Kids today use technology as part of their everyday life. My daughter is only 18 months old, and she already knows how to turn on my cell phone and talk to someone. While children continue to use technology, parents are trying to find the best way to keep their children safe. KD Interactive, creator of the Kurio Tablet, has now created a smartphone for kids called the Kurio Phone. This phone allows parents to feel safe, knowing they have the ability to control what their children do on their smartphone.
Like the tablet, parents have complete control of the phone. Parents control who and when their children can text and call someone else, and specify at what times of the day this can be done. When a new contact is added to the phone the child cannot access the contact until it is approved by the parent. However, parents are still unable to read texts that are sent or received on the Kurio Phone.
The GPS on the Kurio Phone can provide alerts to the parents of the location every 15, 30, or 60 minutes, and is equipped with the ability to create a geofence. By using a geofence the parents are able to set restricted areas. When the device enters one of these restricted areas an alert is sent to the parents, notifying them that the phone is in a restricted area as well as its location. These restricted areas can also be deactivated during specific days and times. If you do not want your child in a specific area at night, but it is ok for them to be in the area during the day, you can set up the geofence to only alert you after a specific time of the day. So dad’s, you can rest easy knowing you daughter will not be at that famous make out spot at any point of the day!
There are some great silent emergency features that are available on the Kurio Phone. If your child finds themselves in a dangerous situation, and they are not in a place where they can safely make a phone call, they can send an SOS message by simply pressing the power button repeatedly. This then sends the parents with the last know location of the device. A person will also be able to obtain information about the child’s allergies, blood type, and the primary contact details through an ICE (In Case of Emergency) form which is found on the phone.
In the situations where the Kurio Phone gets lost or stolen, the parents can erase data and pictures remotely and sound an alarm, as well as displaying a message on the screen. The front-facing camera can also be set to take a picture when the phone is turned on. There’s even an alert if the SIM card is replaced.
Although the phone is not yet available to purchase, Kurio expects the phone to be priced between $165 and $330. When the phone does become available, you can bet we will provide an in-depth review of all its features. Stay tuned so you can stay up to date on this child friendly phone