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Nostalgia can be a pretty powerful drug – just ask Disney. For parents feeling overwhelmed with the pressures of managing mobile phones for kids in the age of social media, there's a new option in Australia today that taps into that feeling of nostalgia called Tin Can.
Effectively, it's like an old-school landline, designed for kids to stay connected with their friends the old fashioned way. Except instead of plugging it into the wall, it connects via Wi-Fi to your home network.
The device runs on a fully private network, so only contacts a parent has approved can call in. There's no texting, no apps, and no social media. When your kid picks it up, they get exactly one thing: a voice call.
It arrives at a well-timed moment for Australia. The conversation around kids and technology has been building for a while, with the federal government already moving to restrict under-16s from social media platforms. Tin Can positions itself as a solution to the dilemma parents often face when a child wants a phone but isn't ready for a full smartphone.
CEO and co-founder Chet Kittleson said the company had been hearing from Australian families who felt stuck between giving their kids nothing or handing over a device with everything on it.
"They wanted their kids to have a little more freedom to call a friend after school or make plans on their own, but they weren't ready to hand them a smartphone to get there," he said.
Kittleson founded the company alongside Graeme Davies and Max Blumen in Seattle, drawing on memories of his own family's landline as the spark for the idea.
"My landline was basically my whole social life growing up," he said. "You'd race home to call your friends, spend hours talking about absolutely nothing, and it felt like the biggest thing in the world. We wanted to bring a little bit of that feeling back."
The product has sold hundreds of thousands of units across North America over the past year, largely through word of mouth. Australia became one of the most requested international markets before today's launch.
Pricing and availability
Tin Can is priced at $180 and pre-orders are open now at tincan.kids/en-au, with devices expected to begin shipping in November.
Calls between Tin Can devices and to emergency services are included at no extra cost.
For families who want their kids to be able to reach approved numbers outside the Tin Can network, there is a Party Line Plan subscription at $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year.
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