KARRI is a small device created by the design studio Pentagram for the London- and Berlin-based company of the same name. It’s a screenless smartphone designed for children aged five to thirteen. A kind of smart walkie-talkie that allows them to record, listen to, and send voice messages to their parents — all without icons, notifications, or downloadable games.

KARRI was born as a response to one of the most delicate issues of our time: how to raise children in a digital world without making them dependent on it. A project that almost recalls the solution imagined by the designers behind the Light Phone. The idea behind KARRI is simple yet radical: remove the screen, remove the temptation. In its place, an intuitive physical interface centered on a single gesture: slide to talk. Just slide the cursor up to record and send a message, down to listen or delete. No menus, no apps — just voice and direct contact.

The compact and colorful design follows a logic of pure functionality. The side buttons adjust the volume and the channel — meaning the recipient of the message — while a small LED matrix communicates what’s happening through minimal animations: one indicates recording, another flashes for an incoming message. On the back, a flashlight adds practicality, while the neck lanyard and silicone cases make the object personal and recognizable, almost like an accessory to carry everywhere.

KARRI connects to a dedicated app installed on the parents’ smartphones. The device has its own SIM card and works on all mobile networks, also integrating a GPS system that allows parents to locate their child and create safe zones — the so-called geo-fences — with automatic notifications when boundaries are crossed.

The second generation of KARRI, the result of numerous prototypes and tests developed by Pentagram and the company’s technical team, is expected to launch in early 2026. It promises to redefine the very concept of a “phone for children”: not a tool for connecting to the digital world, but a simple, safe, and human way to stay in touch with those who truly matter.