{"id":9960,"date":"2022-02-04T22:41:59","date_gmt":"2022-02-04T22:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/04\/gabb-wireless-vs-troomi-how-to-decide-which-is-right-for-your-kids-phone\/"},"modified":"2022-02-04T22:41:59","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T22:41:59","slug":"gabb-wireless-vs-troomi-how-to-decide-which-is-right-for-your-kids-phone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/04\/gabb-wireless-vs-troomi-how-to-decide-which-is-right-for-your-kids-phone\/","title":{"rendered":"Gabb Wireless Vs Troomi: How To Decide Which is Right for Your Kid\u2019s Phone"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Smartphone usage is exploding among kids, and it\u2019s not difficult to see why. Smartphones may as well be attached as extensions on most adults \u2014 kids are bound to observe that behavior and ultimately mimic it. Herein lies the problem: more and more kids want to use smartphones, and it\u2019s essential to prepare children for smartphone usage when they\u2019re older, but kid\u2019s phones and truly kid-focused devices are few and far between.<\/p>\n

While iPhones and Android devices have parental controls that can be enabled and customized, they are far from extensive and can even be disabled if you\u2019re not careful. So, to ensure that their children are getting the most out of their first cell phone experiences, more and more parents are opting for phones designed specifically for kids. Even once you decide to get a kid\u2019s phone, though, the question remains: which one is best?<\/p>\n

Here we\u2019ll compare two different options that parents may be considering: Gabb and Troomi. While Gabb\u2019s phones have a well-established reputation<\/a> for keeping kids safe and minimizing screen time, Troomi is a new entrant into the market \u2014 one actually created<\/a> by one of Gabb\u2019s original co-founders. Here are how the two companies\u2019 phones compare with one another:<\/p>\n

Security<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s the question on the mind of every parent getting ready to buy a new phone for their child: how safe is it going to be for them? The answer for both Gabb and Troomi phones is exceptionally safe; both are designed with child use in mind and are suitable for a wide range of ages as well. That being said, there are still some critical differences between the two that parents will want to be aware of.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the Troomi phone\u2019s single biggest selling point is its KidSmart operating system. The goal of KidSmart is to give users as smartphone-like an experience as possible while still maximizing safety during usage<\/a>. While the KidSmart OS allows for internet usage, its places are hard block on accessing potentially harmful material such as social media, addictive games, or pornography.<\/p>\n

KidSmart also connects Troomi phones back to software accessible by the user\u2019s parents, allowing them to both monitor and customize the phone\u2019s capabilities. A phone\u2019s GPS location is also always available through the system, allowing for on-the-fly tracking as necessary.<\/p>\n

App Security<\/h3>\n

The same principle that governs internet usage within the KidSmart OS also does the same on the app store: the system whitelists a number of \u201cKidSmart Apps\u201d that have been pre-approved for download for Troomi users. In addition, the system excludes any apps that may feature inappropriate content or rely upon addictive mechanisms, making sure that no child that uses a Troomi phone accidentally stumbles into something that they shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Gabb phones place a hard embargo on capabilities like these. There\u2019s no internet browsing, social media, or traditional app store access at all on Gabb\u2019s hardware. While this may sound overly prohibitive at first, it\u2019s the single best promise of security that a kid-focused phone can offer.<\/p>\n

Because a Troomi phone\u2019s capabilities can be adjusted by a parent from another device, the possibility that a child could find a way to do so themselves is always a risk. With Gabb phones, not even parents could integrate internet access or app downloads onto the device itself.<\/p>\n

Prioritizing Safety Preferences<\/h3>\n

For most parents, this will be a question of preference. There\u2019s no question that Troomi phones can fully block adult content in a way that even the most determined kids will not be able to find a way around, but what if there\u2019s a KidSmart App that you don\u2019t want your child having access to? You would be able to block any downloads of this app remotely. But, even loopholes this small may be too much for some parents. In this respect, Gabb is the \u201csafer\u201d option; inasmuch as its complete prohibition on internet usage precludes the possibility of any such difficulties.<\/p>\n

Parents could also think of phone security in terms of their own peace of mind. As effective as Troomi\u2019s security systems may be, they still require careful management on your part. This has its obvious benefits; many of which will be discussed later. But, it\u2019s also a potential negative for parents not interested in micromanaging their child\u2019s phone usage. With Gabb, there\u2019s no need to manage parental controls because there are no parental controls built in; the phone arrives fully secure.<\/p>\n

Additional Safety Preferences<\/h4>\n

Outside of the internet, both phones have a number of features that ensure security for younger users. Both phones include GPS-enabled location services. This means that a lost phone can be found right at the push of a button. The KidSmart OS for Troomi also has some additional features for ensuring positive first experiences. These include things like spam filters and phone number whitelisting, in order to ensure that kids aren\u2019t overwhelmed with confusing and predatory calls.<\/p>\n

When it comes to security, there\u2019s no obvious victor between Gabb and Troomi \u2014 ultimately, it comes down to how prepared parents are to oversee their kid\u2019s phone usage. The final takeaway should be that both phones are highly secure, but parents who want an additional layer of peace of mind may be attracted to Gabb\u2019s more pared-down features list.<\/p>\n

Capabilities<\/h2>\n

While parents may want their child\u2019s phone to be as safe as possible, they also want their kids to learn the basics<\/a> of how to use a smartphone effectively. In order to do that, a kid\u2019s smartphone needs to have some of the capabilities that normal smartphones do \u2014 otherwise, a flip phone would do just fine.<\/p>\n

Though both Gabb and Troomi\u2019s phones look like traditional smartphones, neither works quite like one and both work quite differently from one another. The difference is most pronounced in the case of Gabb\u2019s phones which, as previously mentioned, do not have internet capabilities. Instead, Gabb phones come pre-loaded with 14 apps ranging from music to photos to a calculator. This way, kids get a taste of some of the most fundamental smartphone capabilities without the risk of getting exposed to any adult content or features.<\/p>\n

The focus is ultimately on the \u201cphone\u201d part of the smartphone: kids are encouraged to use Gabb phones to keep in touch with their friends and family, not to mindlessly surf the web. Adults can often be over-reliant on using their phones as personal computers, and Gabb\u2019s software ensures that kids don\u2019t fall into the same trap<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Security Capabilities<\/h3>\n

While Troomi may have some security oversights that can turn off certain parents, that\u2019s only because of the wide-ranging capabilities of their phones. Gabb\u2019s phones are great for kids who are just starting out with that kind of technology and perhaps are unprepared for some of the more powerful smartphone features, but Troomi\u2019s phones are best for kids who are close to being able to use traditional smartphones but are not quite there yet.<\/p>\n

The aforementioned KidSmart OS can be thought of as training wheels for smartphone usage. Just like a tricycle is more like a bicycle, a Troomi phone is more like a smartphone. This is because it offers internet usage, app downloads, and so on. KidSmart OS puts blinders on all of these features, ensuring that they can\u2019t be used to access anything harmful or inappropriate.<\/p>\n

How to Manage the Capabilities<\/h4>\n

Even though there are hard blocks on things like social media, parents still have a big say in what their kids have access to on Troomi phones. Through the Troomi device manager, parents can further limit certain sites or apps if they so please. This also means that parents can give their kids access to more and more features as they grow older and more mature in their device usage.<\/p>\n

The Troomi device manager also allows for the remote management of screen time. If, for example, you wanted to make sure that your child wasn\u2019t using a certain app during school hours, you could command the OS to block access to that app during particular times of the day. This is another great way to seamlessly reward children for responsible phone usage: open up features remotely once they prove that they can handle the responsibility.<\/p>\n

Choosing the Capabilities You Need<\/h3>\n

Of course, every feature that a kid\u2019s smartphone has comes with a tradeoff. As is the case with security, the expanded capabilities of Troomi\u2019s phones means that parents will need to be willing to put in a little extra effort towards managing everything going on on their child\u2019s phone. Not only will parents need to make initial decisions regarding what their kids are and are not allowed to access, they may need to continually update those preferences<\/a> as time goes on in order to keep pace with their child\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean that Gabb\u2019s format is without its drawbacks. While there are obvious benefits to an internet-free device for parents, it does limit the capabilities of some apps in consequential ways. Music, for example, is one side of this double-edged sword. MP3s can be added to Gabb phones for kids to listen to, but not all songs can be easily downloaded as or converted into MP3s; because music streaming is the norm now, having a device without it may leave some kids disappointed. Even so, the lack of streaming capabilities may be a relief for parents. Essentially, these measures prevent kids from listening to certain artists or songs featuring adult language.<\/p>\n

When it comes to the most important functions a smartphone can have \u2014 those of the actual \u201cphone\u201d part itself \u2014 both Gabb and Troomi are on even footing. Both offer calls and texting as well as the ability to send pictures and videos. This means that no matter what phone your kids choose, they\u2019ll be able to stay connected in all of the ways that matter.<\/p>\n

Network, Specs, and Pricing<\/h2>\n

Ultimately, all smartphones operate on two crucial levels: software and hardware. Most of this article so far has been dedicated to discussing the software of each device, but parents and kids alike may still want to know about the actual phones themselves. Neither Gabb nor Troomi actually designs and produces the physical products themselves; instead, each loads their own software onto existing devices.<\/p>\n

Troomi\u2019s phone is a modified Samsung smartphone meaning that it comes along with some of the best specs to be found on modern smartphones, such as:<\/p>\n