Vodacom has introduced a new device to its lineup of locally available wearables in the form of the Linea Watch.

Unlike other smartwatches that aim to deliver a fully fledged smartphone experience on your wrist, the Linea Watch is designed with a particular focus in mind – safety.

To that end the Linea watch features a button that will alert up to five contacts that you may be in danger or require assistance, serving as a quasi-SOS wearable and designed with young children and the elderly in mind.

As part of the notification system, it will offer 30 minutes of real-time monitoring when pressed for the aforementioned five contacts. Here the trusted contacts will immediately receive an alert via SMS, with a date, time and live GPS location link to a map.

“We are excited to add an additional line of defence, and keep our customers connected to help with a simple touch of a button. This smart product demonstrates how technology can be used to request and receive assistance in an emergency, even when a mobile phone is out of reach. It further supports our further together tagline, which demonstrates what technology and the human spirit can achieve when combined together,” notes Jorge Mendes, chief officer of Vodacom’s Consumer Business.

“At Vodacom, our purpose is centred around connecting everyone for a better tomorrow, and tech solutions such as the Linea, are aimed to transform the lives of vulnerable members of our communities, for a better future,” he adds.

The Linea Watch features a battery life of 48 to 72 hours in between charges, does not require a SIM or other Vodacom services in order to activate, and features an Android and iOS Linea+ app.

It costs R499 and is available to purchase online from Vodacom here.