Location tracking and web surfing blocked... SKT launches 'Jam', a kids' phone priced in the 100,000 KRW range

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] SK Telecom announced that it will sell its self-planned children’s smartphone, the ‘Jam (ZEM) Phone,’ both online and offline starting from the 28th.

The ‘Jam Phone’ features ▲ real-time child location tracking, ▲ blocked web surfing and app store access, and ▲ waterproof functionality with strong durability. The retail price is 253,000 KRW, and with a uniform official subsidy of 100,000 KRW across all plans, it can be purchased for 153,000 KRW.

Parents can check the real-time location of their children carrying the ‘Jam (ZEM)-Parent’ app. Furthermore, through the ‘Automatic Location Transmission’ feature, parents can receive their child’s location information at desired intervals. This feature is available by downloading the ‘Jam (ZEM)-Parent’ app. Regardless of the parents’ carrier, any child using SK Telecom can use this service.

The ‘Jam Phone’ sends a charging reminder to the guardian when the battery power reaches 15% and 5%. When the phone is turned off or on, an ON/OFF status notification along with location information is sent. Additionally, if the child is in an emergency, the ‘SOS Emergency Location Alert’ can notify the parents. When the child presses the power button five times, an SOS message along with the child’s location is sent to the parents.

The ‘Jam Phone’ eliminates risks of smartphone addiction and exposure to harmful content through ▲ no web surfing, ▲ no app store installed, and ▲ blocking calls from unknown numbers. Internet search is limited to dictionary searches via the ‘Naver Dictionary’ web service. Attempts to access other sites display a notification stating ‘Service not supported on the current phone’ and are blocked. Since the app store itself is not installed, additional apps including games cannot be installed. Also, through the ‘Child Safety Care’ feature of the ZEM app, calls from unknown numbers other than those registered on the ‘Jam Phone’ can be blocked.

Reflecting some customer feedback, ‘Kids Phone KakaoTalk’ can be installed with parental consent. Kids Phone KakaoTalk maintains the core functions of the existing KakaoTalk but blocks third-party messages and invitations, and filters out profanity and other harmful features. This balances parents’ concerns about SNS addiction with their desire to communicate with their children.

The ‘Jam Phone’ weighs 84g, making it ultra-lightweight. The lightest among recent smartphones is about 150g, so this is nearly half the weight. It was specially designed to be light so that children can comfortably hang the ‘Jam Phone’ around their neck or shoulder without burden. The device’s width is about the size of a credit card, allowing children to use it comfortably.

Although lightweight, the hardware specs are not light. The ‘Jam Phone’ received an ‘IP67’ rating for waterproof and dustproof protection, allowing children to use it without worrying about water damage. It is unusual for a phone in the 200,000 KRW price range to support IP67 waterproofing, which withstands immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. Additionally, the display uses Corning’s ‘Gorilla Glass 3’ to enhance durability. The camera is a high-resolution 13-megapixel camera, reflecting the usage pattern of kids enjoying photo and video shooting.

Moon Gap-in, Head of SK Telecom’s Smart Devices Division, said, “We planned this with the heart of a parent to provide benefits to children while alleviating parents’ concerns,” adding, “We will continue to introduce products and services that meet customer demands.”