What phone does your year 6/7 child have?

[Elfie23]

As above really.
I've said DD can have a phone in year 6 for safety as we want her to start getting used to walking on her own (plan is to start with her walking to the car outside the school just out the gate and down the road for about 1-2 minutes and then build up to further distances) in preparation for secondary school.

What type of phone do your children have? I'm definitely not looking at anything top of the range, I've had a look with my provider and can see an IPhone 11 for £20 a month. Just need something half decent so I can use find my iPhone or similar to see where she is, and for her to be able to use it in an emergency if needed so something with decent battery life?

[Rainrainrainrainrainrainrain]

I think any new iphone is very near ",top of the range" for a 10 year old! I wouldn't give her a smartphone. If you just want it "for safety" a £20 non-smart phone is fine.

+Tracking really only tells you where your child's phone is, not your child.)

[OneRingToRuleThemAll]

Y7 onwards use Google classrooms in school so need a smart phone. DD is y8 and has a Samsung which was around £150

[MoreHairyThanScary]

Just get a cheap 2nd hand d smartphone apple 8 onwards and a sim would be £5 a month.

Kids need to learn to look after their phones and you don't want to be saddled with paying for something lost or broken.

[sciencemama]

Buy a black view. They are android and work absolutely fine

[DogFacedWoman]

Mine has my old pixel 5 with a high monthly data and unlimited calls and texts package that costs £12/month from id mobile.

[Littlebitpsycho]

My Y7 daughter has my OHs old Huawei P30 Pro - it's old now but was a very good phone in its heyday.

She won't get a new one until one of us upgrades again, at which point she'll get a Samsung S22 Ultra.

With a massive bombproof case on it because she is a clumsy oaf 🤣

[esmeisa]

Mine had a old Samsung phone to start with. Updated to a much better phone at 15. We're just talking to 14 year old about what she will upgrade to. Still won't be a very new phone.
They need to learn to look after them, plus the very up to date phones are targets for thieves.

[DiscoBeat]

We buy our kids relatively recent iPhones (not so recent that they are especially stealable or extortionately expensive) from CEX. They might have the odd small scratch but they'll get them anyway. They have great customer service and long guarantees for them. Definitely recommend (I don't work for them).

[DiscoBeat]

NB never get a contract phone, the actual phone ends up costing more than purchasing outright.

[dastidlydaschel]

On a tangent I misread that as 6/7 year old have... I was going to say fisherprice! 😆😆

[DinosaurOfFire]

My y7 has an Oppo smart phone which was sim free, it cost about £80, and the cheapest sim deal from moneysavingexpert which costs about £5 a month (I think its a Lebara contract). It's got good battery life and works well for what she uses it for, which is mostly taking photos, watching YouTube or whatsapping her friends.

[queenofcruises]

when my children were that age... they did not have a mobile phone and don't need one!

as someone who answers 999 calls for a living, kids with mobile phones are a total pain in the ass. always ringing telling us that so and so has just stuck their tongue out at me.. or prank calling because its funny.

a 6/7 year in my opinion is way too young to be wandering the streets without an adult, and don't need a phone 'for emergecies'.. its ridiculous

[RoseMartha]

Mine had their first phones when they started secondary. Cheap Androids to start with.

[queenofcruises]

@RoseMartha

Mine had their first phones when they started secondary. Cheap Androids to start with.

i agree, as mine had to travel on public transport for secondary school, they received a cheap phone that would simply ring and send texts.

[LaWench]

Mine has DHs old Samsung S9 but the battery isn't great so he'll upgrade his and then pass down his newer phone as a replacement. She has an £8 giffgaff sim only deal. It's more than enough for what she needs.

[Gooseysgirl]

iPhone SE refurbished, bought from an online shop called Backmarket. The phone has been absolutely fine, nothing higher tech needed. My 12yo DD is in Y7 and has had a phone since she began walking home from school by herself in Y6.

[westcountrywoman]

An iPhone SE. Bought a refurbished one for £100 and then ordered a £5/month Lebara SIM card.
DH and I are iPhone users so we use parental controls to strictly limit what apps / amount of time the DC have access to.

[Iudncuewbccgrcb]

@queenofcruises

when my children were that age... they did not have a mobile phone and don't need one!

as someone who answers 999 calls for a living, kids with mobile phones are a total pain in the ass. always ringing telling us that so and so has just stuck their tongue out at me.. or prank calling because its funny.

a 6/7 year in my opinion is way too young to be wandering the streets without an adult, and don't need a phone 'for emergecies'.. its ridiculous

It's a year 6 going into year 7 in Sept - so age 11ish

[SpringOfContentment]

Both ours started off on our old phones.
The battery wasn't great, but since they were switched off all day, it was fine for what they needed.
DS1 got a new phone in Y9. DS2 in Y8. Because that's when they were needed. Both now on cheapest androids, bought outright. Just like their parents.

[CadyEastman]

We have them very cheap phones as their first ones with the understanding that if it wasn't lost or broken after 12 months they'd get a decent upgrade. Worked out very well.

[Elfie23]

Thanks everyone! And sorry for any confusion - this will be for when DD goes into year 6 at school - she's a June baby so would have not long turned 10 (11 when she goes to secondary school)

I haven't got an old phone for her to use as I (and family) always send our old ones back when we upgrade so I'm looking at options to buy one - looks like there are a few options out there! I fully expect her to drop it etc (thanks to the poster with the idea of a bomb proof case 😂)

I agree it is young for a phone but I want her to be able to call me if needed if she is on her own - I wish times were like when I was 11 and phones weren't a thing and we just got told to come home in time for dinner!

[itsgettingweird]

A Samsung or Google phone secondhand is fine.

I'd recommend insisting on the proper security case in case it's dropped though.


I'd also suggest being really strict with not allowing what's app etc and make sure you know how to use and can understand parental controls.

[itsgettingweird]

@dastidlydaschel

On a tangent I misread that as 6/7 year old have... I was going to say fisherprice! 😆😆

Me too at first 😂

[HagBitch]

We bought DS an iPhone - we're used to them, and he's actually looked after it well. If he broke it or lost it, we might consider a secondhand iPhone, but otherwise we'll just replace it.

[RedRobyn2021]

Why don't you just get her a brick that's literally just a phone? I don't understand why people buy 6yos smart phones, it's really really bad for them