...to not get my DD an expensive smartphone

[UnsympatheticDad]

DD is 11 - year 6 - and has a mobile (one of DW's cast-off handsets). She has a PAYG SIM card to allow her to text and call - but no internet. It's nice enough, but definitely not a smartphone.

She's lately taken to telling us tales of all the fantastic smartphones the other children in her class have - one boy apparently has the latest iPhone model. They can all download apps, music, etc. Or so she says.

We've basically said that she has no need of such a phone, it would be a risk for theft, loss, etc. But we are beginning to wonder if we're being unreasonable and should get her a cheapish one for her birthday.

Do your DCs have such things?

No.
They have cheap phones.
But of course "everyone else" has them.

Don't get sucked in.

My dd is 12, year 7, and I bought her a new phone in January.

She specifically requested a phone that was easy to use for phonecalls and text and is unfussed about using it for much else apart from photos

She loves her phone - it's a Samsung one but not a smartphone. Blackberrys are apparently quite popular at her school but my dd is very happy with the phone she has. It cost around £50.

No, and neither will they, I agree with you - a child that age does not need a smartphone. DS(10) will get a cheap basic phone when he's in secondary school, but not one with internet. He has internet access at home for anything he needs to look up, and I really can't think of a reason to give him a £400+ phone. I know a 12 year old who is about to get an iPhone 4s. Madness. I give it a week before it's stolen at school.

YADNBU at all!

It's really up to you. You know her well enough to know if she's responsible enough for it! Just make the arrangement that she's not to delete the internet history on it. she might chuff at this but that would be my dealbreaker here.

Read it wrong sorry. I thought you were saying were you BU to get her one, not to NOT get her one.

I don't really understand what smartphones do, but I just bought DD a phone that you can look at the internet with, has a camera, can be used for listening to music on and does phone and text. It was £30.

My DCs have "normal" phones, you know, that you can just call or text from actual purpose of phone tbh

The whole rest of the class have smart phones

Except they don't- I've checked!

My dd 14 has my old iPhone when I upgraded my contract to the new iPhone 4 but I wouldn't have gone out and bought her one. I have a spending cap on it so she cannot run up bills, she is responsible with it though and we have never had any problems at school she hardly seems to use it tbh.

what if a friend breaks it? real issue faced numerous times over the years by friends and siblings when I was a teenager with ipods. They aren't v robust.

You can probably get a cheap secondhand one, something like an HTC Wildfire? I don't think you need internet access though - you can download games and music to the home computer then upload them to the Smartphone. That might be a good compromise?