Good first phone for 11 year old?

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As a Christmas gift, so sort of on topic!
Wanting to get my 11 yo DS (he’ll be in year 6) a phone for Christmas. Thinking about the transition to high school and also a holiday we are going on in Feb where be might want to wander around by himself occasionally.
I want a smartphone as I want to track him etc. We all have apple so I guess an iPhone.
What is a good first iPhone? Also do people tend I do PAYG for their kids? Any general tips?

I got my daughter an iPhone se as a first phone on a contract, mainly because it's the same as my phone and it meant I knew how to use it and I could easily check find my iPhone etc. Her contract is cheap but I made sure I put a price cap on it plus if she wants to download anything then it needs authorised by my phone.

We got a second hand iPhone 7 for DS, and a sim only contract (so I can transfer data to him from mine)

I got dd an IPhone 11 when she started high school last year. I already have a contract phone with Sky and got a really good deal on a 2nd contract for dd's. I was able to cash in minutes I'd saved on my contract to drive down the price on hers. Not sure I'd like her to have a PAYG just in case she didn't have any minutes left at a time she needed to contact me.

My son got an iPhone se for going to big school. It’s out of contract in December and he’ll go sim only for at least 2 years 🤞

Ds12 got iPhone se for his birthday in June. He did most of his year 7 without a phone and doesn't want to take his phone to school in year 8 either.