What phone for a 10 year old girl?

Keiron · 14-11-2007, 7:07 AM

We're getting a mobile for our 10 year old daughter for xmas, now that she's out and about on her own and with her mates. I know absolutely bugger all about mobiles (I still have a housebrick) so would welcome some advice.

We don't want to spend more than £50 (max), would probably put it on the Tesco PAYG network (so unlocked/easily unlocked would be helpful if not from the Tesco range), she'd probably like pink or silver (not black) and I guess music, photos and games will be a real bonus.

Any suggestions would be welcome...especially from those in tune with 10 year olds! She refuses to take mine out with her for fear of ridicule...

I had in mind something like the Samsung E250. Is that groovy enough?

itsamac · 14-11-2007, 8:57 AM

Could try the LG Chocolate? They retail for £49 and quite a few of the kids around my area have one if they don't have the V3.

http://www.mobilechecker.com/payg_mo...p?network=payg

The Samsung is cool enough for me but I am not 10

Uridium · 14-11-2007, 8:59 AM

My 9yr old son has an old Samsung D600 of my wife's and finds the menu's etc on the Samsung's very easy to use.

Don't get her anything to flash that would make it stand out thievable.

dbn · 14-11-2007, 9:04 AM

keiron,

i was in the same boat as you, a mobile phone for my daughter, i ended up getting a nokia 6085 from carphonewarehouse on the payg, they do them in pink but are hard to find, phone them up and they will check stock in your local area. all makes are unlocked and not branded.

thanks dean

sim667 · 14-11-2007, 10:16 AM

What does a 10 year old need a mobile phone for? I say just get them a phone card.

Failing that idea I'd think this would be pretty funky (if i was a girl)

http://shop.carphonewarehouse.com/pa...ocolate-lilac/

meansizzler · 14-11-2007, 10:29 AM

What does a 9 year old one new one for, I think your giving her ot much freedom, next she will be asking for an Ipod, I never got a mobile till I was 18What time do you let her out until?.. If you really want to get her a phone get her something cheap and not so flashy, don't want to attract attention now, you need something that will last after been dropeed, kicked & wet, you know how kids are thesedays..

Uridium · 14-11-2007, 10:45 AM

OP wasn't really asking for opinions on whether he should give his daughter a phone or not, he's obviously already decided to do that so just wants phone advice.

The rights and wrongs of letting a child have a phone are covered in this thread i started here a while back

How old should kids be before they have a mobile phone?

For the record i have no regrets about letting my 9yr old having a phone.

Autopilot · 14-11-2007, 12:05 PM

^ indeed.

Depends really what type of girl she is - does she like pink etc? It's usually about the looks with girls that age, and you wont get many features for that money anyway. It seems to me that pink flip phones are all the rage right now, smaller the better, for that age range (of girls).

Also this might be worth looking into - one/some of the network do an "emergency call" option where they can phone home even when they have no credit left.

sim667 · 14-11-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uridium

For the record i have no regrets about letting my 9yr old having a phone.

9?!?! I got my first phone when i was 14, it was the classic ericsson brick phone, I lost it at glastonbury when I was 15 (im still surprised my parents let me go to glastonbury at that age (mind you i was the type of child who wouldve gone and just not told them))

I cant imagine she be'll bothered about the features that much unless she's in a group of freinds that compare phones (more a boys thing, think of it like expensive top trumps) girls dont tend to do that too much.... she'll blatantly want one of those dangly things that hang of, they all want those these days ( i sound really old)

meansizzler · 14-11-2007, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Autopilot

^ indeed.

Depends really what type of girl she is - does she like pink etc? It's usually about the looks with girls that age, and you wont get many features for that money anyway. It seems to me that pink flip phones are all the rage right now, smaller the better, for that age range (of girls).

Also this might be worth looking into - one/some of the network do an "emergency call" option where they can phone home even when they have no credit left.

Forget the flip thing, she wil probably break the flip mechanism, I rememebr my firend had a nokia a while back, like 5 years, it was waterproof and lined in rubber, red in colour...

Anyway have a look at this one..

http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/mobile-phone/nokia-3220/

you could always get this face for it..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PiNK-FLuFFy-fa...QQcmdZViewItem

Keiron · 14-11-2007, 5:59 PM

Thanks for the suggestions, I will follow them up.

As for those wondering why a 10 year old would want a phone - why not? What's wrong with kids communicating with their friends and parents? We weren't even "on the phone", to use an old expression, when I was a kid. We also didn't have a washer, a freezer or a colour TV. And my mum knew her place. Maybe I should raise my daughters the same way?