HMD, the Finnish phonemaker more known for the redevelopment of the Nokia mobile phone series, announced Wednesday (July 24) that it was launching its Better Phone project, with an aim to make mobile devices safer and friendlier for children and teenagers. 

The company said in its statement that the endeavor would see it create more age-appropriate phones for younger people that would acknowledge the input of parents and other experts in terms of limiting the potential harms that children could encounter while staying connected. 

Issues HMD Need to Tackle in Creating Phones for Younger Users

HMD cited a GWI Core 2023-24 study which said that around 29% of the global population of youngsters aged 16 to 24 claimed to be prone to the effects of anxiety, while 38% of them believed that they spent too much time on social media. 

Meanwhile, a July 2024 Perspectus Global study commissioned by HMD also found out that around half its parent responders (54%) wished that they had waited longer to give their children a smartphone, while 65% of them were concerned that their children's phone use could impact their mental health

It also revealed that almost half of them said that mobile phone use changed their children's personality, while two-thirds felt that they were left to their own devices, both figuratively and literally, in putting together their own solutions. 

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Nokia's 'Dumb' Phones Part of HMD's Current Solutions 

CNET reported that HMD already has a strong lineup of "dumb" phones that would allow children and teenagers access to basic connectivity while avoiding or limiting internet access. 

It is understood that some of the "dumb" phones HMD currently offers that parents could use for their children include some of the redesigned legacy Nokia phone models. 

HMD global head of proposition, partner, and product marketing Adam Ferguson said that the Better Phone project was a way for the firm to "show what parents are feeling," explaining that the research they conducted indicated that HMD should immediately take action in terms of developing phones for young people.

In addition, HMD CMO Lars Silberbauer insisted that the project should do something better than "gluing a tracking device" on a dumb phone, saying that it is about time that the tech industry should collaborate with families and experts to make the endeavor successful. 

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