How to buy a phone for kids
THOUSANDS of Aussie youngsters are expected to nab their first smartphones this month, with a return to classrooms and after-school sport only days away.
Research shows one in three kids receive their own phone between the ages of six and 13, in a figure that is slowly climbing.
But while choosing a handset, a plan, and setting rules for first-time smartphone owners can be confusing, experts say it does not need to be and need not cost as much as some parents fear.
Canstar Blue telco editor Tara Donnelly said while many children received phones as they entered high school, or even a few years before it, parents did not need to equip them with the latest and greatest devices.
“In terms of looking for something for a child, you don’t need amazing cameras or the most hi-tech features,” Ms Donnelly said.
“You can get good features in a cheaper phone.”
Well-known smartphone brands, including Samsung, Motorola, Oppo, TCL and Nokia, for example, currently offer handsets for less than $300, while Boost Mobile has started selling refurbished iPhones at a significantly lower cost than new Apple devices.
To connect their children’s phones, Ms Donnelly said parents should consider prepaid options from smaller carriers such as Boost or supermarket brands Woolworths, Coles and Aldi as they offered large discounts.
“You can find lower prices if you don’t want the frills and the extras that the big carriers throw in,” she said.
“These providers can offer plans for under $20 a month that tend to be suitable.”
Other discount providers include Amaysim, which is offering a $12 monthly 2GB phone plan, and Dodo, which charges $10 a month for 2GB with unlimited calls and text messages.
Sydney publicist Hannah Heather said she chose a basic Nokia smartphone to give her daughter Bonnie, 10, during the 2021 lockdown as a way to keep in touch with her friends.
“At 10, you’re at that point when friends are becoming really important,” Ms Heather said.
“A lot of the kids she knew were connecting on Zoom or FaceTime and she didn’t have that ... so that was the push we needed as parents.”
She said she and her husband set restrictions early, including a ban on social media and a rule that she must hand the phone to parents whenever they asked for it.
“Having open, honest conversations from the getgo about phone etiquette and how to use it is important,” Ms Heather said.