There’s a large and growing market in mobile phones for children aged 10-14, and it’s one that the retailer has to approach with care. When you’re trying to find the right phone to show a youngster you’ll probably find yourself having to satisfy the parents (who hold the purse-strings) as well as the user (who holds the phone).
A degree of upfront bling might appeal to one; low cost and solid construction is likely to carry more weight with the other. In this round-up we’ve identified a dozen phones that fit the bill – nothing too radical on the feature side here, but nothing too pricey either.
TWO OPTIONS FOR THE VERY YOUNG
Parents often find themselves on the horns of a real dilemma when it comes to giving very young children mobile phones – there’s a lot of peer pressure, and there are good practical reasons for staying in touch.
Omego (right) is a walkie talkie-style handset with just two buttons and a Blackberry-style rocker wheel.
Parents go to a website to preset the numbers which can call and text the phone and those that the phone itself can call or text.
mTrack’s i-Kids (left) is similarly restricted, with the added bonus of a GPS transceiver that enables a parent to see on a web-based interface exactly where their child is; the adult can also set up a safety zone such that the phone automatically sends a text message if the child strays outside the boundary.
TWO OPTIONS FOR THE VERY YOUNG
Parents often find themselves on the horns of a real dilemma when it comes to giving very young children mobile phones – there’s a lot of peer pressure, and there are good practical reasons for staying in touch.
Omego (right) is a walkie talkie-style handset with just two buttons and a Blackberry-style rocker wheel.
Parents go to a website to preset the numbers which can call and text the phone and those that the phone itself can call or text.
mTrack’s i-Kids (left) is similarly restricted, with the added bonus of a GPS transceiver that enables a parent to see on a web-based interface exactly where their child is; the adult can also set up a safety zone such that the phone automatically sends a text message if the child strays outside the boundary.