The Phone

[ChesnutTree]

DD year 7.
Wants a basic phone to text friends and to contact me if she needs to. Many of her peers got phones in years 5 & 6 but I said no. However since starting yr 7 she's now feeling excluded from conversations and independent social arrangements, which I understand.
So I want a phone without internet for her.
I strongly dislike the basic Nokias - can't stand the way you have to press each key multiple times to get a letter or symbol, and dislike the tiny weeny screen.
I'm looking for a smartphone design but without internet and that won't support SM.
I came across 'The Phone' online, which fits my requirements, but it's a french company and I can't find a UK retailer for it.
I'm wondering does anyone here have this phone for their DC?
And if so, could I ask where you purchased it from?
On their website, it's for sale in euros and all the reviews are in French.

https://thephone.fr/en/products/the-phone

Thank you!

Why not get a smart phone and switch on parental controls? Ds still has limited use of his iPhone and dd only had full control of hers at 16. Btw if your DD is not allowed WhatsApp she’s still likely to miss out.

We have it, had to get it from the French retailer.

A few annoyances, such as the (touchscreen) keypad is French layout, so a Z where we'd have the X, but it's alright. Less embarrassing for DD as it looks at a quick glance like the same kind of phone as her friends have without marking her out as different.

And yes she misses it without What's App. But that's the point really - I don't want her glued to her phone, I want her experiencing life for real. The secondary school DD has started at is encouraging dumb phones for all, and it really has helped with peer pressure.

Really good points both, thank you.

@mazedasamarchhare Yes I have thought about this but I'm sort of trying to follow the 'smartphone free childhood' movement as our secondary school are heavily promoting this for the under 14s, they email us parents about it very regularly, and the Head called all parents in to an assembly about it, asking us to follow it for the school yr7/8/9 kids.
This movement advises no smartphone use under age 14 due to all the research data about the harmful effects on children under 14 (and older kids too, but I'm focusing on the under 14 age bracket for DD).
Would parental controls be enough?
Smartphone free childhood don't even suggest this as an option:
https://www.smartphonefreechildhood.org/alternatives

@HappyFrappy
That's really helpful to know about the touchscreen letters being in different places. That's not good for DD as she needs to learn to type well and speedily so that she can use a chromebook needed for school (she is dyslexic and school will be giving her a chromebook soon to help assist her), and I wonder if this would confuse her in learning to touch type? IDK though.
Could you tell me of the other annoyances? It's hard to purchase a product that I can't see and look at for myself.

WhatsApp is a consideration I admit.

DS is 3 years older. He has a smartphone with WhatsApp but has friends who aren't allowed WhatsApp. I see them getting left out of social plans on small group chats (3 or 4 friends in a chat) for sure. It's like none of them can be bothered to separately text friends who don't have WA by using the 'old fashioned' way; they do a group chat to make after school plans, the conversation moves on rapidly re where/when to meet, and that's it they're off. None of them think "Hand on I'll text Joe separately and let him know". DS used to do this with me overseeing things so as to avoid any friends without WA from being excluded, but 'Joe' used to reply with "But I can't meet at that time can we meet 30 mins later" or "My bike's got a puncture so can we go on scooters instead" and by the time DS was WhatApping the group to relay this information from 'Joe', they had all moved on from the plans they'd made in the group and were halfway out the door by this point and not checking new messages! Meaning DS got caught up texting Joe to say sorry the others haven't answered my message about you and we're meeting now so I've got to go!
DS is the nicest boy who is all for inclusivity, but in the end it was too hard work for him to keep liasing between the different methods!
So I am mindful of this with DD...

Ultimately it's all a bit of a minefield and frankly I wish I didn't have to even deal with this!

Good point. I kind of think that the people who matter will it the effort in to text DD, but I can see how that might be a step too far. Really hoping the smartphone fre childhood stuff catches on.

Other annoyances - not all emojis display properly.
If a friend presses to react on a text with an emoji, rather than displaying it on the message as a smartphone normally would, it sends it in a separate text saying something like "Charlie says 😄" or something (I can't remember the exact wording, might have that wrong). So sometimes her conversations look a bit weird.

Some of the menu items can't be changed to English, e.g. I think when you try to turn it off, it only gives you options in French for restart or turn off. But it's quite obvious what they are.

DD would like more cover options, that are prettier.

And she'd love a camera, but without the ability to send the photos anywhere, that'd be pretty pointless.

@HappyFrappy
This is so helpful, thank you!
I've yet to meet anyone IRL with ThePhone, so I really appreciate this.
What would be great would be if it really took off and they started manufacturing these phones for different language markets and supplied retailers in these different countries. I think this will actually happen in time.
I do think they're missing a trick by not putting a music playing feature or a camera function on them. DD uses my phone for taking photos and she's happy as Larry scrolling through her pictures on my phone screen, she doesn't necessarily need to send them. And re music, even Nokia do a non smartphone where you can still listen to music.
BTW I'm sure your DD's good friends who may use WA will of course still text her to include her with things.
Maybe the example I've given upthread is a young teenage boy thing - they all seem like they're in such a rush all the time when they make plans!😂

I don't know if this is on your screen too, but at the top of my Mumsnet screen (I'm using my laptop, not the app) there is a green banner advertising "The other phone" which is, I gather, a sort of smartphone that has been specifically designed for children, with lots of restrictions and safety features. The green banner is right underneath the blue banner which has drop-down tabs for Talk, Pregnancy & Baby, Parenting etc

Thank you. Yes I did see this earlier, after I had posted my message.
I baulked a bit at the price though!

HI there,

To change Keyboard from AZERTY to QWERTY please see response from the company itself below.

I confirm that it is absolutely possible to use The Phone in English: the phone interface is available in this language. You can change the language on the setting menu.

For the keyboard, simply press the comma key (,) when the virtual keyboard appears to instantly switch from AZERTY mode to QWERTY mode.

If you would like to receive the direct link to the manual in English or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me, I am here to assist you!

Regards
Dave