The First Bluetooth Smartphone for Kids; Pipsqueek

Do your little ones constantly ask to play with your cellphone? Maybe it’s time for them to have their own — one made especially for kids.
A company called Yip Yap developed a cellphone called Pipsqueek for children, ages three and older.
The cellphone, created by husband-and-wife team Michael and Angela Smith, works by connecting to mom or dad’s cellphone through Bluetooth. Its Kickstarter page says there are no contracts or monthly fees.
The reason for a kids-only phone? Durability. In a Pipsqueek promotional video, Smith shows what happens when she hands one of her kids a “$600 smartphone” to talk to dad: The phone’s dropped on toys, plunged into the toilet, touched by peanut butter-covered fingers and licked by the dog.

To save your precious (and valuable) smartphone from damage caused by kids, simply route an incoming call to Pipsqueek. Not only does the phone withstand drops and dirty hands, but it comes with changeable covers, too, making it fun for kids to use. A toy-like charging station aims to encourage your child to keep the phone charged.
Yip Yap is trying to raise funds on Kickstarter and it’s giving itself until Nov. 30 to raise $187,545. The funding will go toward getting the product on store shelves. If you donate to the fund, you can get a Pipsqueek for “as low as $50.” If the project gets enough funding, the Smiths say their team will create apps for iOS and Android that will allow parents to set up a contacts list for their kids; that way, only phone numbers of their choosing can pass through the phone.

Pipsqueek is also an MP3 player, and — once the app is made — a locator for your child, too, as long as the phone is with them. It will work with Android and iOS devices, as well as all Bluetooth-enabled phones.
Would you buy your child a this kid-friendly cellphone? Tell us in the comments below.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ssj414