Talkid: Keep the connection, remove the smartphone
A new communication device designed specifically for children, inspired by the walkie-talkie principle. Despite its Wi-Fi connectivity, it is designed to encourage safe, simple, distraction-free use through a dedicated parental control app.
Using a smartphone and always being connected can make everyday life much easier, but intensive and unregulated use can create real problems, especially for younger users, children. This is where Talkid comes from: the idea of two French engineer-entrepreneurs and fathers, Jérémie Eskenaz and Morgan Segalis, who decided to create a device that can connect without allowing access to the Internet.
One of the conditions identified by experts today is technology addiction, meaning a pathological and uncontrolled relationship with the Internet, smartphones, social media or video games that affects everyday life. The real concern emerges when this is considered in relation to the age at which young people are first introduced to these devices: in Italy, around 40% start using a smartphone between the ages of 2 and 3, and among them, 20% are just two years old.
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Keep the connection, remove the smartphone:
Children’s independence without the drawbacks of a smartphone
The main question Jérémie and Morgan wanted to answer was: “How do you give a child independence without giving them a smartphone?” Their brief was to create something simple that would encourage communication – without adding further distractions or unnecessary digital functions – and give younger kids independence, while avoiding the need to use their parents’ smartphones.
The inspiration for the project and its design is the walkie-talkie, a tool that is easy to use – press the button and talk – to which a fundamental element has been added: Wi-Fi. Thanks to this integration, Talkid does not have the usual limitations of direct radio transmission and allows children to reach both other friends who own the product and their parents, who have the Talkid-connected app on their phones.
The importance of product design
The walkie-talkie also becomes the inspiration for the model’s form and details: weighing 125 g and measuring 6 × 13 cm, with a thickness of 2 cm, it works by recording a message using the side button, with the option to adjust the volume. Alongside the typical controls, it also features a colour screen, a directional pad, a button to confirm/send messages and one to go back. On the one hand, the screen is designed to support short chats made up of voice messages, emojis and animated reactions, with a contact list and groups approved by parents. On the other, it is designed to deliberately prevent access to search engines, social feeds, app stores and phone numbers.
Talkid is designed to integrate parental controls into its interaction model: the main function remains communication, in the safest possible way for a child. For this reason, the phone connects to Wi-Fi and does not require a SIM card or subscription to be used, while the contact list cannot be managed from the phone itself but through the app used by parents.
Talkid, designed down to the last detail
From an aesthetic point of view, the model has a standard rectangular shape with rounded corners, while the main body is grey, with touches of brighter colours on some buttons in orange and green. The material used is PC-ABS, a combination of polycarbonate and ABS that provides lightness and high impact resistance. Talkid can be easily recharged via USB-C and features a rechargeable 2000 mAh battery, which can be replaced or serviced by a qualified professional. The connection system relies on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0, with a claimed battery life of up to 12 hours.
For Talkid, every detail has been designed to allow children to communicate simply and immediately, without distractions and, above all, without exposing them to the risks associated with browsing the Internet or using chats linked to a personal profile and phone number.
