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Home Tech Smartphones

Get a free phone for your kid just in time for school

Whoever said there wasn’t a market for a dumb smartphone hasn’t met this phone.

Written by Maria Diaz, Staff Writer on

If you’re a parent, the prospect of sending your kids to school without a way to contact them or track their location may be weighing on your mind. To that point, Gabb Wireless is offering a limited-time deal on its selection of smartphones for a free phone included with the $25 activation fee.

The Gabb Phone is a cellphone made for kids with safety in mind. The phones are the bare-bones version of a smartphone ideal for younger kids: No access to social media or distractions, no games, internet, or third-party apps — just a way to stay in touch.

Also: These are the best tablets for kids, according to parents and experts

The deal for a free Gabb Phone doesn’t require a contract, though you can sign a Gabb Wireless one-year or two-year contract at $25 a month. The Gabb plans include access to Verizon’s 4G LTE network but no access to an internet browser.

Each phone has unlimited talk and text, a proprietary messaging app, active GPS tracking, geofencing safe zones, a Gabb Guard spam blocker, and Gabb Cloud digital backup. Users can also sign up for Gabb Music, a kid-safe music subscription service that costs $5 monthly after a 30-day free trial.

Gabb Wireless was founded by Stephen Dalby, a father that wanted to limit the risks of giving children cell phones. The company also offers parents the option of a smartwatch, the Gabb Watch 2, for younger kids from aged 5 to 11, the Gabb Phone for kids aged 9 to 15, and the Gabb Phone Plus for kids over 13.

Also: The best kids phones starting at $99

As a “dumb” smartphone, the Gabb Phones run GabbOS, a custom Android build that makes it intuitive and familiar for children, as many already have experience with Android.

As part of the deal, you can choose from two discounted hardware options while supplies last, just by paying the $25 activation fee: The Gabb Phone Plus, a Samsung A03s, typically priced at $200, and the Gabb Phone, a ZTE Z2, which retails at $150 but is currently 50% off. The deal is only available on the Gabb Wireless website and expires on July 27 at 11:59 p.m. MDT.