SkieShould I buy a kids' phone or add parental controls to a phone we already own?
Buy a kids' phone if you want the device, number and controls as one product and are happy to pay for hardware and a plan. Add controls to a device you own if you already have a suitable Android phone or tablet. Skie does the second, with device-owner control and no hardware to buy.
Both routes work, and families choose between them for practical reasons rather than ideology.
A kids' phone from Gabb, Pinwheel, Bark Phone, Troomi or Balance arrives with limits built in, usually with its own wireless plan. It is simple to understand, and there is little to set up. The costs are the hardware, the plan, a smaller choice of devices, and the fact that availability depends on where you live.
A managed device you already own costs less in hardware, because there is none to buy. With Skie, you use an Android 12 or newer phone or tablet, freshly set up or reset, and keep your carrier. You choose every app and set the rules yourself, which suits parents who like control and do not mind a setup session. Skie does not include a mobile plan or SIM.
Consider the child too. A younger child may do fine on a tablet at home. An older child who needs maps and school apps may find a locked-down kids' phone too narrow. A managed Android phone can start narrow and grow.
Tip: work out the three year cost of each route, including the plan, before you decide. Skie pricing is on request.