A Firefly phone is a mobile phone specially designed for younger kids. The Firefly phone features only five buttons on the faceplate, which are picture-coded and designed to be pre-programmed by parents. The Firefly phone is kid-friendly in design and has a clip for attaching to backpacks.
The five buttons on a Firefly phone consist of green and red call buttons to begin and end a call, and mom and dad buttons with symbols similar to those used on public restroom doors to indicate gender. There is also a directory button that will hold up to 20 numbers programmed by mom or dad. On the side of a Firefly phone is a 911-assistance button. The Firefly phone is designed to be simple enough for a child to use and durable enough to withstand normal use by a child.
Many parents find value in being constantly connected to their kids, especially when children start preschool or kindergarten and spend part of their day at school and part of their day at daycare. With a Firefly phone, parents can provide a simple way for kids to reach them at work without needing to remember numbers. It also prevents older children from calling friends unnecessarily and racking up expensive bills.
Mobile service with a Firefly phone can be purchased on a pay as you go plan with pre-paid minutes or contracted through a Firefly approved cellular service provider. Pre-paid minutes can be purchased online, by phone, or with pre-paid cards available at select stores with a cost of US$.25 per minute. There are of course a variety of accessories available for Firefly phones, just like a grown-up phone, including hands-free headsets, carrying cases and different colored shells you can swap out just like a regular phone's faceplate. Consumers can purchase a Firefly phone for around US$100 from several retailers, including Target and Toys-R-Us, or online directly from Firefly.