New kids-only iPhone launches that's perfect for worried parents – it has NO social media & all internet apps blocked
Sage Mobile has modified the popular Apple device to tightly restrict the apps and services a child can access for the parents' peace of mind.
1
Only pre-vetted apps deemed safe for children can be used on the handset.
And "sketchy workarounds" such as VPNs and backdoors are blocked too, the company claims.
By default, the service has no social media, internet browser, or app store access.
The Sage software is part of a subscription bundle, which provides buyers with an iPhone 16e or iPhone 16 Pro with the added protections.
"We didn't want to build a 'parental control' phone,' explained Chris Kaspar, CEO of Techless, the company behind Sage Mobile.
"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."
But it doesn't come cheap, starting from £119 a month.
And not everyone is convinced it's a good idea.
Professor Sonia Livingstone, a Social Psychologist at LSE says the price tag is "beyond the means of most parents, so if it does bring benefits, they can only be at the cost of increased social inequalities".
"More importantly, it is hard to see how this phone will solve the problem," she told ITV News.
"Research shows that young people gain many benefits from both social media and web browsing, though of course efforts to prevent the risks are important.
"Research shows that only a minority of young people have problematic internet use, and that many are learning the skills to become resilient and able to manage their own phone use in the future, which is also important."
Techless first launched a version for the US market called Wisephone.
The company claims it has sold out four times consecutively, "demonstrating the rising global demand for screen-safe smartphone solutions".
It comes just days before new online safety law comes into effect forcing websites to make sweeping changes so adult and inappropriate content isn't easily accessible to children.
A number of porn sites such as PornHub, as well as social platforms like Reddit, have started adding new stricter age checks.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best...
Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
Check if you're due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you're down to 80% capacity. If you're below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Ed Miliband eyes battery bonanza to cut wind farm costs
Ed Miliband will plough hundreds of millions of pounds into battery storage technology as the cost of ordering wind farms to shut down spirals out of control. GB Energy, which is backed by the taxpayer, will use a chunk of its newly minted budget to invest in energy storage systems as households and businesses are forced to foot the bill to prevent the creaking power grid from getting congested. More than £700m has been spent so far this year on switching off wind farms to avoid overloading the grid as well as firing up alternatives to keep the lights on. This is up from about £450m over the same period in 2024, with the money ultimately coming from energy bills. Officials are also keen to ensure clean power remains reliable during periods of high demand. An industry source said: 'How do you get around the fact that the wind blows one day, doesn't blow the next? They have to keep switching off the turbines because they can't store the energy. GB Energy think they've got a role to play in trying to fund the innovation.' The Energy Secretary is presiding over the drive as part of a £4bn push by GB Energy into emerging technologies. The push into battery storage technology is understood to be one of GB Energy's three big priorities, with half its £4bn innovation budget being deployed to bring more of the UK's net zero supply chain onshore. The Government is hoping to create hundreds of new jobs in areas such as Scarborough, North Yorkshire, which is reinventing itself as a service hub for the offshore wind industry. Experts say large amounts of energy storage will be needed for net zero, as countries move away from readily dispatchable gas or coal-fired power stations to intermittent sources such as wind and solar farms. More storage on the grid should also help to prevent situations where grid operators are forced to pay wind farms to switch off when the network is too busy to accept their power. Instead, battery operators would be able to snap the electricity up cheaply and store it for later. There is particular need for so-called long-duration storage that can be deployed over weeks rather than days to counter periods of 'dunkelflaute', when cloudy skies and stagnant wind conditions reduce the output of renewables. Under Mr Miliband's plan for a clean power system by 2030, the amount of long-duration energy storage is expected to rise from about three gigawatts today to between four and six gigawatts – enough to power millions of homes. Traditional lithium ion batteries are not ideal for this owing to their high cost and relatively short-term output, as well as degradation over time and the large numbers that would need to be built. Possible alternatives include 'flow' batteries, which store energy in liquid electrolytes, pumped hydro storage, compressed air storage, heat storage such as thermal bricks or molten salt, and caves that can be used to store hydrogen. The push into battery storage technology comes after Mr Miliband abandoned controversial plans to charge southern households more for electricity than those in the North amid a backlash from wind farm owners. Advocates claimed that zonal pricing would also have cut bills for all households overall by removing the need for £27bn of grid upgrades and axing the payments made to wind farms to switch off. Wind turbines have been built faster than grid capacity over the past decade, leaving Britain's infrastructure struggling to move electricity from Scottish wind farms to where it is needed in the South. A spokesman for GB Energy said: 'Long-duration energy storage is vital to a clean, secure, and affordable energy future for the UK. 'GB Energy sees opportunity to invest in both proven technologies like pumped hydro and emerging innovations such as flow batteries and liquid air storage. By stepping in early, we can unlock private capital, accelerate delivery, and back British supply chains.'
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Amazon cuts price on TSA-approved power bank from £130 to £30 – it's MagSafe and perfect for summer hols
APPLE fans, I've just come across a deal you'll want eyes on. Amazon have slashed the Matast MagSafe Power Bank by a huge 77%, down from £130 to just £30. Matast Magnetic Power Bank, £129.99 £29.99 If you need a reliable power boost on the go, the Matast Magnetic Power Bank is a solid pick without the hefty price tag. It's climbing Amazon's list of best-selling portable chargers, and it's easy to see why. It's designed for MagSafe-compatiple iPhone's from the 12 right up to the latest iPhone 16. It uses a strong magnetic grip to snap it firmly in place and keeps it there, even if you're on the move. It's stats do the talking though, supporting wireless fast charging up to 15W, so you can power your iPhone 15 Pro from zero to 45% in just 35 minutes. Plus, it's got a USB-C output port for quick wired charging of all sorts of devices, so you can have up to two on the go at once. And while it's built for Apple devices, those extra ports make it just as useful for charging other gear, too. With a hefty 10,000mAh battery capacity, it can charge your iPhone 16 Pro about 1.8 times over. So, no more worrying about your phone dying mid-day or mid-journey. And because it stays under the TSA's 27,000mAh limit, it's safe to bring on flights. Just pack it in your hand luggage for convenient top-ups during your summer hols. It's a handy way to avoid low-battery panic, especially if you're wrangling kids and want to keep screens alive for the journey. Unlike many cheaper options, the Matast also includes a digital LED display showing your remaining battery, so you're never caught off guard. And it's not just me who's impressed, customers rave about it, with an average 4.5-star rating. One happy reviewer called it 'the only power bank you'll need,' praising the build quality and handy magnetic grip. Another loved how it stays attached securely, saying, 'I can snap onto the back of my phone and still use it while moving around.' We've spotted a few great portable charger deals doing the rounds on Amazon recently. Just last week, the TRKOY Magsafe Power Bank dropped from £160 to just £20 on Amazon. And the Aobbow MagSafe charger had a massive £113 knocked off its price earlier this month too. best power banks UK.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Robot brickies that can work around clock to be trialled in Britain as 25,000 more workers needed to meet housing plans
ROBOT brickies that can work around the clock are to be trialled in Britain - amid a chronic shortage of construction workers. This is despite unemployment being at a four-year high across the country. 3 3 3 The machines, developed by Dutch firm Monumental, use a pair of mechanical arms that dispense mortar and lay bricks at a similar rate to human workers, reports the Daily Telegraph. Per eight-hour shift, each robot would be able to lay around 500 bricks - though they can be programmed to work 24/7. They can build straight line brick walls and some cornering, though they always need to be supervised by human eyes. One person can oversee two robots at once, but they don't need to be a qualified bricklayer. Britain is currently experiencing an unprecedented shortage of real brickies, with a report by report by the Home Builders Federation and the Construction Industry Training Board warning at least 25,000 more are needed to meet the Government's housing plans. The same company's machines have already built facades for scores of houses as well as canal walls on housing estates. London bricklaying contractor Galostar - which worked on the Olympic Stadium in Stratford and Sadler's Wells Theatre - is set to trial the technology. It's understood the scheme will begin next month, with the focus on whether the robots can be deployed on scaffolding and meet British building standards. Galostar boss Tony Chapman said: 'We don't think they [the machines] will ever completely replace brickies, but they can certainly help with the skills shortages we are dealing with. 'From our point of view it also helps because the robots don't need breaks, they don't take time off, and so if you have several of them you will know exactly what your output is going to be.' Monumental co-founder Salar al Khafaji said: "Your labour pool will now be much bigger, and you can work multiple shifts." He estimates the charge will be around £1 for every brick layed. The robots open the potential for more elaborate brickwork not seen since the Victorian era in the UK due to how labour-intensive it is. 'Today, if you want to ask for a very nice, patterned facade with two brick colours, you'll get an outrageously expensive quote, because it's quite hard and it will slow the masons down,' Mr al Khafaji added. UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS It comes after official figures show the numbers on company pay rolls fell by 25,000 in May on the back of 41,000 just last month. But the unemployment rate edged up from 4.6 per cent to 4.7 per cent, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics. Average earnings growth, not including bonuses, slowed to five per cent in the three months to May, its lowest level for almost three years. Lord Matthew Elliott, of the Jobs Foundation, said Chancellor Rachel Reeves"must deliver a pro-growth, pro-jobs plan in the Autumn Budget'. Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith said that unemployment 'is the only thing growing under Labour'. There will now be mounting pressure on the Bank of England to cut interest rates early next month to help kick-start the sluggish economy. Business are also braced for the new workers' rights package that is going through Parliament that will only add to firms' costs.
