How it works
Described by many as a handheld computer, the iPhone has a range of features beyond taking photographs, making phone calls and sending text messages. Through Apple’s iOS mobile operating system (the software that powers an iPhone), users can also use the App Store, which gives them access to millions of apps – from TikTok to Minecraft to Apple Music. The iPhone includes a digital assistant, Siri, which can respond to written or spoken commands.
Recent iPhone models include artificial intelligence technology to make communication with Siri more natural and relevant. It also aims to assist users in daily tasks such as managing their calendar, or answering questions as well as writing emails or creating images and videos.
Parental controls or safety settings available
Marketed as the ‘first phone for teens’, the Fusion X1 has few pre-installed apps (e.g. it does not have a browser pre-installed) and it is designed for use with a paid-for parental controls subscription. Various accessories can be connected to the phone to extend its functionality, such as a game controller to turn the phone into a handheld gaming device.
Parental controls or safety settings available
iOS has parental controls to block apps and restrict location sharing. Accessed via Screen Time, these allow parents to:
• Prevent in-app purchases
• Limit age-inappropriate content
• Disable certain AI features
A passcode can be set to protect these settings. Family Sharing lets parents set up child accounts and manage controls remotely. It includes a Communication Safety setting, which detects and blurs nude imagery in apps like Messages and FaceTime. This setting is on by default for under-18s. On recent updates, children under 13 can only view these images by using the parent passcode, which also notifies the parent’s device.
