Relay Review

The Relay Screenless Walkie Talkie is designed like a speaker box. The set (or you can buy one individually) comes with two speakers. The speakers are square and they have a large button in the middle. On the sides of the squares are buttons to adjust the volume and a port for you to insert headphones. There is also another mini “door” on the side where you can remove or insert a SIM card based on what cell phone service you are using. The Relay Screenless Walkie Talkie works on either T-Mobile or Sprint wireless services. It should also be mentioned that the port for the headphones is styled for traditional headphone jacks that are pointed and are inserted. Apple headphones, for example, or a newer, flatter style of jack and will not be compatible with the Relay neither will wireless headphones. The walkie talkie comes with a charger and instruction manual.

The Relay Screenless Walkie Talkie works on wireless service. For a small fee per month, you can subscribe to the service on a month to month basis and have full access to 4G network connectivity wherever there is a cell signal. The Relay can also be connected to WiFi where WiFi is available when cell service is weak or not connecting. Once connected, you then download the Relay app on your smartphone. The app will give you instructions on how to connect everything together and then you can start communicating through the walkie talkie. All you have to do is push the button in the middle of the square and talk into the walkie talkie. Once you have finished speaking, you then release the button and your message will play over the speaker of the other walkie talkie. Communication like this can continue as long as you wish as long as you have connection and battery power.

The Relay app is designed for parents to have full control over their child’s whereabouts and over how their child communicates. The app is a command center for parents that allows them to see what their child us up to and where they are.

The first thing the app does is give your child’s location. At any moment, a parent can open their app and see the precise location of the other speaker. It should be noted that if your child leaves their speaker behind, you can only see where the other speaker is, so it doesn’t hurt to purchase a separate accessory for your child to keep the speaker attached to their body. The speaker is designed small enough so that it can fit into any sized pocket.

Not only does the app tell you where your child is, but it also allows you to see how the other speaker is functioning. On one interface you can see the battery life of the other speaker, how well it’s connected to the wireless network, and what other wireless networks are around that particular speaker. In the event that you see your child’s signal is weak, you can alert them through a message that they are working on a weak signal and you can then tell them what WiFi services to connect to in order to strengthen their signal.

On your child’s side, any messages they leave you will go right to your speaker, or an alert will go to your phone. If your child sends you a message and you do not have the app open or your phone open, the message will go to the app and your child can hold the volume button down on their square to cause a message to go to your phone to alert you to open up the app because you have a message waiting. With the app, your child is never out of your sight or out of range, and because the Relay runs on 4G wireless service, you can connect to your child anywhere in the 48 states, so even a vacation or trip to visit relatives cannot stop you from knowing where your child is at all times.

If you flip the speakers over, you will see the charging area for the Relay. It is a series of horizontal dots that connect to the battery power. The charger that comes with the speaker is specifically designed for the Relay, so the uniqueness of the charger requires you to have it on you at all times because an ordinary charger will not do the trick.

Some parents have found that with excessive use, the battery of the Relay dies pretty fast. As a result, many parents have found that their child becomes unresponsive because the speaker dies. It may be a good idea for your child to always have the charger on them in the event that the speaker starts to lose power. On the app, the parent will be able to see this coming and either have their child come home or know that their child may be out of reach until they are scheduled to come home. Keeping in mind that the battery may have a short lifespan is something that should always be at the forefront of the parent’s mind.

The Relay has certain entertaining features for children. One feature that comes with the speaker is that you can modify your voice when sending a message and make it sound robotic and slow. Another feature is a joke feature that allows kids to listen to age-appropriate jokes and share them with their friends.

The most important feature that comes with the Relay Screenless Walkie Talkie is the SOS feature. Because the speaker is not a cell phone and phone calls cannot be made from the device, there is no way to alert anyone of an emergency or have the capability to call 911. What the speaker does is have an SOS feature where kids can send important alerts to their parents by sending an immediate alert to their phone without delay. This way a parent will know if there is a definite emergency and they can then get to their child or call emergency services while the parent is on the way.

One of the most popular features of the Relay Screenless Walkie Talkie is that you can download music to the speaker and listen to it like it’s a radio. The set will come with a USB cord that you can use to connect the Relay to your computer and you can download music right to the device. The device then turns into a music player, and your child can then listen to their favorite music while they are on the go. What’s more is that because you have full access to the device through the app on your smartphone, you can know what music is on your child’s device allowing for you to monitor if they are listening to age appropriate music or not.

Because the Relay Wireless Walkie Talkie is not a phone, kids will not get distracted when they are out with their friends. Not only does this allow for them to be more alert of their surroundings while they are away from home, but it also allows them to have to interact with their friends and peers while they are socializing. Kids will not get the opportunity to walk off and busy themselves while their peers are interacting and getting to know each other. Kids can remain socially engaged while still staying safe and under the watchful eye of their parents. This will help kids feel more at ease and allow them the confidence to make important connections as they begin to develop socially.

The Relay Walkie Talkie system has been featured on national television on the Today Show where it was heralded as being the best way to fight “smartphone addiction” in teens and younger children. Relay was praised for being able to keep kids alert and interactive without digital distractions. Relay has also been the recipient of a few awards including the 2018 Best Tracking Device For Kids from PC Magazine, a finalist for World Changing Ideas 2019 for Fast Company, and the 2019 Winner of Favorite New Products for the People’s Choice Stevie Awards. Many companies and parents feel that the Relay Walkie Talkie is a great tool for teaching your child to stay safe and be in constant communication with their parents at all times.

The price for the Relay Screenless Walking Talkie is not that expensive but could be out of the budget for some parents. You can purchase a single speaker or a set of two. The set of two is less than double the price of one, so buying two is a better deal. Parents have not seemed to be affected one way or another about the price as the price is basically middle of the road. If your child can take great care of the speaker then you can have it for a long period of time, which will make the price seem not so important. Also, the average price is a bargain for the amount of peace you will get knowing that you can have access to your child wherever they go, and you can know their exact location at all times. It’s definitely worth the buy for the parent who wants to keep a watchful eye on their child.

The Relay Screenless Walkie Talkie is the wave of the future for parents who want to put a steep boundary between electronics and their child. Many children get so caught up in the digital world that they can either put themselves in danger physically or put themselves in danger while surfing the Internet. By taking away that kind of connectivity and replacing it with connectivity to the parent only allows for parents to keep their child safe. Because the speaker also doubles as a music player, your child can continue to enjoy themselves even if they are constantly connected to Mom and Dad. With other fun features that keep children entertained, the speaker doesn’t have to feel like a leash. Although some parents have had connection issues or felt the quality of the speaker was not top-notch, many parents have seemed satisfied with the Relay Screenless Walkie Talkie. This product is a great buy to consider when your child reaches a certain age where they may need a bit more parental supervision.