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Alternative Devices
Alternatives to smartphones, for kids and adults.
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Classic landlines
Home base, every ageA traditional landline still earns its keep: everyone in the house can be reached and kids learn phone etiquette and emergency-calling skills. If you no longer have a wired landline, we recommend checking out some of our favorite “modern” options below.
WiFi landlines
Youngest kids · at homeRing Ring Club
A retro-styled kids' phone, approved contacts only. Born in PA. The $59 Bridge works with a corded landline phone you own.
$5 offwith codePAUNPLUGGEDMyPhone by Ooma
A kid-friendly home phone with a parent-managed contact list and online call logs. Comes with stickers so kids can make it their own.
$10 offwith codeUNPLUGGED10Ooma Telo
WiFi home-phone service that brings the family landline back.
Tin Can
A screen-free kid-to-kid phone over WiFi, approved contacts only.
- Start a pod together
MyPhone group orders
Ooma discounts MyPhone orders of 20 or more, so a class, a team, or a neighborhood pod can start together for less. Fill out their form and they build a custom ordering page for your group.
Smartwatches
Elementary & middle school · on the go
“Dumb” phones
Middle & high school · ready to textSunbeam F1 Flip
A modern flip phone with turn-by-turn navigation and no browser.
Light Phone
The minimalist phone, designed to be used as little as possible. Great for older teens (and parents).
- Great for adults too
dumb.co
A flip phone with all the basics. This is a great option for a family “loaner” phone or a child's first basic phone. It can also work as a companion phone, forwarding calls and texts from a smartphone you already have, which makes it great for any adults who want to test out dumb phone life.
- Compare phones in one place
Dumb Wireless
A Philly-based online shop that stocks the best non-smartphones in one place, including the Sunbeam, Light Phone, and Mudita Kompakt, plus its own service plans on the T-Mobile network. Questions by call, text, or email go straight to the two founders.
Limited-feature phones
Middle & high school · a smartphone look, without the restGabb Phone
Looks like a smartphone; calls and safe texting without internet or social media.
Bark Phone (Starter Plan)
The starter plan is calls and texts only, with Bark's monitoring.
Pinwheel Phone
Parent-managed phone with a curated app library. No social media.
Mudita Kompakt
E Ink phone with calls, texts, and maps. No browser, but apps can be added from a computer.
PA Unplugged is not compensated for these recommendations. Always verify current features and pricing on each provider's site.
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