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The decision of whether or not to provide my child with a smartphone was a complex deliberation. As parents, we are faced with concerns over the impact of social media on our children’s mental and physical health, and the risk of exposure to inappropriate content. While we want to ensure our kids’ safety, we also want to help them foster social connections and gain independence.
This ongoing issue has inspired an array of smartphones and devices designed to mitigate the unwanted side effects of smartphone use while amplifying their benefits. The following five phones are great ones to consider as we navigate the murky waters of smartphone alternatives for kids.
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For more support and resources surrounding the youth mental health crisis, screen time and social media, and the importance of play, visit ParentMap’s Antidote for the Anxious Generation page. |
Gabb Phone 4
Tailored for younger children, the Gabb Phone 4 is a purpose-built solution with no social media or internet access, while still including smart message filtration and GPS tracking. This phone offers essential phone functions such as unlimited calls and texts, front and back cameras, a calendar, an alarm, a calculator, and FM radio. It also features cloud-based digital backup, a spam blocker and image and group texting capabilities. Gabb Music, a clean music streaming service, is available through a subscription.
The Gabb Phone costs $149.99. No contract is required but you’ll need a service plan, which start at $24.99/month. One-year and two-year contracts are available and offer a saving over the month-to-month option.
Key features:
- No internet, no app store and no social media
- Fingerprint scan for security
- GPS location services
- Bluetooth connection for music
- Front 5MP and 8MP Cameras
- Comes pre-activated
Why parents love it: The phone has a simple design and easy navigation. Parents can have peace of mind knowing their kids’ whereabouts with GPS tracking. Plus, they aren’t worrying about their kids stumbling onto inappropriate content.
Why parents might want to skip it: The Gabb Phone requires its own line and the monthly cost can become prohibitive for some families. Not ready for a smartphone? Check out the Gabb Watch 3.
Pinwheel
Pinwheel stands out as an innovative phone operating system, pre-installed on select models from reputable manufacturers. Engineered to foster a kid’s autonomy, Pinwheel offers remote parental access and management. Like other kid-focused devices, Pinwheel doesn’t have social media access, a browser, or an app store (that’s accessible to children). It does include a selection of beneficial apps that parents can add to the phone through the parent portal.
Choose from five phone options: Pixel ($599), Plus ($329), Rugged ($249), Slim ($199) and Genesis 1 ($99). Monthly cellular plans are $14.99, and you can save a little by picking an annual fee option.
Key features:
- Custom modes
- Parent-managed contact safelist
- Remote management
- No games, web browser, or social media
- Curated app store
- Supports multiple carriers
- GPS location services
Why parents love it: Through Pinwheel’s custom modes, parents can help kids learn healthy digital habits. It also lets parents relax when kids use their phones unsupervised, nurturing a kid’s sense of independence.
Why parents might want to skip it: While the phone quality is sleeker than its competitors, almost all Pinwheel phones cost more than $100. In addition to monthly fees, a Pinwheel phone might be cost-prohibitive for some families.
Light Phone II
The Light Phone II lives up to its name, offering a minimalist approach suitable for individuals of all ages, including children. Free from social media and browsing capabilities, the phone is designed for calls and texts, accompanied by a customizable menu of tools. A dedicated dashboard website facilitates the management of phone functions and capabilities.
With a price tag of $299, the Light Phone II is compatible with various carriers, primarily AT&T. Activation of a separate line starts at $30 per month.
Key features:
- Electronic paper screen (no blue light)
- Features an alarm, calculator, GPS directions, music player, notes/voice memos, a headphone jack and calendar
- Equipped with Bluetooth and wifi capabilities
- Doubles as a personal hotspot
Why parents love it: The “light” design is reminiscent of e-readers with its lack of a backlit screen. No social media or browser puts parents’ minds at ease.
Why parents might want to skip it: While the Light Phone II has GPS direction capabilities, it lacks GPS tracking. The phone’s battery life can last up to two days with minimal use, but the GPS drains the battery quickly for trips longer than 35 minutes. The absence of a camera and limited group messaging features might be notable to some parents (Light Phone III has a camera and can be pre-orded now).
Wisephone II
The Wisephone II is safe for kids and is user-friendly for parents. It has no browser, social media, apps, or ads. It’s fit with the basic phone functions: call and text, calculator, clock, music, camera and more.
The standard price is $399, with service plans suggested for kids starting at $24.99 per month.
Key features:
- Triple cameras with 64MP
- USB-C fast charging
- 128 GB of storage
- No social media, browser, or app store
- 1 GB of data (if you choose the Minimal monthly plan)
- Multi-day battery life
Why parents love it: The Wisephone II’s discreet design allows kids to blend in seamlessly, while the Family Portal grants parents full access to their child’s location, texts, call history and photos.
Why parents might want to skip it: While the Wisephone II offers an attractive package, its and relatively higher price may give some parents pause. It is not compatible with other service providers, you must purchase one of the Techless carrier plans.
Troomi
Troomi offers phones and swatches for kids with a variety of parental control options. Phones start at $149, and monthly plans start at just $13.95 (but if you want all the parental control options and apps, you’re looking at $29.95 per month). There are safe and parent-approved apps available, in addition to the Troomi Safe Browser. The phone’s default setting offers no internet browser, but when you feel your child is ready, the Troomi Safe Browser allows you to specify approved websites while all others remain entirely blocked.
Key features:
- 50 MP camera
- long lasting battery
- 32GB internal memory
- Finger print and face recognition ID
- GPS tracking
- parental content alerts
- remote text monitoring
Why parents love it: There are lots of options for giving you child increased responsibility as they age, allowing you to keep one phone for several years. There are lots of ways to track, control and see what your child is doing on their phone.
Why parents might want to skip it: All the monitoring might feel overwhelming, and parents may want to give their child a phone with less options to keep track of.
More articles about kids and screen time: |
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2023 and was updated by associate editor Kari Hanson on August 9, 2024.
