1stFone: the mobile phone designed for small children

The 1stFone is an anti-smartphone which could keep children safe and save parents worry.

OwnFone has launched a new mobile handset designed just for kids.

The company, which has previously worked with Age UK to design mobiles for the elderly, has turned its attention to helping keep children safe with a new device called 1stFone.

The anti-smartphone

1stFone is a small credit-card sized device that has been described by its makers as a "dumbphone for smart parents".

It can’t send texts or roam the internet; it can only make and receive calls.

The handset is simple, with no screen or keypad. Instead it just has the names of a few people on the face with pre-programmed numbers to make calls.

The device can be customised with different colours and you can have two, four, eight or 12 name buttons.

The streamlined design means that it can be used by children as young as four.

Battling the downsides

Parents that give their children a mobile phone often do so to keep them safe, but the devices can end up having the opposite effect.

Earlier this year, The Times found that 10,000 handsets are stolen every month in London and two thirds of victims are aged between 13 and 16.

But apart from turning children into targets for crime there is also the risk of cyber bullying and accessing inappropriate material via the web – meaning a mobile phone has the potential to do more harm than good.

It seems that 1stFone can eliminate the downsides of supplying your child with a handset.

The limited functionality of the phone makes it less attractive to thieves and cuts children off from the dangers of the internet. What’s more it puts parents back in control.

But the enhanced safety offered by this simple product comes at a price.

What’s the cost?

The 1stFone handset will set you back £55 and can be made to order on the OwnFone website.

Parents can get the device on a 30-day rolling contract. Here’s how the prices breakdown:

*Calls made over the limit will incur a 15p a minute charge

As you can see the 1stFone is a pricey investment for a handset with limited functionality. The total first year cost on the Talk 500 plan would be £235. That’s just as expensive as a contract you might take out for yourself!

But you can also get the phone on a pay-as-you-go tariff instead. If you go for pay-as-you-go the handset costs £70 to buy with 150 minutes included. Top ups can either be for £10 (100 minutes), £15 (150 minutes) or £20 (200 minutes). However, the credit doesn't last forever. Purchasing a £10 top-up only lasts 60 days, £15 gets you 90 days and £20 buys you 120 days.

An alternative to pay monthly and pay-as-you-go is buying the airtime upfront in a bundle. The handset with 50 minutes airtime a month costs £90 for six months (a saving of 10%) or £120 for 12 months (a saving of just over 17%).  

Playing on fears

1stFone was only launched last week, but it has hit a nerve amoung some groups.

Some have slammed the creators for capitalising on parents' fears of abduction, while others have questioned why a phone is being marketed to children as young as four.

Thomas Sunderland, founder and inventor of OwnFone, isn't phased by the negative response as he sees the product as a solution to an inevitable dilemma. He told Lovemoney: “The mainstream mobile industry has widely ignored children and elderly people. As a result, smartphones dominate the market place and many young children end up using these smart devices despite problems associated with text bullying, sexting, internet access or lost or stolen phones.

"The answer isn't to ignore this problem and pretend it's not happening, but to create a better solution for parents that face this dilemma when their child is ready for a phone." 

The future

OwnFone launched in 2012 with the aim of creating simple mobile solutions for people at every stage of life.

It works using technology called the ‘Seed’ which is a blank mobile device that can be customised to suit different purposes.

Plans for the future include 2ndFone aimed at twenty-somethings that want to save expensive smartphones from harm at festivals, parties and on nights out.

Enhanced functionality like braille and photo button options are also coming soon.

Verdict

Personally I think the 1stFone is an innovative solution that has legs.

But the cost is likely to put many off - especially since you can get other handsets for a fraction of the price.

The Nokia Asha 201 for example is available free with T-Mobile on a 24-month contract for just £7 a month. With this deal you pay £84 in the first year and you get 50 minutes and 250 texts a month. That’s £61 cheaper than the cheapest pay monthly deal on the 1stFone.

That said, you're paying a bit more for the simple, personalised design with the 1stFone, rather than a basket of features that can leaves your kids open to danger and your budget at risk.

If you want to see the 1stFone in action, OwnPhone is exhibiting at Mums Show Live at Alexandra Palace between the 16th and 19th May.

What do you think?

Is the 1stFone a safer mobile handset for kids? Or is it just cashing in on parent’s fears?

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