A prototype retro phone that puts childhood back on the line
By James Herring on Monday, February 23, 2026
Designer Ishac Bertran has unveiled a concept phone he created for his daughter, stripping communication back to its essence and giving children a focused, voice-only way to connect with family and friends.
The Barcelona-born, Brooklyn-based interaction designer built the picture-based landline to foster autonomy without the distractions of a smartphone.
A child simply lifts the handset, presses a photo button and is connected. Incoming calls ring through, and voice messages can be replayed via a single red button.
Sharing the concept on LinkedIn Bertan said “I made a phone for my daughter. It’s very simple: lift the handset, press the button of whoever you want to talk to, and it calls their number. Friends and family can also call her, and the phone will ring. If she’s not around, they can leave a message, which she can listen to by pushing the red button.”
The result is fixed-location, screen-free communication that feels both retro and refreshingly intentional.
Bertran, who leads the Interaction Design team at Seed Studio within Google Devices and Services, specialises in envisioning and prototyping products that help people feel more creative, connected and aware.
The idea received a positive reaction one said “What a great idea! This might fill a need for elderly as well – I have had relatives who only used the phone to call family, and struggled to both dial and answer.”
An experimental layer uses the Gemini Live API to let children call fictional characters such as Kiki or Totoro.
These AI-powered personas reference past conversations and ask thoughtful questions, with transcripts managed through a companion app to ensure age-appropriate exchanges.
“When I saw my daughter’s face the first time she called Kiki, I knew there was something interesting there. But I’m still debating this feature, I’m not sure it belongs in the same box, or if it’s needed at all.” he says.
Still an early prototype, the project explores how hardware, AI and imagination might coexist in more mindful ways.
