TickTalk 5: problems, parts and running costs
Checked: 2026-10-19
Summary
The TickTalk 5 is a 4G LTE kids’ smartwatch whose biggest owner complaint is the silicone wristband, which breaks and needs $29.99 replacements. Running cost is the mandatory cellular plan, from $9.99 a month, which dominates the total. It is a reasonable buy at $100 or less used or clearance and weaker at its $159.99 list price, since the TickTalk 6 has replaced it.
Common problems and fixes
- Silicone wristband breaks and feels brittle or sweaty — the strongest owner signal; parents on TickTalk’s own replacement-band page report breakage and one parent spent about $90 on three replacements for a ~$160 watch. The replacement band is $29.99, and TickTalk also offers a free band replacement service with shipping. [14]
- Battery life falls short of marketing claims — the spec sheet says 770mAh and up to 100 hours standby, but other TickTalk pages claim 800mAh and 137 hours; MacSources saw it empty after about a day and SmartWatchesForKids measured about two days of typical use. [8][11]
- GPS can fall back to cell-tower positioning — outdoors it is accurate, but in weak signal owners report the pin showing a location a few roads away; TickTalk’s published tower range runs from 500 feet to 20 miles. [4][19]
- It is bulky on smaller wrists — the spec sheet says 55g and 47 x 45 x 16 mm; AndroidGuys measured about 65g and called it chunky. [7][10]
- Carrier lock to AT&T and T-Mobile — HotAirTag and SmartWatchesForKids say it is not compatible with Verizon or Sprint, though a TickTalk blog says the Red Pocket SIM works on most major US carriers. [6][8]
Parts and consumables
- Replacement wristband — $29.99 from TickTalk (MyTickTalk store); owners report replacing it repeatedly, one parent spent about $90 on three. [14]
- Nano SIM — pre-installed on US units; the antenna lives in the wristband, so a third-party band may affect signal. [5]
Yearly running cost
The watch is only useful with service. A typical owner pays the plan: $9.99 a month is about $119.88 a year before tax at the entry tier, and the higher tiers run $14.99, $15.99 and $19.99 a month. SmartWatchesForKids modeled a first-year total of about $279.87 and a second-year total of about $399.75, using a $159.99 watch and a ~$119.88 per year plan; those totals are that site’s arithmetic, not TickTalk’s.
When it is a good buy
TickTalk’s own store showed $159.99 and a press release quoted a $149.99 MSRP, so the two first-party figures disagree. At roughly $100 or less (used or clearance) it is reasonable for a family that wants video calling on AT&T or T-Mobile and accepts a soft screen and IP67-only water resistance.