Balance Phone (£273)

Part of a new category of phone, somewhere between a simple brick phone and a fully-functional smartphone, this Samsung-powered device is a stylish choice.

It’s targeted at teens and “digital minimalists”, and boasts a sleek touch screen with a simple black-and-white list rather than colourful icons.

Pros: Social media, streaming platforms, games, gambling and porn apps are all blocked. Instead, it allows only the essentials: texting, calls, travel, maps, online banking, weather, your calendar and contacts.

Cons: The price! While it’s very minimalist in terms of the interface, it does have WhatsApp and this is a form of social media – so some parents may not want it.

Pinwheel Phone (from £99)

This modern-looking phone from Motorola is another parent-controlled device, which allows you to monitor calls and texts, limit access to apps and manage screen time.

Pros: One of the cheapest in this category, the app is an affordable option for parents of teens. It bans social media and “adult” apps (as defined by its own rating system) entirely, and only allows children to download apps you have approved.

You can read their texts remotely and set a schedule so the phone is off during school hours and after bedtime.

Cons: Some older teenagers may resent the power this device gives to parents, and consequent limits to their independence. Parents can even remotely add “to-do” lists to their child’s phone – which may not go down well.

HMD Fusion X1 (from £199)

From HMD, a Finnish company founded by former Nokia executives, this device comes with no internet and no social media by default – and allows parents to add apps as their child develops.

Parents need to download a paired “Guardian Service” app, which costs £4.99 a month and puts them in remote charge of their child’s device.

Pros: It’s not just apps that are within parents’ control; you can also limit calls and texts to trusted contacts. The GPS function is sophisticated – you can set up to 10 “safe zones” and get an alert when your child enters or leaves.

Cons: You have to withstand the pester power of your child wanting you to turn on TikTok or WhatsApp.

Written by Jennifer Powers, Unplugged Coalition

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