Companies Freckle and Waffle Home show that we’re rapidly approaching the future predicted by Futurama‘s Popplers episode. That future seems, at least in this case, a little more kid-friendly. Both companies have recently announced kid-centric phones — a very limited smartphone in the case of Freckle.
Which, if you’re a parent, makes sense. Turning youngsters loose, unsupervised, on the internet is a recipe for trauma counselling. These startups aren’t the first to put thought into smart devices for kids, but these are interesting takes on the tech.
Freckle and Waffle
The Freckle is supposed to convince kids to go outside more often. That’s the opposite of pretty much every other bit of tech children are exposed to in the modern age. The square-shaped device uses a custom operating system and appears to include gamified elements along with smartphone functions. These elements are supposed to encourage youngsters to explore beyond the screen. If they’re adamant that screens are all that is required, it’ll be a functional 3.1in 720 x 720 touchscreen, with dual cameras and limited software functions. The Freckle is also supposed to be fairly rugged, so its software sandbox should survive a trip to a literal one.
The price tag is R3,400, but don’t count on buying one here. The New York-based company has them for pre-order, but each also requires a R420/m subscription.
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The Waffle Home, on the other hand, comes across like an old wireless landline phone, complete with cradle. It’s cheaper at R2,000 but also includes an optional R170/m subscription. The Waffle Home doesn’t include any internet features beyond calling. You’ll need to buy more than one, since they get 400 minutes of “Waffle-to-Waffle” calls to a single number.
This one is more like an internet-enabled two-way radio, cleverly disguised as an old landline. WiFi is required, but there’s also an extensive hub that lets parents decide who the kids can call. You’ll use the Waffle Hub for that. Again, though, this one will be more useful to Americans — it’ll be sold on the company’s website, as well as local American retailers.
