Mobile Phone For Very Young Kids

The £55 phone designed for FOUR YEAR OLDS - and designed so they won't get mugged or be cyberbullied 1stFone doesn't have a screen and can only make calls to 12 pre-assigned numbers It costs £55 and the device has been designed to be hard-wearing By VICTORIA WOOLLASTON A mobile phone designed for four to nine-year-olds has been launched by OwnFone.  The 1stFone which has been dubbed the 'dumbphone for smart parents' is the size of a credit card and weighs 40g. It can only make and receive calls, and it doesn't have a screen - instead it has the names of up to 12 close friends and family shown in a list with corresponding physical buttons.  The 1stFone, designed specifically for four to nine-year-olds can be customised. Options including Orange Splat, pictured front, Skulls, Leopard and more. The 12 pre-assigned contacts can only be changed and added to by a parent. A 999 button can also be added that must be pressed three times to activate The 1stFone, from manufacturer OwnFone, has been specifically designed for four to nine-year-olds. It doesn't have a screen. Instead it shows a list of up to 12 pre-assigned contacts. The handset can only make and receive calls and a single battery charge can last a year when the handset is on standby This means that the child can only call the 12 pre-assigned numbers.  And only the parents can add or change this list of contacts. Makers OwnFone believe that the basic functionality of the 1stFone reduces the risks of text or cyber bulling, finding inappropriate material online, 'sexting' or being mugged.  They base this on a recent study from Southampton Rape Crisis of 7,000 school children which found those as young as 10 are routinely sending explicit pictures of themselves to classmates. In the top-left hand corner of the handset are volume buttons, sat next to large Answer, and On/Off buttons. The 1stFone has been designed to be hard-wearing and can withstand being thrown about and dropped by children. Makers OwnFone also believe the handset is perfect for seniors, as well as as an alternative to a work phone on a building site, for example. Clips can secure the phone to a child's clothing or a work belt The child's name is also programmed to appear at the top of the handset.