Make Your Teen's Phone a Family Affair (Without Invading Their Privacy)

Whether you're a parent or a teen, online life and tech use is fraught with obstacles to navigate, and it can often feel like there's little the tech companies of the world are doing little to help ease the angst. Most of the tech kids use -- from smartphones to social media -- was never designed with them specifically in mind. Finnish phone-maker HMD is setting out to change that, and here in Barcelona at Mobile World Congress 2025 introduced its new Family Portfolio with the Fusion X1, a phone designed with kids and for kids. The phone has been designed in collaboration with Xplora, a company known best for its kid-friendly smartwatches. The two companies have crafted a phone that allows teens to request permission from their parents to download apps from the Google Play store. Their parents, meanwhile, can remotely control their access to all apps and features through a companion app, while setting and tracking screen time and location. Read more: MWC 2025: All the Phones, Wearab ... Read full article.