Step Aside, Smartphones, There’s a New Best Phone for Kids

Smartphones have literally taken over the world. According to BankMyCell, over 83% of the world’s population owns one.

But what started out as a revolutionary, innovative product, has quite frankly become a global nightmare—especially for kids.

Through smartphones, children are being exposed to child predators, pornography, cyberbullies, and other explicit content. 

Not to mention, some of the world’s largest tech companies—Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Snapchat—offer “free” apps designed to capture as much of users’ time, attention, and behavioral data as possible so they can turn around and sell user profiles to the highest bidding advertisers (see The Social Dilemma). In other words, if you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.

The aftermath is disheartening. Mental health is declining, suicide rates are going up, and families are beginning to question how we ever allowed ourselves to get in this mess in the first place.

Why Gabb?

Many parents are aware of the problems caused by introducing kids to too much technology too soon, but aren’t sure what else to do. They think, “I can either buy a flip phone from the 90s and be forever shunned by my child, or I can get my kid a $1,000 supercomputer that gives them unfettered access to the entire world.”

With Gabb, there’s a new way for parents to introduce technology to their kids. The tech-in-steps approach empowers parents with devices that their kids will love at every stage of their growth and development.

All of Gabb’s devices—the Gabb Watch Lite, the Gabb Watch, or the Gabb Phone Z2—and operating systems are designed to protect kids against child predators, pornography, cyberbulles, and other digital threats by not giving kids access to the internet, social media, app stores, or addictive games.

And these aren’t flip phones either; these are state of the art cell phones that look just like smartphones and smartwatches, but don’t have all of the “smart” features that aren’t safe for kids.

Best First Phone for Kids: The Gabb Z2

The Gabb Phone Z2 is the perfect first phone because it works just like a smartphone, but only has 15 essential apps designed just for kids:

1. Phone
2. Messaging
3. MyGabb (GPS Tracking)
4. Contacts
5. Calendar
6. Music (MP3 Player)
7. FM Radio
8. Camera
9. Gallery
10. Video
11. Voice Recorder
12. Calculator
13. Clock
14. File Manager
15. Settings

How the Gabb Z2 Protects Kids 

There are many threats that children are exposed to when they have access to a smartphone: child predators, pornography, bullies, addictive media, and more. Here is how the Gabb Phone Z2 keeps kids safe from today’s digital dangers:

No Internet

Because there is no web browser installed on the Gabb Phone Z2, kids won’t be able to access harmful websites, like pornography websites, on their device. And, because there is no app store, there is no way for kids to install web browsers on their device. No web browser and no app store means no access to the internet whatsoever.

No Social Media

There is no social media on the Gabb Phone Z2 so kids won’t be able to communicate with child predators through direct messages, be cyberbullied by other social media users, create secret Instagram accounts, or deal with social media algorithms that are designed to exploit their weaknesses.

No App Store

Without an app store, kids aren’t able to download any additional apps to the Gabb Phone Z2 aside from the 15 apps that come pre-installed on the device, so there’s no need to worry about kids downloading harmful apps or hiding apps on their device.

No Addictive Games

The Gabb Phone Z2 doesn’t have addictive mobile games either so parents don’t have to worry about their kids getting too much screen time. Like social media companies, many mobile video game companies make money through paid advertising. The problem with this business model is that it incentivizes video game developers to make their games as addictive as possible so that they can make more money from paying advertisers. Many popular mobile video games for kids, like Minecraft or Roblox, also have online chat features that make children vulnerable to online predators. 

Reliable GPS Tracker

Through the MyGabb app (available on both Android and iOS), parents can monitor their child’s real-time location 24/7 and easily find devices that have been lost or stolen. 

No Unwanted Calls or Text Messages

Gabb Guard comes pre-installed on every Gabb Phone Z2, so kids won’t receive spam calls or harmful text messages. To be clear, Gabb Guard is not safelisting. Safelisting is what we use on the Gabb Watch, and requires parents to manage the contacts on their child’s phone. With safelisting, anyone who is not saved as a contact on the device will not be able to contact the child. Our spam filtration system, Gabb Guard, is different from safelisting because kids don’t have to rely on their parents to add contacts to their cell phone, but parents don’t have to worry about their kids being contacted by unwanted strangers.

Optional Picture Messaging

Picture messaging is another feature that can be concerning for parents; nearly 25% of teenagers have been involved in sending/receiving inappropriate photos. For an additional $4.99/month, parents can enable MMS messaging for kids who have demonstrated that they can use picture messages responsibly. 

Long Battery Life 

With a 2650 mAh battery, parents don’t have to worry about losing connection with their child throughout the day. Depending on a child’s usage, the Gabb Phone Z2 battery life can last up to  16 hours.

How the Gabb Z2 Connects Families

Parents want to stay connected with their kids without having to deal with all of the problems that come with “smart” devices. Here is how the Gabb Phone Z2 brings families together without compromising safety:

Unlimited Calling and Texting

The Gabb Phone Z2 comes with unlimited talk and text with phone plans starting as low as $17.99/month + taxes. Our phone plans provide nationwide 4G LTE coverage on the nation’s most reliable network so parents can stay connected with their kids wherever they go. And, in case kids happen to be in a no coverage zone, the Gabb Phone Z2 can make calls through Wi-Fi.

MyGabb App

In addition to GPS tracking, parents can also receive alerts through the MyGabb app when their child’s cell phone battery is low, and play a sound on the device so it’s easier to find when it gets misplaced.

How Much Does the Gabb Z2 Cost?

The best part is the Gabb Phone Z2 is only $149.99 with 3 different phone plans for unlimited talk and text: $17.99/month for 2 years; $19.99/month for 1 year; or $24.99/month for a month-to-month payment plan.

You can order the Gabb Phone Z2 today and choose the best plan for you.

Looking for a Device with More Parental Control?

If you’re looking for a device with more parental control, check out our Gabb Watch—the phone kids wear.

With the Gabb Watch, kids are only able to contact 10 parent-managed contacts on their device, and parents can receive alerts every time their child leaves a parent-managed safe zone.

The Gabb Watch also has other features that are great for kids, like an SOS button for emergency calls and water resistance to protect the device against spills.

Regardless of your family’s situation or circumstances, Gabb is committed to providing safe, affordable devices to help your family combat the many digital dangers that kids face today.