If you remember running home after school to pick up the landline and call your best friend before dinner, a new device from Pinwheel aims to reboot that experience for a new generation.
The kid-focused tech company announced Tuesday the launch of Pinwheel Home, a modern home phone system designed to let kids stay connected without smartphone distractions.
Pinwheel positions the phone as an introduction to phones for 5- to 10-year-olds before they’re ready for a smartphone. The company already sells kid-friendly smartphones and launched a smartwatch last year.
Instead of texting or scrolling through social media, Pinwheel Home is designed for voice calls only. The company says the phone encourages meaningful, one-on-one conversations while giving kids the freedom to call friends and family and practice basic phone skills without borrowing a parent’s device.
The launch comes as more parents are looking for ways to reduce their children’s screen time amid growing concerns about technology’s impact on their development. Research has linked excessive screen time to emotional, behavioral, and social challenges. Also, a recent study from the University of Georgia found that children who spend a lot of time on social media tend to show poor vocabulary development over time, including more difficulty recognizing and pronouncing words.
Notably, while the Pinwheel Home looks like a traditional landline, it works over Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for a phone jack. It comes in two models. The Spark starts at $68 and comes in white, black, blue and purple. The Classic costs $79 and includes a retro-style handset with customizable stickers, with pink, black and white color options.
For security purposes, parents control the device through Pinwheel’s Caregiver Portal, where they can approve contacts, block unknown callers, spam and robocalls, and set calling schedules and time limits. Speed dial and voicemail are available.
The company notes that future updates will introduce three-way calling and allow Pinwheel Home to integrate with its watches and smartphones, allowing kids to use the same phone number on all devices while still limiting screen time at home.
Countries such as Australia have restricted children’s access to social media, and the UK has announced plans for similar measures.
The device also joins other free communication products for kids, competing with the Tin Can, a $100 Wi-Fi-enabled cell phone that lets parents manage approved contacts through a companion app.
Calls between Pinwheel Home devices are free with the company’s Pinwheel Circle service. Families looking to call standard phone numbers can choose plans starting at $6.99 per month for up to five authorized contacts or $9.99 per month for unlimited calls. (By comparison, calls between Tin Can devices are also free, while its friends and family plan is $9.99 a month.)
Pinwheel Home is available now through the company’s website and is expected to launch on Amazon this fall.
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