Please advise re buying mobile phone before starting secondary school

[Topbird29]

Phone advice needed please...looking to get our DS a mobile before going to secondary school in September (have managed to avoid it so far!). Any recommendations on make/model or packages available, and re parental controls?? Also looking for android rather than iPhone (not an apple family).
Thanks in advance.

Can't go wrong with a Samsung galaxy.
Dcs have always had newer models and up graded. I always do unlimited calls text and data. Normally stick to £30/35pm

Never worried about parental controls tbh. Eldest is nearly 18 and never had an issue

Get the same phone type as you have - so if an android get one or get an iPhone. Means you can set up family mode and put parental controls on their phone from yours.

Add their phone to your phone plan, mine is only an extra tenner a month for unlimited calls/texts and data.

Both our kids got phones DH or I had stopped using - mainly due to battery life or storage.
We are a Samsung family, and so that's what the boys got.
Battery is fine for them, as it is switched off at school (school rules).
The oldest got a new handset last year when his wasn't fit for purpose any longer. DS2 is still on my ??2015?? handset, but will probably need a new one soon.
They are much happier with a cheaper handset, as there is less to loose - and we are less bothered about it getting damaged too!

We're a Samsung household so stuck with them. Dd originally had an old Samsung Galaxy of mine but the battery was terrible.
She's had 2 from Backmarket which are reconditioned phones. First one she dropped in a puddle.... The second developed a fault and at first the return seemed a faff but it was replaced straight away. I was quite happy with the customer service.
She's on a monthly SIM only linked to my Vodafone account. I think all providers do additional at a discount.

iPhone house here. I'd recommend buying a handset outright if you can, and getting a cheap sim only card from Voxi or similar. Music magpie pretty good for reconditioned handsets.

Thinking of probably buying handset and then simply only only monthly plan. We are both on giff gaff and that suits us - do won't be adding to an existing contract.

Just be aware that there's absolutely no way of controlling what your son does online.

You may think you have parental control on his phone. You don't.

If he can't get to the porn on the handset you gave him, he will use the one his mate gave him. Second hand smartphone are literally given away at our local comp. Not to mention the videos and pictures his mates will send him. No point in checking his phone either, photo vaults are free on the App Store and you can't tell a real calculator App from a porn dump App.

If it makes you feel better then go for it, but don't kid yourself that you're "keeping him safe online".

EE do a galaxy note for pennies. Or Tesco have passable handsets for £130.

I'd buy a cheap handset (if you have an old one knocking about the house can use that) and go for a cheap PAYG deal until they get used to the responsibility of having a smartphone, making sure it is charged up, not dropped (actually make sure you get a screen protector as well!) or forgotten and they follow whatever rules you choose to put in place (e.g. checking their phone). Then they can have a nicer phone (I think for both my DC's this was probably 13th birthday?)

We've had various Motorola phones for the kids over the years and they are cheap and reliable.

Google Family Link for parental controls. Not failsafe but pretty good for controlling screen time (eg we lock everything down overnight). Wouldn't rely on it for controlling access to content though.