Firefly Cell Phones

By The Manolith Team on October 15th, 2008

Teenagers will almost certainly be begging you for a cell phone. But what about giving a cell phone to younger children? There are some very good reasons to make sure your youngster has his or her own cell phone. For example, in an emergency, they would be able to call you, a neighbor or babysitter, or even 911. Enter a company called Firefly. They make cell phones for kids under ten years old. Firefly phones come in a variety of appealing translucent colors. Check with your state’s laws before purchasing, however, as some states have forbidden speed-dialing 911.

If you’ve got kids, and they don’t have cell phones yet, they’ve probably asked for one. Once they reach their teenage years, they’ll spend the majority of their free time yakking on the phone. Possibly, it has occurred to you that this is less than ideal. However, giving your kids cell phones has its upside also. For example, your kids will be able to call you in an emergency, no matter where they are. And if they know you’re going to call them, you’ve removed a plethora of excuses as to why they were late to answer the phone.

The firefly cell phones are about as simple as a cell phone can be. It has no keypad. It has no camera. It doesn’t do emails. You can’t browse the web. There are no productivity applications. There is no complicated setup. There aren’t really even any moving parts. It’s just a simple, candy-bar style cell phone. It’s pleasingly compact at 3 ¼ inches by 1¾ inch by 1/2 inch. It only weighs 2.1 ounces. How perfect is that for a kid’s pocket? If you don’t like the idea of your kid putting the phone in his or her pocket, it also comes with a lanyard and a backpack clip.

The screen is tiny and monochromatic; you should try before you buy if your kid has poor vision. The screen is informative, however, and shows the date, time, signal strength, battery life and caller ID info. Not only is it available in a variety of colors, but it also can be fitted with ‘skins’ to change up the style a bit.

Not too long ago when the cell phone seemed like a minor miracle. Now, they’re so widely accepted as to be taken for granted. Can you remember what life was like before cell phones? Yet today, even inexpensive cell phones are actually a lot more powerful computers than that desktop machine you had in 1990. Most users don’t tap the full power of ordinary cell phones, let alone a smartphone.

Nonetheless, there are many programs and services available should you choose to use them. Among the most useful is the calendar/day planner. Many phones allow you to access your email, provided the network coverage includes it. If you have kids with cell phones, they’ll probably install games on their cell phones.

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