- The Pinwheel Home is aimed at children ages 5 to 10.
- Only make phone calls to approved contacts.
- There is an optional subscription to call real numbers.
The question of how much time young people should spend on their smartphones and social media has dominated the headlines in recent months, and a new retro-style phone from Pinwheel is the latest device looking to give parents easier options.
When we say retro style, we don’t mean a classic Nokia or BlackBerry: we mean a landline phone. Pinwheel Home (via TechCrunch) only makes calls, and that’s it, so there’s no chance of your child getting stuck on Snapchat, Roblox, or YouTube.
It works over Wi-Fi, has full parental controls built in so all contacts are pre-approved and the device can only be used at certain times, and there are absolutely no screens to act as a distraction.
“Pinwheel Home gives kids the freedom to call their friends, make plans, and stay connected, all without borrowing their phone or lifting the screen,” the official blurb explains. “You’ll be surprised what you discover together.”
Just the basics
The Pinwheel Home is aimed at kids ages 5 to 10, so while they may be disappointed that they can’t start posting on Instagram, it might be enough to delay the need for a smartphone until they’re a little older.
Being able to chat with friends, grandparents, and other trusted contacts in a safe space is likely to appeal to many children and their parents, and could even encourage real-world gatherings and activities to get young people outdoors.
Pre-orders are open in the US right now, with shipping expected later this year: Pinwheel Home starts at $68 in a choice of two designs and four colors, with subscriptions starting at $6.99 a month (international pricing has yet to be announced). You can use the devices without a subscription, but only to call other Pinwheel Homes, not mobile phones or landlines.
Pinwheel has been around since 2019 and previously sold Android phones with kid-safe software. With increasing restrictions on what children can do online, the Pinwheel Home could be the ideal first phone for younger children.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
