With the on-going debate about online safety for children (Channel 4’s Swiped: The School that Banned Smartphones conducts ground-breaking study into children’s smartphone habits. Aired 8pm 11& 12 Dec)
We asked Pinwheel a new ‘child safe’ smartphone company about its devices and services. They provide a solution for worried parents worried about their child being the victim of online bullying, accessing social media, inappropriate websites, etc.
What is Pinwheel?
Pinwheel is a U.S. tech company that sells digital devices and services designed specifically for children and teens. The company’s best-selling Pinwheel phone provides children aged 9-14 with the features and functions they want, like texting, photos and popular apps, along with age-appropriate guardrails (no browser or social media) and parental monitoring tools that encourage healthy technology habits from the start. Unlike adult phones that connect children to the open internet with confusing and thin parental controls, or other children’s phones with very limited functionality and apps, Pinwheel allows parents to customise the settings to meet their child’s current needs, then unlock features and apps as their child grows into an independent young adult who manages technology well.
Specifically, each of Pinwheel’s smartphone models (for which parents can choose any mobile network) comes with a built-in parent management system to help guide their child to healthy habits. Through the Pinwheel Caregiver Portal, parents have access to:
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Child-safe App Library
More than 1,200 popular apps reviewed by Pinwheel experts with ratings and information to help parents make confident choices, such as whether apps allow communication with strangers, have explicit content or addictive design, or other risks for children. The Pinwheel App Library does not include any social media apps or web browsers. No other phones for children offer as wide a selection of vetted apps. Parents can also choose apps from the Google Play store when their child is ready for that step (though not social media or adult-oriented apps.)
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Text and Call History Monitoring
Parents can access text messages in the Caregiver Portal (on mobile or desktop) without having to take the Pinwheel phone from their child. This reduces conflict while allowing parents to monitor in the background.
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Contact Safelist
Only contacts on the Safelist can call or text the device, so no need to worry about spam or stranger communication. As children grow, they can manage their own Safelist.
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Schedules for Apps and Contacts
To build healthy habits, parents can set up schedules for when apps and contacts are available and when they are not, such as during school and overnight.
What types of phones do you sell and which networks do you work with?
Pinwheel currently offers two high-quality phone models in the UK – a Samsung Plus 4 and a Google Pixel. Both models have the Pinwheel OS pre-installed to them and have the same parent management features. In addition, both of these phones work with all of the major mobile networks, and parents are free to choose the cellular plan that makes the most sense for their family.
More information on specific models and pricing can be found HERE.
Who are your products for and/or who is your primary customer?
Pinwheel’s primary customers are parents of children aged 9-14, mostly active and involved mums who typically do the research on these types of products, though we have dads and grandparents as well.
What is the advantage of buying your child a Pinwheel phone over simply using existing parental controls through Apple or Google and/or custodial programs?
Parental controls on adult phones allow many features and functions that parents might not want their children to have yet, like social media, apps with ads and objectionable content, and access to the open internet. There are some blocks, though tech-savvy children can often get around them simply via Youtube videos or hacks they learn from friends. Also, existing controls do not allow parents to set up contact safelists or to remotely monitor what their child is doing on the phone.
How much does a Pinwheel phone cost and what’s included in that price?
Pinwheel currently offers two high-quality phone models in the UK – a Samsung Plus 4 for £279 and a Google Pixel for £549. In addition, a subscription is required to access the parental controls and Caregiver Portal of £13.99 / month or £149.99 / annually. (Note: to mark the launch, Pinwheel is offering up to 15% discount until Christmas on the price of both phone models.)
Which mobile networks do you work with?
As both models work with all UK mobile networks, parents can add their children to an existing family plan or choose a different network.
Is there a “family plan” or discount on the subscription if somebody purchases several phones?
Yes – families with multiple users will receive a 15% discount on the monthly or annual Pinwheel subscription.
You mention “therapist-approved” – what does that mean?
Pinwheel was designed with recommendations from our Therapist Council, who also created our app rating criteria, based on the latest research on children’s health and development. We continue to incorporate best practices from child development experts into our product design.
Why do you not sell smartwatches? Do you plan to add these to your product lineup at some point?
We plan to launch a smartwatch for children in the US in early 2025 with the possibility of being able to offer it in the UK sometime soon.
Who started Pinwheel, when and why?
Pinwheel CEO and founder Dane Witbeck is an Austin-based serial tech entrepreneur and father of four. He founded the company in 2019 after his then 8-year-old son’s best friend got an iPhone, prompting him to consider how he would navigate this transition into the world of digital devices for his own children. Dane and his team created Pinwheel’s unique operating system to support children’s growth into adulthood as responsible, productive tech users by allowing parents to control, monitor and customise the phone’s features and functionality. The first Pinwheel phone sold in 2020 and within one year, the company passed $1M in revenue. Now Pinwheel is a top-rated product that serves tens of thousands of children and teens across the U.S. Prior to Pinwheel, Dane founded Meshify, a startup in the insurance tech space that was acquired by HSB / MunichRE. Dane holds a B.S. from Georgia Institute of Technology.
How is the company funded?
Primary investors in Pinwheel’s $3.5M seed round are Drumbeat and Circadian Ventures.
Where are you based and how many employees do you have?
Pinwheel is based in Austin, Texas and has about 50 employees.
Where can someone find Pinwheel on social media?
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHyjZD5ruycJcqrzP4wUgPQ
Twitter: @pinwheelphone
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepinwheelphone/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pinwheelphone
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinwheelio/
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