At MWC 2026, we saw some wild devices like Honor’s Robot Phone, Tecno’s magnetic modular phone concept and a phone that starts fires. But the most curious device I saw was a phone for your pets, aptly named the PetPhone.
The PetPhone made its debut in September 2025, but MWC was the first time many of us heard of it. It’s essentially a cellular tracker that attaches to your pet’s collar. Unlike an AirTag, which relies on someone with an iPhone to be nearby to track it and could be dangerous for pets, the PetPhone uses GPS and cell signal to show you exactly where your cat or dog is.
But the killer feature is that your furry best friend can call you. If your cat or dog jumps three times in a row, they can ring you up. Given my cat’s tendency toward independence, I would be shocked if any cat had ever successfully used this feature! Clearly, it’s a feature for dogs that they’re trying to sell to the most optimistic cat owners. I should note that CNET hasn’t tested the PetPhone.
At a time when loneliness is a growing epidemic, I see a lot of tech aimed at mitigating it, in part, like ZTE’s iMoochi companion bot. Pet ownership has long been cited as good for your health and well-being. As more people rely on cats and dogs for a constant stream of unconditional love, it makes sense that pet owners want to maintain that connection even when away, as they would a loved one or dear friend.
Like other pet trackers, the PetPhone lets you follow your pet’s location and health (distance traveled, activity level). It’s PetPhone’s pet starts a phone call feature, Paw Call Me, that’s truly notable. The supported iPhone and Android app has a training mode to teach your furry friend how to dial you: jumping over a foot, three times in less than 6 seconds starts a call. This raises a few questions.
What cat can do this? How do you explain to your pet that you’re in do-not-disturb mode at work and not ghosting them? Are there psychological effects on pets if they find out they have a new way of getting your attention? Or if you have a dog that just likes to jump, how many unintentional calls are you going to get?
The PetPhone also has a speaker so you can play music for them or call them so they can hear your voice. The idea is that this could help reduce separation anxiety — something my cat actually suffers from.
GlocalMe, the global wireless networking company that makes the PetPhone, is launching a new accessory, the PetCam, which can work as a standalone device recording the world from your pet’s point of view or livestream via a cellular connection.
The PetPhone is on sale now for $90 at Amazon, Chewy and other retailers. The phone requires a service subscription for one to three years. The three-year plan averages $5 a month and the first month is free. The PetCam doesn’t have a price yet. A GlocalMe representative told me that the current RAM shortage has caused the company to reconsider the PetCam’s price.
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