Will Wherify's Wherifone Be the Last Gadget Standing?

Wherify's Wherifone was long touted as one of the first GPS-locator cell phones for kids. When it finally came to market this fall, it arrived as a GSM phone so it could compete globally—and to set it apart from Verizon's LG Migo kids' GPS-enabled, CDMA phone.

Between the time the first design was unveiled and when the Wherifone went on sale, teens and preteens became hip to the cell phone scene and what they want and don't want. Kids care very much about how a phone looks, and Wherify's 2.5-inch-by-1.5-inch boxy design with preprogrammed numbers did not make the cut with the 'tweens and teen in my house.

So, wisely, Wherify is not marketing to kids. The company is eyeing parents who want a simple-to-use phone with a simply designed, affordable monthly plan. The Wherifone is all about staying in touch for safety's sake. With that in mind, Wherify is also marketing to elderly customers and to the people who want to keep in close contact with them.

The Wherifone comes in a few colors—pink, silver, blue, black and purple—and costs $100 with a one-year contract, which starts at $20 a month for 60 minutes of combined calls and GPS location services. The handset has five call buttons—three for important programmed numbers, one for 911, and one to access up to 20 additional programmed phone numbers. The GPS locator is simple to activate on the Wherify Wireless web site. For more information, read my review of the Wherifone.

Does it have what it takes to be the Last Gadget Standing in our contest culminating at CES in January? Well, it's got a lot to overcome to rise to the top of the cell phone heap, particularly in the two niche markets it is going for: kids and older folks.

The Wherifone is all about safety and simplicity, not style, so few children over the age of 8 will want to carry it. And several carriers offer family plans and GPS tracking in phones that teens and their younger sibs want to carry around.

In the older market, it has some keen competition in GreatCall's Jitterbug, a smartly designed phone that is easy to use, comfortable on the ear and eye, but does not offer GPS tracking.

The Wherifone offers affordability, simplicity and no frills—because, believe it or not, lots of people don't want all the extras. They just want to be able to communicate with their children or older relatives to make sure they are healthy and safe. Is that base big enough to make the Wherify Wherifone stand out in a crowded cell phone market?

Let us know what you think.