‘Healthy iPhone’ for children debuts in UK at $133, blocks social media and browser

The Sage Mobile comes in two models, iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 Pro, according to Business News This Week.

Priced at £99 (US$133) per month, more than double the cost of a typical two-year iPhone contract, the devices feature a curated app store that only allows essential apps, such as banking, public transport, schooling, calendars, and weather. Internet searches, gaming, and social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are blocked, The Guardian reported.

"We didn’t want to build a ‘parental control’ phone," said Chris Kaspar, CEO and founder of Techless. "We wanted to build a device that’s safe by design, not safe by surveillance. With Sage, we’ve created a smartphone that helps people reconnect with real life, not just reduce screen time."

A child using smartphone. Photo from Pexels

This launch marks Techless’ first international expansion after the success of its minimalist Wisephone in the U.S., which also restricts social media, email, and internet browsing to help reduce anxiety-inducing apps.

The debut of Sage Mobile coincides with growing parental concerns over children’s smartphone usage and the introduction of new UK regulations requiring age verification for access to online pornography, effective next Friday.

Kaspar criticized the default settings on most smartphones, which he described as "dark" for enabling widespread access to apps and the internet. "Right now they are selling cars without seatbelts," he said. "We want the defaults to be safe and healthy."

However, the device’s monthly subscription cost could limit its appeal.

"Until now, this is still a niche market and people, especially parents, are not ready to pay a significant premium for a dumb phone,’" said Thomas Husson, principal analyst at U.S. market research firm Forrester.

Daisy Greenwell, co-founder of the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign, said it is challenging to create a fully safe phone for teens, who are often adept at bypassing restrictions.

"There is real demand for something like this from parents, especially of teens who don’t want to be lumbered with a phone that sticks out like a Nokia," she said.

"The government must make stronger policies to protect all children and not just those whose parents have enough money to do it themselves."