Review: LG's Migo phone for kids

LG Migo

LG Migo

LG Migo

While by no means the first kid-specific mobile phone on the market, LG's Migo does mark the first time that a major manufacturer has developed one and put some actual marketing muscle behind it. The idea behind the Migo, and similar devices like the Firefly, is to develop a handset for younger kids in their pre-teen years. Make it simple to use, limit the phone's ability to make outbound calls, and make it "cool" enough that your youngster is going to want to carry it around with him or her.

That doesn't seem like a particularly tall order in a time where mobile phones often contain 2 megapixel cameras and MP3 players.

Physical Aspects

Physically, the Migo scores well. It measures 92mm x 46mm x 22mm (3.6" x 1.8" x .9") in size, and weighs only 69g (2.4oz). It has a shiny finish on top of a bright metallic green paint job. There is a pair of buttons on the side for dealing with call volume as well as ring volume (and vibration), a standard headset jack, and a very simplified keypad design that has 4 dedicated speed dial buttons and a special emergency speed dial button. There are the normal red and green call control buttons, as well. The Migo, like the Firefly, keeps costs down by making use of a small, monochrome display (with a blue backlight).

It seems to pass the test of having a cool design. Everybody who I have shown the device to has loved it - kids, included. Heck, even I would consider using one of these if it were somehow practical for an adult.

User Interface

Considering that the Migo really has very few features, it is no surprise that the user interface is very simple. The menu is accessed by pressing on the green "Yes" button. You can then press one of the 4 number buttons to get to a sub-menu. The 1 and 2 buttons access the Set Ringtone and Set Caller ID menus respectively. The two line display lists the menu options, and you can scroll through them using the two volume keys on the side of the device.

The 3 and 4 buttons allow you to edit the speed dial entries. But before you can do that, you have to enter a 4 digit pin code that, presumably, will be kept secret by the parents. You can then use the 3rd menu to program the names and numbers used by the four number keys speed dials. You would likely set them to be labeled "Mom" or "Dad" or something similar. The 4th menu is used to change the emergency key from the default value of 911, if you so choose.

But you might be thinking, how does one program a name and number into a phone with only 4 number keys? Well, it isn't as hard as you might think. Numbers are entered in a triple-tap like way that anybody familiar with text messaging will understand. Pressing the 1 button once gets you the number 1, pressing twice gets 2, three times gets a 3. Pressing the 2 button once gets you a 4, twice a 5, and three times a 6. And so on.

LG Migo

LG Migo