This generation only knows that phones are thin, rectangular, and can fit in your pocket. You can even hold a conversation from a laptop or a smartwatch. But Pinwheel, maker of kid-safe smartphones, is looking to introduce them to a relic of a concept: the home landline via Pinwheel Home.
Now available in Canada, the Pinwheel Home is a voice-only home phone that kids can use to call approved contacts without the distraction of screens, apps, and social media distractions.
According to Pinwheel, more than 60% of Canadian households are cell phone only. Kids, says the company, are exposed to FaceTime before they are the idea of a basic phone call. The Pinwheel Home is designed particularly for kids aged four and up. It’s a retro-styled handset you can position in a central spot of the home or even the child’s room. Rather than connect to a phone line, it connects via Wi-Fi without the need for a phone jack or cable provider.
Parents can manage kids’ activities using the Pinwheel Caregiver Portal. Here, they can approve contacts and schedule usage. Only phone numbers parents approve can call in or be dialed out. All unknown callers, spam, and robocalls are blocked. Quiet hours can be set that block all hours, such as after bedtime if the phone is in the child’s bedroom. The phones are, however, emergency ready with 9-1-1 access built in. It also has advanced features like speed dial and voicemail.
Of course, Pinwheel hopes that kids will transition to a Pinwheel cell phone once they come of an appropriate age and parents feel that it’s time. Parents manage the device using the same online dashboard used for Pinwheel’s smartphones, so if you have older kids with those phones, you can manage everything in one place.
Available now for pre-order, Pinwheel Home comes in two variations: the Spark is $79 and the Classic is $99 during the pre-order period, after which they will sell for $89 and $109, respectively. Calling other Pinwheel Home phones are free using a Pinwheel Circle plan, but to call or receive calls from other phones, plans start at $10/mo. for the Friends & Family plan (for up to five external numbers) or $14/mo. for the Unlimited plan (call any number). Families with multiple paid Pinwheel subscriptions save 15% on their plans. In addition, bulk discount pricing is available for groups purchasing 10 or more Pinwheel Home phones.