Which Mobile Phone for kids?

Can't say that I agree totally with it but our eldest (11) goes to secondary school in September and her ladyship is insisting he needs a phone for emergencies. We both have iPhones and he uses these all the time but I don't want to shell out £500 so am looking for a viable alternative or a cheap way of getting him an iPhone so I don't have to buy a load of extra apps. Ideally I would like to keep the monthly cost to £10.

Anyone got any experience or advice they can share?

 

Tesco mobile offers a great deal that I bought for both my girls 13 & 11. They got a Samsung Chat phone (full keyboard like a Blackberry) with more minutes and texts then they can feasibly get through each month + some Internet access for FB etc .. at only £7.50 each per month- best deal I could find last Christmas after quite a bit of research. HTH

 

wait till after he starts school so you can find out what phone is cool in that school. it doesnt matter what make it is, it could be worth £10, but dont send him with a uncool phone or one that costs a fortune so it gets nicked
starting secondary school is bad enough, but sending him with an uncool phone

 

If its only for emergencies then just get her the good old Nokia 3210 or something. Makes calls and does nothing else, proper phone.

Then when the misses and daughter moan its not cool enough you then know whatever phone you get will end up costing you money in call and text charges!

 

it's down to peer pressure, want your kid to get rideculed? go pikey, want them to have shallow friends and be falsely popular? i phone..... you're welcome!

 

id have liked to have seen them with an eighteeez mobile

 

We all know, well hope, that there won't be any emergency but this is the way the world turns these days whether we like it or not.

I was a latch key kid and stayed out past 10pm most nights but it was all much different in those days and I don't think any of us with younger children would approve of that now.

 

I'm glad my kids have mobiles so that I can contact them and they can contact me. But rickyroo is right its all peer pressure about which phone to give them.

 

Just re read your post, and you want to get your son an iPhone, yes?
Cheapest way is an old model off eBay or a pawn shop. Or hope some generous soul off here sells you a cheap one. Hope this helps.

 

Ok checked with O2 and her ladyships phone is due for an upgrade in November so until then he will have to get by with an old Nokia then get her old phone on a pay as you go - sorted.

 

If you are using the O2 iPhone then just pop a Tesco sim in and it won't need unlocking, they use the O2 network and have cracking deals. Failing that my son uses GifGaf ...don't know about them too much myself but apparently lots of mins, texts and data for little money.

 

Ours got hand me down phones or cheapo Nokias on Tesco PAYG deals when they started secondary school, mainly so they could call when the bus doesn't turn up / is late / breaks down. If they want anything better then they have to wait for the next hand me down or get what they want for Birthday / Christmas.

 

The thing that puzzles me is that when we were kids and had stuff our parents hadn't had when they were kids, it was luxury - and we knew it.

Today all this stuff is claimed as vital.

If its vital how come we lived?