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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I can find a phone for DS for under £100?

54 replies

raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 20/12/2017 19:30

I'd like to get a PAYG or simless phone for my 9 year old.

It'll be his first phone. It needs a good camera as he's into stop frame animation. He also likes games of course.

It needs to have GPS so I can track him!

AIBU to think such a thing exists?

What phones have your DC got? Can you recommend them?

Or are there any I should avoid?

OP posts:
hippy1952 · 20/12/2017 19:43

In my opinion a 9 year old does not need a phone. Also they should not be away far from home on their own so why on earth would you need a tracker?

CosmicCanary · 20/12/2017 19:50

Why bother posting when you have not given the OP 1 answer to her question Confused

OP DS has a samsung J3 its a good phone decent picture quality and it was £100. I dont know about the tracker but you can get a find my phone app.

jaimelannistersgoldenhand · 20/12/2017 19:51

The most basic smartphones start at £30 if you look at the Argos website for instance.

With regards to the animation, does he have access to a PC or similar? Much easier to edit on a pc.

VileyRose · 20/12/2017 19:54

We use life 360 to find the kids. (Useful after school!) Mine have Samsung s5s 2nd hand

delilahbucket · 20/12/2017 19:57

I don't know about which phone, but any Android phone has location sharing via Google Maps.

StealingYourWiFi · 20/12/2017 19:58

Lots of people selling second hand iPhones for cheap.

Gammeldragz · 20/12/2017 19:58

Bought my 11 year old DS his first smartphone for his birthday. £35, an Alcatel pixi. Does everything he needs.

PorklessPie · 20/12/2017 19:58

I've just bought ds(10) his first phone for Christmas the Samsung j3. I don't know about tracking etc as ds has asd so doesn't go anywhere alone (he gets anxious). But it does look like a decent first phone and around £100.

lljkk · 20/12/2017 19:59

I'm baffled, too. "Good camera" will be your challenge.
Odds are the memory will be so low he won't be able to install any apps, this will irritate you very quickly.

Fellia · 20/12/2017 20:00

Look online for second hand iPhones?

chocolatespiders · 20/12/2017 20:02

Do loves her Samsung j3

fretfulsmarties · 20/12/2017 20:05

Giff gaff have the LG K10 2017 for £99, but you have to buy a £10 sim card if you don't have a giff gaff account already. I ordered yesterday, its here today. Selling for £150ish elsewhere.

lljkk · 20/12/2017 20:05

DS has a J3... it was supposed to be my phone but he suddenly wanted a phone for Xmas with 3 days to go, so hasty swap.

I have a J3 as my American phone. It's better than my cheap Huwei, but not amazingly so.

LivingInMidnight · 20/12/2017 20:06

Maybe the cheaper wileyfox phones on Amazon?

Pimmsypimms · 20/12/2017 20:07

I'd go for a reconditioned or second hand phone. I've bought a couple of second hand iPhones from eBay in the past and they've been in really good condition. You'll get more
Phone for your money this way.

kaytee87 · 20/12/2017 20:09

Also they should not be away far from home on their own so why on earth would you need a tracker?

Um school? Visiting an absent parent? There are a few reasons your 9yo might not be stuck to your side at all times.

kaytee87 · 20/12/2017 20:11

A second hand iPhone is probably what you're looking for. You can set up the find my iPhone app where you can track the phone, it's not fully accurate though, so you might get the right street but not the house iyswim?

Workexperiencetree · 20/12/2017 20:13

Mine have Alcatel pixi 4 6"
Works on android so loads of apps. Can use Google find my device or a tracking app.
Has a 6" screen
Camera is OK. It's not as amazing as some out there but good enough for animation and I printed off some photos which are decent quality.

6" is about £80
4" is much less

www.tescomobile.com/shop/pay-as-you-go/alcatel/pixi-4.6

hippy1952 · 20/12/2017 20:44

If they are at school or visiting an absent parent that means you know where they are, so why would you need to track them?

MrGrumpy01 · 20/12/2017 20:48

I have just got dd(11) a moto c plus, she hasn't got it yet so I can't comment overall but I have had Moto's in the past and liked them, and this one has 16gb of memory. It was £100 from Argos and I paid £25 for a year's insurance.

twiney · 20/12/2017 20:49

Nokia Lumia

jgjgjgjgjg · 20/12/2017 20:52

I recommend a Cubot.

alletik · 20/12/2017 20:59

I'd also go for a second hand iPhone. You could get a 5S or SE for your budget. My 11 year old daughter has a 5S (hand me down). Most of her friends have this phone too. She won't get her own phone until she can look after this one for two years without losing or breaking it. This was our rule with DD1.

The camera is decent, and find my iPhone will allow you to track the phone. It's got everything they need at that age.

Original poster
raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 20/12/2017 21:16

In my opinion a 9 year old does not need a phone. Also they should not be away far from home on their own so why on earth would you need a tracker?

Hilarious. I knew I'd get this response in - but the very first post - you've outdone yourself! YABU for being boringly predictable.

OP posts:
Original poster
raisinsarenottheonlyfruit · 20/12/2017 21:21

Thanks for the recommendations everyone.

Listing them here so I can check them out:

Samsung J3
LG K10 2017 - with giff gaff
Moto c plus
Alcatel pixi
Nokia Lumia
Cubot

OP posts: