In brief: A very modern concern for people with young children revolves around smartphones. The online world can be a dangerous one, which is why AT&T has teamed up with Samsung to launch a child-friendly smartphone "designed by kids and parents."
AT&T writes that the amiGO Jr. Phone is the first and only carrier-made smartphone designed specifically for children.
The company says that with the free AT&T amiGO app, parents are able to manage their kids' screen time, give approval for app downloads, and change settings right from their own iOS or Android phones. There are also features such as real-time location sharing, Safe Zones for alerting parents when kids arrive or leave specific locations, and Schedules to limit distractions during school hours.
AT&T writes that for 60% of parents with kids up to the age of 12, a smartphone is considered a safety essential, allowing them to call parents in an emergency and offering real time location tracking.
We've seen plenty of child-focused phones in the past, like HMD's "pornography incompatible" HMD Fuse: a handset designed for children that uses AI to block the filming, sending, viewing, and saving of nude or sexual images, even within a livestream.
But AT&T writes that when it comes to purchasing a child's smartphone, the majority of people prefer the simplicity of staying with their own wireless provider.
Around 70% of parents say they want their child to have a smartphone for safety reasons. AT&T says around 40% of its customers are parents, so there's definitely a market for this type of device.
That it comes from AT&T and is made by Samsung could encourage parents dubious of buying kid-focused phones from lesser-known brands to try to the amiGO Jr. However, it's hard to see how the device differs from other phones with parental controls enabled or even apps designed for this sort of thing. The handset appears to be little more than a Galaxy A16 with the amiGo app installed, but at least it's comparatively cheap.
Specs-wise, the phone offers a 6.7-inch super AMOLED display, a 50MP main camera, 25W fast charging, and 5G connectivity. It's also IP54 dust-protected and water-resistant.
The AT&T amiGO Jr. phone is available from the carrier for $2.99 per month (after monthly bill credits) or bought outright for $210.
AT&T announced that it is also launching the AT&T amiGO Jr. Watch 2. The second generation of its kids' smartwatch is now more durable.