Safety-first smartphone for children unveiled

A new smartphone has been unveiled that is designed to keep children safe through extensive built-in parental controls, location tracking and parental approval for messaging and call contacts.

Announced by phone maker HMD – the firm behind modern Nokia devices – the Fusion X1 has been created in response to new research from the firm which found that more than half of children had been contacted online by strangers.

The study, which included a survey of 25,000 children and adults in the UK, US, Germany, India, Australia and the UAE also found that one in three children had been encouraged to take conversations to private platforms, 40% of children had been sent sexual or violent content and 52% of children felt they were addicted to their screens.

The new HMD smartphone for children (HMD/PA). PA Media

In response to this, and ongoing concerns about the impact of the digital world on the physical and mental well-being of young people, HMD’s child-safe phone contains controls that allows parents to decide when and if social media apps are accessible.

The built-in controls all include parental approval for contacts for messaging and calls, a location-tracking feature which enables parents to receive alerts when children leave designated safe areas, and a “stay focused” mode which can block app access during school hours or bedtime to reduce distractions.

The features have been developed in partnership with Norwegian tech firm Xplora, who make child-safe smartwatches, and are powered by an Xplora subscription, which is integrated into the operating system of the phone.

HMD said the aim of the device was to provide parents with an alternative to the dilemma many parents currently face, which is to either give their child a fully-fledged smartphone and the more unrestricted internet access that comes with it, or to keep their child unconnected.

The phone maker has committed to launching two devices in 2025 as part of The Better Phone Project – a year-long scheme which has seen the firm work with parents and experts on what to include in a child-friendly device.

“Smartphones aren’t just tech – they shape childhoods, family dynamics, and society itself,” Lars Silberbauer, HMD’s chief marketing officer said.

“Few companies are building solutions with children and parents in mind. We are working with parents to do exactly that.

“The Better Phone Project is proof that change is possible when families, not corporations, lead the conversation.”

In addition, HMD has confirmed that it will begin rolling out a real-time harm protection feature to its phones built with British cybersecurity firm SafeToNet.

The new smartphone has been created after research found more than half of children had been contacted online by strangers (HMD/PA). PA Media

It will use AI-powered tools to automatically spot and block harmful content before it reaches the user, HMD said.

“This is about giving parents real choices. The HMD Fusion X1 with Xplora and technology planned with SafeToNet are just the start,” Mr Silberbauer said.

“Together, we’re pushing for a future where kids are empowered to use technology in a safer way, and parents have the tools for added protection and peace of mind.”

New, dedicated phones for young users are becoming increasingly common.

Last year, US firm Pinwheel launched its child-safe smartphone in the UK for the first time, which places a special parent-controlled operating system on top of the existing software of a Samsung or Google smartphone.