has grandparents in another state, or if you travel for work and want face-to-face check-ins, no other kids watch does video calling this well. The dual-camera setup is also a fun bonus for kids who love taking photos. At $179.99, the lower upfront cost helps offset the slightly higher monthly plan pricing. For a full deep dive, check out our TickTalk 4 review.

Buy the Xplora X6Play if:

The Xplora X6Play is the better all-around package. The larger, sharper screen is nicer to look at and easier for kids to navigate. The battery lasts a bit longer. The parent app is more intuitive. The water resistance rating is higher. The school mode is more flexible. None of these advantages are dramatic on their own, but they add up to a more polished daily experience. If you do not have a specific need for video calling, the X6Play is the watch I would recommend to most families. See our full Xplora X6Play review for the complete picture.

The Bottom Line

If this were a boxing match, I would score it for the Xplora X6Play by a narrow decision -- not a knockout. The X6Play wins more individual categories, but none by a landslide. The TickTalk 4 has a genuine unique advantage in video calling that the X6Play cannot match. Your decision should come down to one question: Is video calling worth trading away the X6Play's edge in display, battery, app experience, and water resistance?

For my family, the answer was no -- Lily kept wearing the X6Play as her daily watch after testing ended. But for Ben's grandma, who lives 800 miles away and lights up every time he video calls from his wrist, the answer was absolutely yes.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can the TickTalk 4 and Xplora X6Play use the same cellular plan?

Yes, in most cases. Both watches accept nano-SIM cards and are compatible with T-Mobile and AT&T networks. If you already have a data line on either carrier, you can typically add a watch line for $5-$15 per month depending on your plan. Neither watch supports Verizon.

2. Which watch is better for a 6-year-old?

Honestly, both are on the large side for a 6-year-old's wrist. The TickTalk 4 is slightly lighter (56g vs 58g), which might make it marginally more comfortable. But if your child is closer to 5 or 6, I would suggest looking at our best smartwatches for 5-year-olds guide for smaller options, or consider the Garmin Bounce, which is significantly lighter at 37g.

3. Do either of these watches have games or apps?

Neither watch has downloadable apps or games in the traditional sense. The Xplora X6Play has the Goplay/Xplora coins activity reward system, which gamifies step counting. The TickTalk 4 has no built-in games. Both companies have intentionally kept these watches distraction-free, which I consider a feature, not a limitation.

4. Can my child text from either watch?

Both watches support messaging, but not traditional SMS typing. The TickTalk 4 offers preset text responses, voice-to-text, and voice messages. The Xplora X6Play offers preset responses, emoji reactions, and voice messages. Voice messages are the most practical communication method on both watches -- typing on a 1.4-1.5 inch screen is not realistic for anyone, let alone a kid.

5. How accurate is the GPS when my child is inside a building?

Indoor accuracy drops significantly on both watches -- 25-50 meters for the TickTalk 4 and 20-45 meters for the X6Play. Both supplement GPS with Wi-Fi and cell tower positioning indoors. You will know which building your child is in, but not which room.

6. Will these watches work internationally?

Both support US 4G LTE bands. International compatibility depends on your carrier's roaming support and local band availability. Neither company officially supports or warranties international use.

7. How long do these watches typically last before needing replacement?

Expect 2-3 years of usable life from either watch. Battery degradation is inevitable, and the charging port or screen will likely be the eventual failure point. Both use proprietary magnetic charging cables -- buy a spare on day one.

8. Should I just get my kid a phone instead of a smartwatch?

This is the most common question I get, and the answer depends entirely on your child's age and your family's priorities. For kids under 11, I firmly believe a smartwatch is the better choice -- it provides communication and safety features without the distraction, social media access, and screen-time problems that come with a smartphone. We wrote an entire article on this topic: smartwatch vs phone for kids.

Last updated: February 28, 2026. Prices and plan availability are subject to change. We will update this comparison as new firmware updates and pricing changes are released for either watch.