In brief: Here's some surprising news for those of us who nostalgically recall an era when calling someone meant picking up a landline phone and talking until your ear/face went numb. Those retro phones are making a comeback in a new guise, one that allows kids to stay connected to their friends without the distractions and dangers of smartphones.
Pinwheel, the US company that sells modified Android smartphones designed for children and teenagers, has just launched the Pinwheel Home.
The device looks exactly like the kind of landline phone that was so popular up until smartphones proliferated, and it's pretty much the same, with a few modern additions. It can only be used for voice calls, which the company says encourages more meaningful one-on-one conversations while allowing children to call friends and family independently and develop basic phone skills without borrowing a parent's device.
Aimed at kids five to ten years old, the Pinwheel Home isn't just a phone from the 1990s rereleased today. It actually operates over Wi-Fi, so there is no need for a phone jack.
Parents can approve contacts, block unknown callers and robocalls, filter spam, and set calling schedules and time limits. It does have a few retro features, like speed dial, and a voicemail function is included.
Pinwheel says that future updates will add three-way calling and enable the phone to integrate with its watches and smartphones. This will enable children to use the same phone number across devices while still limiting screen time at home.
The Pinwheel Home starts at $68 and comes in a choice of two designs and four colors. Calls between devices are free through the company's Pinwheel Circle service. For parents who want their children to be able to call standard phone numbers, plans start at $6.99 per month for up to five approved contacts or $9.99 per month for unlimited calling. International pricing will be announced later.
The Pinwheel Home comes at a time when society is doing to protect kids from technology's worst elements. In addition to more countries banning under-16s from owning social media accounts, devices like the heavily monitored amiGO Jr. Phone and the " pornography-incompatible" HMD Fuse are becoming increasingly popular.