The Balance Phone isn’t a specific phone, but a piece of software known as Balance OS that’s layered on top of your phone’s operating system, limiting the most addictive (and productivity-sapping) apps and websites.
Balance OS limits access to social media apps such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, as well as streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix. You’ll also need to meet potential partners IRL, as it also bans dating sites such as Tinder and Bumble.
Based on the Android platform, Balance OS is currently only available on select Samsung phones. Notably, you don’t need to buy a specific phone to get it. You can use Balance with your own compatible phone for £69 per year. If you do want to buy a preconfigured Balance Phone, there are three Samsung flavours to choose from. The cheapest, the Samsung A17, is ideal for kids and will set you back £269. After that, you have the Samsung Galaxy A37, priced at £379, and those who want uncompromising power and features can snap up a Galaxy S25 for £679.
For this review, I’m testing a preconfigured Samsung A37 phone with the Balance OS platform. And while we’ll focus on the Balance OS, we’ll also test and explore the features and design of this base model phone, though the platform will offer the exact same experience and level of functionality across compatible Samsung devices.
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