A UK launch this week shows how technology firms respond to rising anxiety about children and phones. Xplora Technologies announced the XploraOne, a startphone built for children aged 9 to 11, and made available to buy in the UK. The device allows calls, messages, games and safe content sharing, without social media or internet browsing.
The company positions the phone as an alternative to full smartphones rather than a rival. XploraOne removes feeds, scrolling and app stores. Parents use an integrated Guardian Service to approve contacts and track location, offering oversight as children gain independence.
Lise af Ekenstam, chief marketing officer at Xplora, said the design responds to a long standing mismatch between adult devices and childhood needs. “Children shouldn’t have to adapt to technology made for adults. Technology must be adapted to children. That’s why Xplora has built this phone. There’s no feed, no scrolling, no distraction – just technology that helps children be children a little longer.”
Xplora links the launch to its wider belief that childhood should be lived offline first. The company says the startphone supports play, movement and real world interaction rather than screen led routines that dominate many households.
What Does The Data Say About Children And Online Life?
Recent data from Ofcom tells us why alternatives attract attention. According to Ofcom’s 2025 Children’s Media Literacy Report, 24% of children aged 5 to 7 already have a smartphone. That level rises to 90% by the age of 11.
Social media use begins even earlier. Ofcom reports that 69% of children aged 8 to 9 have their own social accounts. Parents express unease about this pace. Only 30% of parents of children aged 3 to 17 who go online agree that the benefits outweigh the risks of their child using social apps, according to the regulator.
Time spent online adds to the debate. Children aged 8 to 14 spend an average of 2 hours and 59 minutes online each day across devices, Ofcom says. Campaigners and schools increasingly question how that time affects sleep, learning and wellbeing.
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Public pressure has risen alongside policy discussion. Media coverage on child online safety has increased sharply this year, alongside calls for a UK ban on social media for under 16s and government proposals to turn schools into phone free zones.
Xplora says the data shows a need for safer entry points into mobile technology. The company positions XploraOne as essential connectivity without exposure to feeds, unknown contacts or constant alerts.
Can Gradual Tech Slow Early Exposure?
Xplora describes its product range as gradual technology. The company offers smartwatches for children aged 5 to 8, the XploraOne for 9 to 12 year olds, and more advanced devices later. The idea is to delay full smartphone use rather than block access entirely.
Sanghyo Kim, chief technology officer at Xplora, said the phone reflects that thinking. “XploraOne isn’t just another phone. It’s a reminder that childhood belongs outside the internet and a statement for a real childhood. It has been designed as a safe, simple, purpose-built startphone for children aged 9-11, giving parents the opportunity to delay smartphone use for as long as possible. It’s made to stay in their pocket, not take over their lives.”
The Guardian Service allows parents to approve who their child can contact and review activity, creating what the company calls guided independence. Children gain freedom to move and communicate, without access to social platforms or browsers.
Xplora also calls for shared responsibility. “We need a collective responsibility, where parents, schools, authorities and technology companies act together,” said Ekenstam. “With XploraOne, we take our responsibility as a technology company seriously, and give families a safe alternative to smartphones.”
Founded in Norway ten years ago by chief executive Sten Kirkback, Xplora has built its presence across Europe. The UK launch places the debate about childhood, screens and safety firmly back in the public eye, at a moment when many parents search for ways to slow the rush into online life without cutting children off from connection.
