Does my dd have the worst phone in Year 8?

[Dancergirl]

Dd is 12.5, just started Year 8. She has the same phone as she had at the end of Year 6 when she started coming home from school by herself. It's a Samsung Chat - looks a bit like an old Blackberry but pretty basic really.

She says that most of the girls in her year have smart phones, some have iPhones. She's a good kid, doesn't really nag for stuff and hasn't made too much fuss about it although I know she'd love a new one.

So is this a really rubbish phone for a 12/13 year old? She is on a fixed monthly contract with Tesco, I pay £7.50/month. Would it cost a lot more per month to upgrade?

[Helenluvsrob]

My suggestion is that she keeps this one till xmas then has say a moto g ( around 100 quid) for xmas ( or using xmas money) and you put that sim in it. It's is the best budget smart phone out still.

Having said that my year 12dd has the huwaei that we trailed for mn that doesn't even have a front camera and she's content with it....

[AnnieNon]

I'd wait until she is a bit older then get her a better phone if that's what she really wants. I think basic phones are best for younger teens. It's less of a problem if they get lost, damaged or stolen.


Have you got parental controls set up on it?

[Snoopytwist]

My DS just started yr 7. He has got a Samsung Galaxy Y2 (Smartphone). He, too, has the worst phone in the school. "Everyone" else has an iphone5 or an iphone6 apparently...

[Dancergirl]

Dds isn't even a smartphone. As far as I am aware she can phone, text and take poor quality photos on it and that's it. Are smartphones the norm now?

[IcsiWitsyBabyPlsGetUpMySpout]

Second the moto g suggestion. Both DH and I have them. Equivalent spec to many of the £400+ phones.

[Dancergirl]

Do I have to do it through Tesco? Or do I just buy the phone and put the old SIM in? Sorry if stupid question, I am rubbish with techy stuff!

[exexpat]

DD is year 8, and as far as I can see just about all her friends have smartphones. Some have iPhones (mostly older models, but a few have the latest), but more of them have variations on Samsung Galaxy models - she had the S3 mini until recently, has now moved up to S5 mini, which takes much better pictures, so she can instagram to her heart's content…

If you have been with Tesco quite a while, you may be able to upgrade and get a new phone for not much more per month, which might work out better value than buying a new one outright and still paying £7.50 for the contract. If you do buy a new one, try looking at sim-only deals with giffgaff - you might get more texts etc for your money than with Tesco.

Also worth shopping around at places like Carphone Warehouse, as they do phones on contracts from all the main providers.

[Dancergirl]

which might work out better value than buying a new one outright and still paying £7.50 for the contract

I had NO idea you could do this

Love MN!

[JustDanceAddict]

My kids conduct their social lives through whatsapp- party invites go out on it, etc. so a smart phone is essential. They have second-hand iPhone 4S since beg of year 7. Well, DD had a 4, which was pretty rubbish(!) til end of year 8 practically, when I upgraded.

[gingerdad]

My two have done that they have saved up and bought themselves new phones and used existing sims on cheap contracts. Eldest bought a Sony Xperia - £180 she's 14 and has a Saturday job. Youngest. cubot x9 for about £100 quid saved and birthday money. She's 13.

Our deal with with the kids is we pay the 7.50 contract they pay for anything else / extra. Though youngest is eyeing my iPhone when I upgrade.

[MuttonDressedAsGoose]

If you buy a phone outright, make sure it's truly unlocked and not tied to any network.

There are excellent smart phones for £100 and perfectly functional ones for less.

My son has a "dumb" phone because all we want him to have is a way to call us if he needs to. He's 11 and we want to be able to fully monitor all his Internet use.

[InFlagranteDelicto]

Ds had the Nokia 435, still £7.50 a month through Tesco, and was cheaper than the payg he had before. Tesco seem to get that as a parent you want to lock the phone down as tight as possible, and block them exceeding their contact freebies. It suits his needs- taking photos of his Lego, and he can text more easily (language difficulties). So far he's looked after it far more than I expected him to. Downside is the lack of apps, I guess that aspect depends on your child

[goawayalready]

my dd is 15 and has a nokia lumia 520 (i think) it was £50 it does everything she wants and she spends so long on watsapp instagram etc its unreal she even gets some of her homework done on it yes some of her friends have iphones but most don't and some have a lower spec phone than her

[Dancergirl]

Thanks, this is really helpful. So to clarify, if I buy a new phone and put her old SIM in it, she'll have the same number and contacts etc?

Where's the best place to buy an unlocked phone?

Or the alternative is to see what upgrades Tesco can offer me..?

[MuttonDressedAsGoose]

You can buy unlocked phones at carphone warehouse, or on amazon if you like (but check reviews to be certain it's truly unlocked if buying online.)

Her contacts should be still there if they've been saved to the sim. Check her phone to see where they're stored. (I save mine to Google contacts so they'll transfer to any phone or number I want.)

[exexpat]

Yes, her number will stay the same if you use the same sim. If the contacts are stored on the sim, they will automatically move over too; if they are stored on the phone memory, you should be able to save them to the sim before you take it out.

Staff at somewhere like Carphone Warehouse will help with stuff like this if you buy an unlocked phone from them. They also have a gadget to cut down a standard sim (old style) to micro-sim size (used in a lot of newer smart phones). This is one reason I would opt for buying from an actual shop rather than Amazon etc. Also if you have problems with the phone it is easier to deal with a shop than an online seller.

I would recommend doing some research online first - best Tesco deals, what unlocked phones are available etc. I recently had to get DP a new phone after he drowned his, and ordered it online to be delivered to a local Carphone Warehouse branch; if you just walk in to a branch they may not have many sim-free phones in stock.

[ChippyMinton]

Replaced DD's phone with a sony experia - £60 in argos the other day. she's delighted with it.

[ChippyMinton]

unlocked and takes standard sim.

[Dancergirl]

Thanks, that is really helpful advice Will do some research.

chippy thanks, that seems like a good price, will have a look at that phone.

[ChippyMinton]

this one:

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4360911.htm

being purple helped!

[Dancergirl]

Thanks, it's got good reviews.

Just one more question - dd's old phone after I take them SIM out - will it then be unlocked? Could it be used by someone else?

[Dancergirl]

Just spoken to Tesco, they can give dd a free upgrade keeping to £7.50/month.

They've suggested a Sony E43G, does anyone know anything about this phone?

[NaughtToThreeSadOnions]

Well it gets good reviews shop.tescomobile.com/pay-monthly/mobile-phones/sony/xperia+e4+3g#reviews

It may well be the same as the one chippy' linked it's an Experia

[Dancergirl]

Thanks all, still mulling it over.

Dd like the idea of an iPhone, are they worth the expense? Can you still buy older versions?

[Heffalumps]

Hi
My dd (Y7) has an iPhone 4S that was mine, passed to her on my upgrade. We share a data plan so I can monitor her usage and I have all the pass codes etc.
Her school has a 'bring your own devices' policy and a lot of homework can be accessed via the vle app, as can timetables and school calendar; she uses it for work as well as to faff on!
I use apple products so it works well for us in terms of sharing information/iCloud etc and she uses it for face timing her friends-and her grandparents