NEWS SPONSORED BY DELL E-SERIES 24" MONITORS FROM DCC:

Vodacom has launched the Linea, a watch which provides, “customers peace of mind knowing they are in a position to reach-out for assistance from a trusted contact when they need help the most.”

Linea is not a smartwatch, instead it comes with a smart SIM which allows it to send an emergency SMS to five pre-determined trusted contacts with a 30-minute real-time monitoring functionality. 

When required, the owner of the watch can simply push the panic button on the device, and their pre-determined trusted contacts will immediately receive an alert via SMS, with a date, a time and a live GPS location link to a map to click on, according to Vodacom.

This is to help certain segments of society to stay connected, from a senior citizen who falls down a flight of stairs and is unable to reach their mobile device to call emergency services, to a victim of gender-based violence in potential danger.

The Linea offers 48-72 hour battery life, designed to provide users with peace of mind knowing that they have ample time to get help during an unfortunate incident.

Vodacom has made the Linea watch available both online and in store and retails for R499, with no monthly payments to access the service. It comes standard with an embedded Vodacom Smart SIM for ease of convenience - there is no need to purchase a separate SIM. 

Once the watch is switched on, the user connects the watch to the Linea+ app, downloadable from the Android Google Play Store and iOS Apple App Stores. Once done, the user can add and link their trusted contacts.