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Tin Can launches a landline-style phone for kids

Tin Can, US

US – Seattle-based designers Chet Kittleson, Max Blumen and Graeme Davies have launched Tin Can, a landline-style phone designed to give children greater independence without exposing them to the distractions and risks associated with smartphones.

Created after the trio struggled to find devices they felt comfortable giving to their own children, Tin Can strips communications back to voice-only interaction.

The cylindrical handset has no screen, meaning users cannot access apps, texting or the internet. Instead, children can only make and receive calls from a parent-approved contact list managed through a companion app connected via built-in wifi.

The device also includes quiet hours, allowing parents to disable calls during bedtime or homework periods. Unlike mobile devices, Tin Can must remain plugged into the wall, a deliberate decision intended to encourage children to remain present and focused during conversations.

The launch reflects growing demand for child-friendly communications technology that prioritises safety, attention and digital restraint. It also represents broader opportunities for brands designing products around intentional disconnection and simplified digital experiences.

Read our Teens, Tech and Tapping Out report to understand how activist parents are looking to change young people’s relationships with their smartphones.

Strategic opportunity

As consumers grow wary of always-on digital environments, consider how your brand can explore simplified products and services that prioritise focus, safety, trust and intentional engagement over constant connectivity

How Apple is turning discovery into a dialogue

Global – Apple Maps is making local discovery more conversational in iOS 26, moving away from rigid keyword searches towards more natural requests. Instead of searching for simple terms like ‘coffee’ or ‘pizza’, users can increasingly search the way they speak, using prompts such as ‘quiet café with wifi’ or ‘dinner open after 10’.

The update reflects a broader shift in mobile behaviour, where users expect apps to understand intent rather than rely on exact search phrasing. Reports from the iOS 26 beta cycle point to a ‘Search the Way You Talk’ approach within Maps, helping users find places based on context, location and real-world needs.

The feature expands Apple Maps’ role beyond navigation into everyday decision-making, particularly in dense urban areas and unfamiliar cities where users search by need rather than by business name.

Apple is also extending Maps’ memory functions through Visited Places, an opt-in feature that helps users remember restaurants, shops and locations they have previously visited. Apple says the feature is protected with end-to-end encryption, reinforcing privacy as local discovery becomes more personalised.

Together, the updates position Apple Maps as a contextual local guide.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming macrotrend report, The Future of Discovery, which explores the shift towards conversational search experiences like Apple Maps and the emerging opportunities for businesses to win in this new era of discovery.

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Strategic opportunity

Optimise for natural-language discovery, not just keywords. Consumers will increasingly search using contextual prompts and brands will need richer, conversational descriptors and AI-readable business profiles

Stat: The forces dividing and uniting modern Britain

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

UK – Some 79% of Britons believe society is becoming angrier, according to ITV’s latest What Unites A Kingdom report, which explores the changing mood of the nation in 2026.

Based on a survey of 2,249 people by YouGov, the research paints a picture of a country retreating inwards, with consumers seeking smaller pleasures, emotional safety and more manageable routines. Some 46% say they are trying to reduce how much they share online, while seven in 10 now see routine as important in daily life.

At the same time, six in 10 believe brands do not charge fair prices for products and services, reflecting wider distrust amid ongoing economic pressure. Honesty has also emerged as the number one value Britons want promoted in 2026.

The report positions sports, entertainment and shared cultural moments as the antidote to increasing fragmentation. Major sporting events are identified as one of the country’s strongest unifying forces, with Britons reportedly looking forward to the 2026 World Cup more than their own birthdays.

Head to our New Codes of Value macrotrend report to understand why consumers are re-evaluating their consumption choices, and why emerging values around care, connection, transformation, resourcefulness and enoughness are becoming essential for brands seeking relevance and trust.

Strategic opportunity

How can your brand use the 2026 World Cup to design real-world and digital experiences – such as watch parties, community screenings and participatory campaigns – that bridge divides and create moments of collective connection in a fragmented society?