Launch of the “Freckle” phone for children and news about Apple’s plans for smart home devices

Sam Terris doesn't believe technology is inherently harmful to children. He believes the problem is that social media and smartphones were deliberately designed to make us addicted to them. Teresa is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded Nuggs, a plant-based chicken nugget brand.

Technology that develops children's independence

But, what if we could design technology that helps children develop independence, build social relationships, and stay safe?

Today, Terris is introducing a new device designed specifically to achieve this goal, the Freckle phone, which is intended for children between the ages of 7 and 13 years. Its price is $199, with a wireless subscription plan that costs $25 per month.

Arranged calls without the Internet or communication platforms

The phone does not have a web browser, application store, social media, or YouTube platform, as communication (whether via calls or text messages) is limited to contacts approved by the parents. Thanks to its tracking technology, Freckle allows parents to track their child’s location on a map, or identify “safe zones” that send an immediate alert if the child leaves their boundaries. “You can choose to track their every move, but you can also just rely on device alerts,” Terris says. The Freckle phone is currently available for pre-order, and will begin shipping next December.

A phone that kids enjoy using

Although “Freckle” was designed to allay parents’ fears, it was also designed to be fun for children, as the device features a soft texture, bright colors, and prominent tactile buttons, and its design is based on a small square touch screen.

The phone has a Discovery Camera feature that recognizes insects, birds and plants and adds them to a digital sticker album. “It's a bit like Pokémon Go, but in the real world,” Tyrese describes.

Explore nature and life

* Fun missions. Parents can send “assignments” to their children, such as finding five types of insects in the garden or photographing three Impressionist paintings at the museum.

* Wireless connection. When two children touch their devices to each other, walkie-talkie mode is activated.

* Digital wallet. The phone also includes a digital wallet that supports touch payment, which parents can charge with an amount allocated for personal expenses, so that the child can use it - for example - when buying ice cream.

Strange name

“Freckles” (meaning freckles in Arabic) is intended to evoke the atmosphere of being outdoors in the sun, and coming home to discover that the time spent outside has left a mark on the skin, says Teres. “There is a common perception that technology is associated with closed spaces and isolation, but if designed carefully, it can be an excellent way to enhance outdoor experiences and encourage positive social interaction,” he adds.

Non-addictive technology

What does non-addictive technology look like? When designing this device, Tyrese faced a difficult challenge: how to create a device that children would love without being so attractive and addictive that they would be unable to put it down. This is a problem that a growing group of companies working in the field of children's technology are trying to solve.

Tonies recently collaborated with Hasbro to transform popular board games - such as "Monopoly" and "Guess Who?" (Guess Who?) to audio games that operate via the “Toniebox” device, which does not have a screen. Likewise, the Buddy device from Skylight - a small device that helps children complete their daily tasks - features simple graphics that are intentionally designed to attract the child’s attention for only the amount of time necessary to complete the task, and no more than that.

A phone that does not interact with the digital world

For Terris, one of the guiding principles is that the device helps the child interact with the world around them. He explains: “We want the device to always invite a third party to participate, whether it is another object, another person, or the surrounding environment, as it is never a gateway to a digital world.”

Phones for children

The Freckle is part of a growing wave of phones for kids, where simplistic smartphones — such as the Gabb, Pinwheel and Troomi — lack social media platforms, web browsers and app stores. The Bark Phone - originally a Samsung Galaxy phone - scans children's messages for any signs of danger, and also provides more features as they grow older. For younger children who spend most of their time at home, there are phones that resemble traditional landlines — such as the Tin Can and Pinwheel Home — that limit calls to contacts approved by the parents. However, it is still unclear which of these phones will achieve widespread popularity; Many parents end up choosing the iPhone due to its wide spread among everyone.

The American electronics and technology company “Apple” intends to enter the smart home devices market on October 13, after a long delay, which represents a vital expansion of the company’s product portfolio under the leadership of its new CEO, John Ternos, according to what was reported by the German News Agency.

According to informed sources, the main device in the smart home package strategy has the code name “J490.” Apple also plans to announce the first update to the HomePod Mini device since its launch in 2020, and the first new version of the digital TV receiver since 2022.

Bloomberg reported that this represents an early and important test for Ternos, who took office on September 1.

The company views the field of smart home equipment as a profitable opportunity and one of Apple's famous “next big thing” initiatives. At the same time, Apple had previously faced difficulty in achieving a strong presence in this sector, lagging behind Amazon and Google.

These products are also a showcase for the capabilities of the new Siri digital assistant powered by artificial intelligence, a technology that the company has been developing for years. The launch of the updated version of Siri has faced numerous delays, and smart home devices would highlight Apple's efforts to finally catch up in the field of artificial intelligence.

According to sources - who requested anonymity, since the products have not been officially announced - the Home Hub central control device will take the form of a square screen measuring about 6 inches, with versions available that can be installed on the wall or placed on flat surfaces.

At the same time, the new versions of the HomePod Mini and Apple TV will retain their current designs, but will contain faster processors to support stronger artificial intelligence models in Siri.