Nokia 215 (from £59.50, Amazon)
An old-school mobile phone similar to those many parents had as teenagers, this Nokia model has a simple, retro design and small LCD display. It can play music, has Bluetooth connectivity, and you can even play the classic game Snake.
Pros: Long battery life, meaning they won’t get caught short. There’s no touch screen and no social media apps, so the risk of addiction is lower.
Cons: It’s a very basic device. If you’re concerned about where your child is, there’s no GPS functionality.
If parents don’t want their children to have unsupervised access, they need to do a SIM swap and get a no-data SIM [available from £4 a month].
Basic phones for under-14s
The Phone (from £88)
This French model is essentially a fake smartphone: it has a touch screen, but only allows users to use it to make calls and send texts.
Sturdy and durable, it’s designed for children and has no internet whatsoever.
Pros: Ideal for pre-teens who want to look like they’ve got a smartphone, it ticks the box without any risk of them becoming hooked on a screen.
Cons: There’s no GPS, camera or music functionality. If these are important to a parent, it may not be the right option for you. Also you have to order it from France.
Xplora XG03 Kids Smart Watch (from £69)
Smartwatches are a good middle ground for kids who want their own smartphone.
This model, by a Norwegian company, has been around for several years and is increasingly popular in the UK. Other options include models by imoo (a Chinese company) and Garmin.
Pros: Users can call and text, without the traditional touch screen, and there’s also GPS so parents can track their child when they’re out of the house. It provides that safe experience as there’s no access to the internet.
Cons: Not all children may want to wear a watch on their wrist – but they can always keep it in their pocket or on their bag.
Karri Messenger (from £29.99)
A screen-free walkie-talkie, this device is like a phone – but different.
Users can send messages to one another, and parents can link to the chat by downloading an app on their phone.
Pros: It’s not addictive as there’s no screen and no internet. The price point makes it much more accessible than a smartphone.
It also boasts GPS, making it a cost-effective way of keeping tabs on your kids.
Cons: There is a monthly fee, on top of the price, which ranges between £4.99 and £7.99 per month.
The brightly-coloured design and basic functionality may not appeal to older teens; it was initially conceived for primary schoolchildren.
Written by Jennifer Powers, Founder Unplugged Coalition
Full article available here