Republic Wireless today announced the Relay, a simple, a colorful square phone with Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity, but lacks a keypad or screen. The device meant to help young children communicate with their parents and other family members.
The Relay is small, puck-like speakerphone with a single large button. Pressing the button lets kids automatically speak and send a short voice message to their parents. Parents receive the message in SMS form and can respond via SMS. The Relay will play the parent’s response message over the speaker.
Using two Relays, kids can converse directly with a trusted adult or one another using walkie-talkie style communication. The associated app lets parents check in to see the child’s GPS whereabouts, and advanced geofencing supports alerts and other notifications or controls with respect to location.
The Relay can be put into assistant mode where it can interact with the Google Assistant. Using Google Assistant, kids can speak standard queries or even play their favorite playlists through the Relay’s speaker.
The Relay is water-resistant and semi-rugged for protection against the outdoor activities typically enjoyed by children. The Relay will be available in early 2018 and will not require a Republic Wireless account.
A single Relay costs $99, but parents can buy two for $149, or three for $199. Service costs $6.99 per month.
