Phones Without Keypads

We have 2 children in the "tweens" as they like to refer to it, and they would LOVE to have some type of cellphone. This is the first time I have seen a "cellphone" for this age group that I would consider buying. With the GPS system included in it...I think this is what parents have been waiting for. My husband and I also like the feature of being able to control the calls on the phone..children this age don't need to have random unlimited access to be able to make / recieve phone calls however they please. I did not see however, a way to "clip" or "attach" the phone to your clothes, or your person as per say. For most children.....if its something they need to keep up with...its gotta be "attached" to them in some way...and perferably in a way that maybe only an adult or the parent may take off of him /her when not in use.I just hope they keep the cost reasonable for not just the phone, but the service as well.

i am a senior citizen and have been waiting for a phone with a gps locator ,but not a kids phone ,and the games are adults useless and unwanted .But i am waiting for more of a good phone with gps, maybe internet imformation and news capability,text messageing.

i am a senior citizen and have been waiting for a phone with a gps locator ,but not a kids phone ,and the games are adults useless and unwanted .But i am waiting for more of a good phone with gps, maybe internet imformation and news capability,text messageing.no mp3's
just simple ring or buzz tones and vibrate.will something like this ever come out ?

this gps locator is only to find the phone (and presumably the child it is attached to.) It can't be used as a map.

Leah: I think that may have been exactly the point with this particular phone.

It's to allow the parent to keep track of where the kid is, not to help the kid navigate his way around town...they shouldn't be going to places they don't know their way around anyway.

I think what Leah might have meant is that you can tell where the kid IS, but not where the kid has BEEN. Does the web site maintain a history or have a tracking feature for parents to view the child's "path"?

I find this type of phone particularly useful since my husband and I are separated and on his custody time, he seems to take my son whereever he wishes without telling me where they are. I never know where he might be.
But the true use is if your child ever gets LOST. What parent doesn't worry about that?
As for the seniors that say they want a phone of this type, they are readily available in an adult version. I know Nextel has a GPS locator available in their cell phones.

Robin, we are in the same situation and this is extremely useful. The Mother is unstable and we worry about her taking the child and running. The child currently has a regular pre-paid but this is MUCH better. My Grandfather also has Alzheimer's and so this is great for him too. I like the friendliness of it. Does anyone know if the phone will have to be ON to track the GPS? Some current ones do and some do not...

I have used the Nextel GPS locator for almost 2 years now with my HS senior. It has been great. I am able to log onto Nextel's website from any computer (at home or work) and see where he is at any given time. It has really given me peace of mind.

I am not one for cellphones for kids, but with this, since there is GPS and a great deal of control over the usage of the phone, I would consider buying it.

As a parent in a ruggedly rural area, I could only hope that this would be available out here. Cell service is spotty, but GPS works all over the place. If the GPS coordinates are sent through the cell system, it could be unusable, but if the info gets to the web a different way, then this has some amazing potential. Even on a cell system, though, raw data is more easily transmitted on a weak signal than voice is.

I believe the phone is great. I have a 8 year old daughter, and she has asked me for a cellphone. It give me some comfort to know that as there is a phone for kids her age. What sold me is the fact that it has educational games on the phone, and the fact that I can always know her where abouts. great for a mother that works full-time and goes to college part-time. I can always keep in touch with her. Its also great for when she is with her father on her vacation

I believe the phone is great. I have a 8 year old daughter, and she has asked me for a cellphone. It give me some comfort to know that as there is a phone for kids her age. What sold me is the fact that it has educational games on the phone, and the fact that I can always know her where abouts. great for a mother that works full-time and goes to college part-time. I can always keep in touch with her. Its also great for when she is with her father on her vacation so we can still communicate without him complaining about the phone bill.

i think ths is a great thing. im just not sure it is sutable for children under the age of 10 yrs. old. my daughter is five and she wants a cell phone. and im not sure she will be getting one. although i am considering this one, because she spends the night with friends alot, and maybe it would be good for her to have this.

I had a GPS watch through Wherify and they discontinued its service since they were developing this phone. I was supposed to get the phone mid-summer and now am being told it will be October or November before they are out. We loved the watch for our child and don't think we will like the phone unless we can hook it to him somehow . Kids loose everything--but I guess you could use the GPS to locate the phone!

I had looked at the GPS watch but the initial cost, the service cost and the locator cost was very high. (X$ every time you wanted to know where the phone/ child was) As an alternate I bought the Nextel phone with ulocate as a service. I can see where my son is when he has the phone, and I receive emails and text messages when he leaves a location (school) and arrives at a location (home). The service is map driven and tracks his locations. Unfortunately, ulocate discontinued offering this service to new customers, but continues to support existing customers. Nextel's cheapest monthly service is still high relative to other services, but I have piece of mind.

this looks so kool.

Where do you Buy this item at???

To all parents like myself, just a word of caution. GPS sounds great and all, but keep one thing in mind. All GPS units need a clear view to the heavens in order to lock onto satillites. So what does that mean, if your child is indoors you may not be able to know where he or she is. Most companies will just post the last known location of the device. Just keep in mind that these devices are still limited.

What about if the child has it inside a purse or backpack, will the GPS work?
The whole idea of it having GPS is whats going to get parents to buy it. I just think that all the pros and cons should be made clear when the product comes out.

This device uses AGPS which is operable inside buildings, forests, roadways, etc. This makes this protocol ahead of the competition by about two years!

I have done some research on these phones and the only one that is available at this time is the TicTalk. We would purchase the Wherifone in a hearbeat but their customer service says it will not be available untill next year. Our 11 year old son has already expressed a concern that the TicTalk looks like a kids toy. Something to think about if you are buying it as a gift.

I have done some research on these phones and the only one that is available at this time is the TicTalk. We would purchase the Wherifone in a hearbeat but their customer service says it will not be available untill next year. Our 11 year old son has already expressed a concern that the TicTalk looks like a kids toy. Something to think about if you are buying it as a gift.

I have done some research on these phones and the only one that is available at this time is the TicTalk. We would purchase the Wherifone in a hearbeat but their customer service says it will not be available untill next year. Our 11 year old son has already expressed a concern that the TicTalk looks like a kids toy. Something to think about if you are buying it as a gift.

This phone is great I would recomend it to any one it is so practical and light, you can bring it any where. The GPS is great and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

I have an 8yr old boy who walks back and forth to school and i just dont trust people in this world today. I am really considereing getting this phone for him since i can program the numbers and know where he is at all times.

I just went through every parent?s worst nightmare yesterday. My 6yr old was never checked into his after school program and when my wife went to pick him up, they told her he wasn't there and that they had him marked absent. Long story short, he got on the wrong bus, nobody noticed. He got off the bus at our house and went inside. He did not tell the bus driver he was on the wrong bus because it was not the "regular" bus driver. He was scared and could not remember our cell numbers. He went up to his room, curled up in bed and fell asleep. My wife called the house and yelled into the answering machine but he was sound asleep and did not hear it. She called me at work in a panic. I had her call 911 and I called everyone else I could think of. I called my brother who is a deputy and he went right to the house. He went in the house and called for my son, no answer. He checked the pool and the tree house, nothing. He went up and checked his room and found my son sound asleep, under his covers with all of his stuffed animals. He called me on the cell and radioed the police that he had found him. It was about 40 min. from the time my wife called me and the time I got the call he was ok. It was the longest and worst 40 min. of my life. It was almost an hour for my wife who was going through the process of describing him and what he was wearing to the deputy. You can teach them your numbers, but when they are scared, will they remember? I will be getting a phone of this type today! He may not have wanted to talk to the bus driver that he didn't know, but he would have pushed the Mom button and told her!
I thought these were the worst idea, cell phone makers targeting younger and younger kids. Now I see the light.

why can't SPRINT come out with something of this nature geared towards KIDS??????

The technology is out there, why cna't they get on the train before they LOOSE alot of customers!

I was wondering where to buy a Wherifone.

The Wherifone has ben around for over a year. I am on the Wherify Wireless website and it still says the Wherifone is not yet available in the US. Is this true? Where can I buy a Wherifone?

I think every kid in the world should have one because it lets parents know where thier kids are and when they'll be home it is a great idei

What ever happened to being a child?

Being a carefree kid went out the window with all the internet predators, etc. It's a sad world for small children.

Where do I get one? My son was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes & this would give me great piece of mind.