I saw a commercial for this product a few weeks ago and stumbled onto it again while looking for new mobile phone service. The LG Migo mobile phone is a kid-friendly alternative for parents who want constant cell phone contact without giving kids the temptation of text messaging and unbridled access to phone numbers.

The phone has just four parent programmable (and lockable) speed dial buttons and a large 911 button. I like the simplicity of the 5 large buttons and appreciate the design that’s fun enough to appeal to kids but cool enough to keep them from being beat up at school for carrying it. The dual antennae and green shell give the phone a funky martian appearance and the blue backlit numbers on call buttons make it easy for kids to find buttons in the dark.

From a design standpoint, I prefer the Migo to other kid-friendly phones like the Firefly or Enfora TicTalk. The Migo looks more like a phone than its contemporaries and seems to place priority on durability and easy access to buttons over novel shaping. As a bonus to overprotective parents, the phone will soon be trackable via a GPS service provided by Verizon.