Freckle's $199 kids' phone has no browser, no app store and no TikTok
Parents who want to give a child a phone without handing over TikTok now have a new option. Startup Freckle has announced a $199 phone for ages 7 to 13 that blocks social media, browsers and app stores entirely. It costs $25 a month for wireless service and ships in December 2026. Preorders are open in the US only, with a $25 deposit.
The phone
The Freckle is a small square device with a 3.1-inch screen and an IP54 rating, which means it resists dust and light splashes. It runs ClayOS, the company's own software. There is no way to install apps, open a web browser or scroll a video feed.
Kids can call and text only the contacts their parents approve. The phone also has a basic map, contactless payments for things like bus fares or a snack, and a walkie-talkie mode for chatting with other Freckle owners nearby.
The pitch
Freckle's main idea is to get kids outside. A feature called Quests lets parents set tasks, such as finding and photographing three kinds of flowers. Freckle also supplies ready-made ones.
An AI-powered Discovery Camera identifies whatever a child points it at and explains it. Founder Sam Terris has criticised tracking gadgets as surveillance, and says the phone is meant to give kids independence rather than act as an "ankle monitor". Freckle promises it won't sell data or use it to train AI. The parent app and the full privacy notice aren't available yet, so those promises can't be checked.
The Freckle phone, a compact square device for ages 7 to 13.
The competition
Freckle is backed by Alexis Ohanian's firm Seven Seven Six. It enters a crowded field, which Fast Company lists as including Gabb, Pinwheel and Troomi. Gabb's Phone 4 Pro costs the same $199.99, and the Bark Phone is around $240. The test is whether families will pay for a locked-down device when free parental-control apps can restrict a normal phone.
Outside the US, there's nothing to buy. The privacy policy covers US customers only, and no UK or European launch has been announced. It's also unclear how the phone would meet European data-protection rules.
For now, Freckle's claims come from the company. Independent long-term testing doesn't exist, so it's unclear how well a tiny screen and a quest-based approach hold a 12-year-old's attention against a regular phone.
According to Freckle, the phone also comes with an optional lanyard case for carrying it on walks.
