How much control do you have over your child’s phone?

7NEWS Tech editor Shaun White discovered the world’s first kids’ phone that puts parents in charge from day one.

It starts with calls and texts but everything else gets unlocked with your approval.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

Meet the ‘digital licence’ phone

It is a smartphone that treats a child’s first mobile like getting a licence, and the first test is remembering its full name: HMD Fuse protected with HarmBlock+.

It starts with calls, texts and location only. The camera, apps and internet are added when a parent or guardian approves.

How it works

Everything is blocked by default. The safety controls sit inside the operating system, not as a separate app, which makes them harder to bypass.

Parents link Fuse to their own phone and switch features on as a child proves they are ready.

Approvals can be granted or withdrawn in seconds, quiet times can be scheduled for homework or bedtime, trusted contacts can be whitelisted so strangers cannot get through, and location history can be viewed when needed.

Day one can be calls, texts and location only. As trust builds, families can add music, camera, browsing and tightly controlled socials.

The headline safety feature

HarmBlock is the marquee tool, an on-device AI that aims to stop nude content from being created, seen or saved across any app.

Because it runs locally on the phone, images are not sent to the cloud for scanning, and the protection applies across the camera, browsers, messaging and livestreams.

Why this matters?

Handing over a first phone has long been an all-or-nothing moment. Fuse introduces a middle step between a tracker watch and a full iPhone or Galaxy, and could help define a new “first phone” category.

It also lands in the middle of a wider conversation about parenting styles. Supporters of tight controls see clearer guardrails and fewer loopholes.

Critics worry about tipping into helicopter parenting, where heavy oversight crowds out the opportunity for kids to build judgment and resilience.

The device raises that trade-off in a concrete way.

HMD says the feature set was shaped with feedback from tens of thousands of parents and children, which explains the default-off stance and quick controls.

Why now?

Fuse arrives as Australia debates under-16 access to social media and trials age-assurance approaches.

With platforms under pressure to keep younger teens off their apps, staged “first phone” models are likely to feature in family discussions about connection, safety and independence.

Trade-offs to consider

No AI system is perfect, so false positives and misses are possible. Strong guardrails can lead to friction when limits are reached.

App and service compatibility may vary and is worth checking, particularly for school or sport requirements.

Some households will prefer standard phones with Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link. Others will prioritise device-level controls that are harder to work around.

Price and availability in Australia

Fuse is $799 and includes 12 months of HarmBlock+.

After the first year, HarmBlock+ is $26.95 per month in addition to a mobile plan.

The ongoing fee may not suit every household in the current cost-of-living climate. Retail availability is slated for August 28 at major stores including Harvey Norman and Officeworks.