G-mee Connect Pro 4G – A safe Android smartphone for kids and seniors (review)

17/12/2024
By Ray Shaw
In Reviews

The G-mee Connect Pro 4G is a full Android smartphone with parental and guardian controls. However, it does not have a camera to prevent unfortunate or inappropriate pictures.

To be clear, it does anything that a parent/guardian allows. Access Google Play for approved apps, make and receive calls from approved people, internet access to approved sites, and even a fingerprint reader and NFC for Google Pay.

It is unfair to compare it to other lower-cost smartphones because it has been designed to do what it needs to do well. So, we won’t use all the same test metrics for smartphones. Instead, we will see ‘fit for purpose’ in most tests.

What is G-mee?

G-mee is the brainchild of Charlie and Rachael Brown. You may know him from Channel 9 Cybershack TV, Life and Technology Radio and the owner of this website. All reviews are 100% independent, as Charlie knows well.

Charlie said, “Mate, the G-mee Connect Pro 4G (Android smartphone) joins the Play Pro (Android media consumption device) minus a camera, so kids (or seniors) can’t abuse it. Our users requested a phone for those old enough to respect it and the parental or guardian controls to set limits.

Seniors especially need an emergency phone but become prey to scammers and hard-sell salespeople. We realised that our Co-Pilot controls (no relation to Microsoft Copilot AI) apply equally to kids and seniors.

The G-mee Connect Pro 4G is fully featured with 4/64GB, 64-bit Android 13 and is built to take the knocks, as we can attest from our now four-year-old grandson. G-Mee has saved his dad’s expensive phone from an early demise.

G-mee adds Play Pro

The G-mee Play Pro – a safe kids ‘non-phone’ (review) is for younger children who want to ‘play with Dad’s/Mum’s phone’ and now want one of their own. It is $149 (on sale for $119).

Read Australia will ban social media for children under 16 – yeah, nah! For Co-Pilot details.

Australian Review: G-mee Connect Pro 4G, dual SIM, 4/64GB

Website	G-mee Product Page
Price 17/12/24	RRP $199 but currently on sale at $179
From	Online
Warranty	1-year ACL
Made in	China but designed in Australia.
About	G-mee creator Charlie Brown is an accomplished technology expert and broadcaster who has tried and tested almost every popular smart device on the market. Charlie developed G-mee to protect kids while making smart devices accessible for safe exploration and content consumption.
More	CyberShack G-mee news and reviews

First Impression – Pass

In early 2020, I reviewed the first generation of the Play Pro, and while I could appreciate Charlie and Rachel’s dream, I was initially sceptical that there was a market. Turns out I was wrong. This is a fourth-generation device that is gaining global acceptance. Let’s give credit where it is due. This is an Australian-conceived device with Australian-written parental/guardian apps and local support from the creators.

The hardware has come a long way since the original (1/32GB with Android Go), but it has stayed true to the concept. It has a removable back panel and battery with decent battery life, a 3.5mm jack, dual 4G SIM, flashlight, Wi-Fi 5GHz, GPS, fingerprint reader, and NFC.

What is it used for?

If you take the phone as a given, it can (within parameters set by you):

Audio Streaming Apps like Spotify. It has an internal speaker, but for the best music fidelity, use cabled earphones (supplied) or Bluetooth to connect to earbuds and speakers.
Video Streaming Apps. For example, you can allow Netflix and YouTube to use the kids’ profiles to restrict them to age-appropriate content.
Google TV also allows Australian digital TV channels (9Now, 7Plus, iView, 10Play, SBS) and Chromecast to be played on compatible TV screens.
Smart home controller allows family sharing of smart controllers for lights, switches, security systems, etc.
GPS chip to allow for precise location, eCompass and Google Maps, etc.
Voice-over-IP apps like Google Duo, WhatsApp and more can be restricted to a range of approved numbers.
Email via Gmail or other email clients
In fact, any Google Play App that does not explicitly need the camera.

G-mee Connect Pro 4G tech specs

Screen	5.72”1440 x 720, 324ppi, 18:9, 60Hz LCD
Processor	MediaTek Helio P22 12nm CPU 4 x 2GHz + 4 x 1.5GHz (similar to a SD450)
RAM/Storage	4GB RAM LPDDR3, 64GB eMMC 5.1 (40GB free) and microSD to 128GB
GPU	PowerVR Rogue GE8320 650GHz will playback H264/265/HVEC video
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Ambient light, proximity and fingerprint sensor
SIMs	Dual nano-SIM (DSDS – dual SIM, dual standby – one active at a time) with all Australian 4G LTE bands, including Band 28, for emergency calls.
Wi-Fi	5 AC 2.4/5GHz dual-band
Bluetooth	5.0 BLE with SBC, AAC and Sony LDAC high-res
3.5mm port	4-pole stereo + mic support
4G	4G LTE+
GPS	Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, GPS, and QZSS are accurate to 1 m. This is fine for in-car use, but route recalculation is a little slow.
NFC	Yes
FM Radio	Yes, with 3.5mm earphones (supplied)
Flashlight	Yes
Battery	3000mAh, 3.8V/3A/11.4Wh
Charger	Not supplied – – maximum charger 5V/2A/10W
G-mee Apps	Applock, Family Link, and Co-Pilot parental and guardian controls
Android	13. No OS updates, but all necessary over-the-air security patches

Co-Pilot – Work in progress Pass+

Co-Pilot (no relation to Microsoft Copilot) is a continually developing control app. The additional features are here.

Call blocking (Connect)
SMS blocking (Connect)
Video blocking
App Limits
Internet access
Location tracking
Blue light manager
Remote Pin reset
Remote real-time use from a parent’s iOS or Android phone)
Spotify video player blocking

These are all part of the g-mee co-pilot system and cannot be circumvented.

Guardians and adult carers use this to provide basic secure comms to elderly Australians.

Charlie says the great thing about Copilot is that users can ask for new features, and if possible, they will be implemented.

Screen – Pass and more than fit for purpose

It is a HD+, 1440 x 720p, 247ppi, 18:9 ratio, 60Hz, IPS LCD screen.

Maximum brightness is 257 nits, which is fine for 720p HD.
Contrast is 1000:1 – ditto. There is a contrast enhancer that changes the colour temperature from standard to warm or cool.
The 18:9 ratio is slightly wider than the typical 16:9, but most content fills the screen.
Colour accuracy is adequate – we settled on 75% brightness during video playback.
DRM info states L3 for HD 720 Standard Dynamic Range viewing.

It is not great in direct sunlight – you need several hundred more nits and much higher-cost screens.

Summary: For the price, it is all you can ask. It has a pre-fitted screen protector, which is a fingerprint magnet.

Processor – Pass

The MediaTek Helio P22 is a good choice for hundreds of low-cost phones. It is pretty snappy, provided you don’t try to use it with too many open browser tabs or background apps.

To put it in perspective, it is equivalent to a Qualcomm SD450. It is acceptable for standard 720p up to 60Hz games and video replay. You will notice some lag when swapping windows, etc., but that is to be expected.

RAM/Storage – Pass

It has 4GB, meaning that it runs full 64-bit Android. 64GB eMMC (40GB free) is adequate as it mainly downloads HD video. The maximum sustained sequential read/write speed is 182/125MBps. You can mount up to a 128GB microSD for active storage and transfer files to and from a PC (OTG) over micro-USB.

Potential for Malware – same as any Android

Most Malware and viruses come from websites, social media, and SMS. Like all Android devices, we advise you to access suspect sites carefully. Running AV Apps on this processor will result in slower performance, so an occasional scan with Malwarebytes free scanner may suffice.

Battery – Pass

It has a 3000mAh Lithium Polymer battery that uses a solid electrolyte compared to Lithium-ion batteries’ liquid electrolyte. Thus, it should be somewhat safer.

Our tests show:

720p, video loop, 50% volume/brightness, aeroplane mode: 21 hours 16 minutes.
MP3 from internal storage: 24+ hours
PC Mark Battery Tests (consistent typical use): 9 hours 32 minutes
100-0% discharge under load: 4 hours 35 minutes
Charge time 5V/2A/10W (minimum): 1 hour 17 minutes
5V/2A/10W (maximum): Just under 3 hours
Idle discharge: 200-250mA
100% load discharge: 850-900mA

Typical users will get 2+ days and battery saver mode will extend the life by days.

Summary: The battery life is as expected for the price.

Comms – Pass

Wi-Fi 4 N 2.4 and 5Ghz, which means a maximum link speed of around 433Mbps within 2m of our reference router.
BT: 5.0 BLE allows single-point SBC, AAC and high-res Sony LDAC codec connections of earphones, speakers and more. Left/right stereo separation is good and provides reasonable volume for amplified devices.
NFC: Yes
GPS: L1 single band
USB: micro-USB 2.0
Sensors: All expected.

Summary: all necessary comms

Phone – for city and suburbs – Pass

It has all Australian 4G Bands, so it will work with Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. Given that it is a low-cost device, get a cheap plan from Woolworths or Aldi (both Telstra networks) or Coles (Optus). It won’t chew data (720p screen), so get a small plan.

The reception strength is fit for purpose, and there were no issues finding bands 3, 7, and 28 at useable strengths.

Sound – passable

It has a rear-ported mono speaker. Maximum volume is 80dB (good), but it is not for ‘audiophile’ use.

As expected, it has no low, mid or high bass, building mids and strong treble. It is called Bright Vocal (bass recessed, mid/treble boosted) – for vocal tracks and string instruments, and kids will love it as Dorothy or the Wiggles jiggle.

It comes with a set of 3.5mm earphones/mic that can also be used for FM Radio, and Bluetooth earphones start at <$50.

Android – Pass

It is pure 64-bit Google Android 13, but there will not be an Operating System Upgrade. Charlie promises necessary over-the-air security patch updates. It comes with all Google Apps and Play Store access. Better still – there is no bloatware.

Support – Pass+

There is a stack of help videos on YouTube and the support page. All help is via a G-mee support form.

Better still, it is an Australian company.

CyberShack’s view – G-mee Connect Pro 4G is a decent, well-made Android smartphone with no camera.

The USP here is that you have all the features of a Play Pro with the convenience of a phone with parental/guardian/carer controls.

And yes, while it is a phone, it is more about protecting kids and seniors online.

G-mee Connect Pro 4G ratings explanation

We will not formally rate it to avoid any suggestion of bias, and because it is a unique device/concept, we have no baseline for it. This is quite a leap forward compared to the previous Gen 3 Play.

Features: The G-mee App allows various lockdowns and constantly evolves to meet user needs.
Value: At $199 ($179 on special), it costs about the same as lower speced 2/16GB RAM/storage with 32-bit Android. Charlie has done an excellent job on pricing, although his direct sales model allows him to cut middleman profit.
Ease of Use: Parents will love the device with sufficient performance from Android 64-bit. You may notice some lag, but it will play video, audio and web-based games quite well.
Design: Basic black is not what kids want. Previous generations have chosen coloured bumper covers and 9H anti-scratch screen protectors.

Pro

Pure 64-bit, Google Android 13, Google Play access, and security patches as needed.
Battery life is longer than most other 3000mAh smartphones
Kid/Senior safe – no camera, and G-mee Apps for parental/guardian control

Con