This is the smartphone designed in Europe for minors

In Europe it is normal for children to have their first cell phone at 12 years oldand even before, although that could change. In theory, many applications that adults use daily are not intended for the little ones, such as WhatsApp, but despite this, when they have the opportunity to install them, they end up using them. In fact, the use of the messaging app is limited to people over 16, like other apps of this type.

One option is not to give phones to children.but due to social pressure and sometimes necessity, this is sometimes not feasible. In addition, cell phones or tablets can be used in certain scenarios to encourage certain behaviors, although their indiscriminate use has proven to be harmful, especially for the little ones. This is why some parents choose to give them a smart watch, or perhaps a regular cell phone, without an internet connection.

Another option could be to give them a smartphone with access to applications but disabled so some apps cannot be installed. Likewise, we must take care of the browsing habits of the little ones, who are entering the world of pornography at an increasingly younger age. This has gotten worse in recent years with the use of some artificial intelligence services that have created images of naked minors.

One of the latest proposals that we have seen in Europe is the Phone balancean Android device with a custom interface reminiscent of the one used by David Broncano and once taught in a La Revuelta program. This device seeks to allow the installation of important applications, such as email or a GPS navigation application, but limiting the most dangerous proposals. We spoke with one of its founders, Albert Beltran Feliuto explain his ambition with this project.

He explains that currently the Balance Phone “is based on the hardware of the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G but with its own interface”, what they call BalanceOS. This way, the use of certain applications and websites is excludedbut the hardware of the device is still the same as the original Samsung model. Its price is 299 dollars.

Minimalist interface

The first thing that catches your eye is the interfacewhich consists of white text on a black background, with the applications on the screen but without colorful icons that attract our attention. This reduces the usage time of the mobile phone. We already know that smartphones are designed so that we interact with them for as long as possible, but in this case, the opposite is what is sought.

According to the company itself The average usage of their devices is 3 hours per day less than traditional cell phones. Teenagers typically spend many hours glued to their cell phones, but much of the blame lies with the apps they have installed. Messaging applications and especially social networks are designed in such a way as to invite users to log in from time to time and, if possible, to spend long days looking at images or videos almost without realizing it.

At the end, establishing agreed boundaries with parents is usually not an optionand negotiating cell phone use sometimes works, but not as well as, literally, not having the apps available on the smartphone controlled by the minor. As many experts point out, the most practical solution may be not to give a cell phone to a minor until they are older, but this is not viable in many cases, at least in countries like Europe.

A Samsung mobile

The company's strategy is focused on collaboration with Samsung because the Korean company is open to this type of implementations on its mobile phones. The choice of Samsung Galaxy A16 This is not a coincidence. This is a mobile phone with a reasonable base price, but with a design and features that make it ideal for the target audience.

This model has 128 GB internal memory4 GB of RAM, IP54 resistance, a triple rear camera with a 50 Mpx main sensor and a 5,000 mAh battery. You can make payments using the NFC chip and its screen measures 6.7 inches and has AMOLED technology and FHD+ resolution. Its security update system is guaranteed until October 2030.

Limited applications

The other security strategy of this mobile is limit apps and websites related to gaming, betting, streaming apps or social media. And of course pornography. The interface itself will be able to detect that you are trying to access content of this type and will prevent the user from seeing it.

Knowing that potential customers will be minors, this seems a logical measure. Despite this, the company itself clearly states that It will be possible to install other types of applications, such as study or productivity applicationsbe able to use applications like Uber or those of banks. Additionally, they told us that, per system, they had “configured the Balance Phone so that apps can only be downloaded through the Play Store. Any installation of APKs or apps from external sources is completely blocked” .

This is done in two ways. On the one hand, although there is access to the Google Play Store, Applications belonging to the games, social networks, streaming or betting categories will not appear in the search engine, and the system will not allow its installation. In addition, Access to certain websites in these categories, as well as those related to pornography, is also blocked..

This is done using the Ecosia Browserwhich is the one that this mobile has by default. The co-founder explains to us that “installation of other browsers” is also prohibited so that minors do not access these websites simply by changing the access application. Albert told us that they had looked into doing this using custom ROMs, but that would be the case. limited the possibility of updating the mobile, and they didn't want it.

From app to mobile

The origin of this device was an application, Balance app, which was launched in March 2024 and could be installed on several brand phones using Android as it was available on the Play Store. However, the company's co-founder told us that “due to Google's policies with the Play Store, it was possible that a child could uninstall it.”

Esto hizo que evolucionaran la idea de la mano de Samsung, modificando uno de sus móviles a un nivel más elevado técnicamente, de manera que es imposible que la aplicación se pudiera borrar, incluso formateando el móvil. Esto se realiza mediante una instalación usando el sistema MDM, que cambia el launcher del terminal y aplica las restricciones que los desarrolladores estimen oportunas.

Para 2025 la empresa sopesa la posibilidad de comercializar otros modelos de Samsung, quizás con más potencia y mejores cámaras, por ejemplo, para enfocarlos más allá de los adolescentes. Como se ha visto en el caso de David Broncano, hay adultos que son conscientes del pozo de tiempo en el que se convierten sus teléfonos.

Dada la estrecha colaboración con la empresa coreana, que también ha realizado aproximaciones a esta idea con Samsung Kids, en un futuro incluso sería posible convertir un móvil de la marca ya vendido en un Balance Phone para que un padre pueda cedérselo a su hijo. Y años después, quizás con los 18 años, pueda revertir el proceso y volver a ser un Samsung convencional. Estas novedades están actualmente en desarrollo y seguramente las veamos plasmadas en productos comerciales a lo largo de 2025.