Smartphone alternatives
With increasing awareness about the benefits of delaying smartphone ownership, there are fortunately a number of smartphone alternatives now available in the market. These alternatives help us to communicate with our kids, while also providing a way to introduce technology gradually and build healthy digital habits.
A few options to highlight include:
Light Phone (models II and III)
Tagline: “It’s a phone. At its core, it is a simple communication device for staying in touch with those that matter most. Just the tools you’ll need. Find your way around the real world. Be intentional, you’re in control.”
Features: The Light Phone family of phones is specifically designed to eliminate the distractions of a smartphone in support of “going light.” It has a modern, sleek design that leaves you feeling like we’re shifting forward to a future with healthier tech habits. There are two models available - Light Phone III and Light Phone II.
Light Phone III is a 5G + 4GLTE with a camera, while Light Phone II is a 4GLTE cell phone with an E-ink screen (no blue light). Both have tools including an alarm, a timer, a calculator, directions, directory, music player, notes/voice memo, calendar, and podcasts tool.
Social media / browser: None
Price:
Light Phone III - $799 ($599 if pre-ordered)
Light Phone II - $299
Alignment with current research: Very high - intended for a light phone usage lifestyle, it’s specifically designed to eliminate the distractions of a smartphone
Tagline: “Welcome to Mudita, where technology meets mindfulness. In a world overwhelmed by constant notifications, endless apps, and screen addiction, Mudita phones offer a sanctuary for your mind. Our phones are designed to serve you, not the other way around.”
Features: Mudita Kompakt is a 4G LTE, minimalist E-ink phone. Tools include weather updates, offline maps, a camera, calendar, notes, voice record, and music player. Like the Light Phones, Mudita Kompakt has a clean, modern design.
Social media / browser: None
Price: $439
Alignment with current research: Very high - designed for mindfulness and digital wellness
Tagline: “Protect your kids with phones & watches designed just for them”
Features: While Light Phones and Mudita are designed to be used as little as possible, Gabb Watch 3e and Gabb Phone 4 cater specifically to kids, aiming to “bring the fun and keep the safety.” Gabb Watch 3e is marketed as the first step in a phased approach to giving kids the right tech at the right time, followed by the Gabb Phone 4.
Gabb Watch 3e is a smartwatch with calling, texting, and GPS tracking, with no social media or internet browser. It works independently from a cell phone and has its own phone number. It has speech-to-text and a keyboard (complete with emojis) and is made of durable, water-resistant materials to withstand kid-level usage.
Gabb Phone 4 does not have internet or social media access but it does include preloaded apps including: Calendar, Gabb Music (subscription optional), Weather by Gabb, Gabb Messenger, Camera, Photos, Calculator, and Clock, as well as a curated app library of other optional apps. It also includes GPS tracking, video and camera, safe video calling, Bluetooth, and audio recordings.
Social media / browser: None
Price: Both the Watch 3e and Phone 4 are $149.99 + Gabb Cellular Plan
Alignment with current research: High - designed for kids with no internet or social media access
Tagline: “Parental controls reimagined: Advanced content monitoring for all your kid’s devices”
Features: Like Gabb, Bark is designed for kids. However, Bark’s emphasis is more on giving grown-ups control over the functionalities their kids use, as well as content monitoring capabilities, rather than on redesigning a phone around a phone-light lifestyle.
The Bark Phone does have the full capabilities of a smartphone that grown-ups can choose to enable or disable at any time. Per Bark, “This isn’t a clunky kid’s phone, which can embarass teens and tweens. It’s a state-of-the-art Samsung that has robust parent controls.” The phone is intended to grow with each kid as their grown-ups choose to increase access to more features. The Starter Plan includes talk and text only with no apps, no browser, and no social media, advanced content monitoring, and GPS tracking. Advanced plans allow apps (including social media) and screen time limits, with options to add or remove functions at any time.
The Bark Watch has talk and text with LTE connectivity, GPS tracking, and text, video, and photo monitoring. It does not include games, social media, or an internet browser.
Social media / browser: Yes, with adult-controlled access
Price:
Bark Watch: $15/month + device
Bark Phone: Plans start at $29/month + device for the Starter Plan increasing to $39/month + device for the Advanced Plan (the device is free with 90 days of service)
Alignment with current research: Moderate to high (for the Bark Phone) - allows gradual increase in functionality with strong adult controls; high (for the Bark Watch) - designed for kids with no internet or social media access
