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Mumsnet users discuss getting their child’s first mobile phone with musicMagpie

289 replies

EllieMumsnet · 05/12/2018 11:50

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Buying your child their first mobile phone can feel like a big milestone; it’s one of their first steps to becoming a little more independent. With so many different types of phones out there and with a lot of information to sift through on when and how to go about getting your DC their first phone, whether you hand them down their siblings old one, buy a refurbished phone or even get a new one, musicMagpie would love to know your tips, experiences and thoughts on buying your child their first phone.

Here’s what musicMagpie has to say: “With the latest smartphones costing up to £1,000 or more each year, it’s not feasible for many families to be able to afford the latest Tech. You can still get your kids great quality phones without the hefty bill when you buy certified refurbished mobile phones from musicMagpie. You can literally save hundreds of pounds! For example, you could pay £449 for a brand new iPhone 7 or you could save over £170 for a very good condition iPhone 7 with musicMagpie. It’s not just the price – all of our phones comes with a 12 month warranty and go through a thorough 70 point check to make sure they’re in full working order. Here’s how we refurbish our phones. Keep the kids happy and save money… why wouldn’t you?”

What age did you decide to give your child their first phone? Or was it more about them starting secondary school or walking places by themselves that was the deciding factor? Have you/did you ever consider getting them a second hand/refurbished phone? If you did was it a hand-me-down phone from yourself or did you purchase a refurbished one? How did decide which phone was best and what type of package did you get e.g. pay-as-you-go or contract? Have you put any rules in place surrounding the use of their phone? Do you have any tips on where to shop for their first phone?

Whatever your thoughts, tips and/or experiences are, comment them on the thread below and all MNers that do will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

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Mumsnet users discuss getting their child’s first mobile phone with musicMagpie
OP posts:
HomeEdRocks18 · 13/12/2018 22:09

I gave my eldest his first phone at 14. It was my old phone as I got an upgrade. Now aged 16 he has a new phone on a contract. It is in my name and I can control the security level on it via my phone. I can also contact him for free

madeyemoodysmum · 14/12/2018 07:22

My kids both got my old models. After 2 year of being responsible the eldest has been upgraded but still only to a 6.

rupert23 · 14/12/2018 12:25

My son 11 got his first phone in September when he started secondary school.its his brothers old iPhone as he had an upgrade.i put a pay as you go SIM on it so that he can use it. He can learn to use it sensibly and then have a newer phone as he gets older.

advent12 · 14/12/2018 14:33

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FreshEyre · 15/12/2018 00:35

We are just about to start thinking about a phone for DC and hadn't considered a reconditioned one. I will be looking at them now.

Some of their friends have very expensive, brand new iPhones and I refuse to pay that for a 12yr old.

dredwardarabbatemple · 15/12/2018 04:29

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Jeffingandeffing · 15/12/2018 08:17

Our children were given their first mobile phones when they started secondary school. Initially we bought them basic, inexpensive pay as you go phones. As they got older we gave them hand me down smart phones on cheap monthly sim contracts.

My daughter lost a hand me down iphone once and had to share my cheap phone for a few months until her birthday came round when she had a replacement phone as a present.

badgermum · 15/12/2018 08:58

We got our son a mobile phone when he started secondary school, we bought a second hand one from a shop as we were concerned it would either get lost or stolen so didn't want to buy a new one. It's on pay as you go sim only and I just top it up with £10 probably every other month

beckyinman · 15/12/2018 13:27

Mine are a bit too young at the minute

AngelDog · 15/12/2018 14:21

My eldest is 8 and is years and years away from needing a phone. I wouldn't get one until it was really needed.

I'd definitely consider a refurbished one and price would be the main factor in deciding which to get. My preference would be for a non-smartphone anyway, because of the health effects of the radiation anyway. I only have a smartphone so I can use it to listen to podcasts and music; I don't use it for internet or anything like that. I'd be getting a PAYG one like I have. If you only use it for calls & texts, that's fine.

FixTheBone · 15/12/2018 14:44

My daughters first phone was a nokia lumia - cheap to buy, £10 to replace a screen (several times...) all day battery and trackable, she was 10 or 11 at the time.

Had all the smart features and apps that were useful, but helpfully no snapchat or instagram to waste tons of time or data on.

Second daughter went straight for an iPhone SE, also when she was 11, decent balance between price, performance and street-cred. In the intervening 5 or 6 years, things have moved on, so she's on a family contract to supply enough data to cope.

Both times, the phones were a big christmas gift (as in the only present they got) to highlight the importance and cost if they lost or broke them.

Selem86 · 16/12/2018 02:31

My daughter it’s only 3 and she already ask for it. It will be a very hard battle but she will not have a phone before 9/10 years.
For 1hour at day we compromised to let use the tablet only with an adult near her

7flipper7 · 16/12/2018 13:10

I bought my child one for when they went to school. I ensured they could not access the password to download any app so this gave me more control over what they were accessing. I did not buy them the most up to date version so there was less worry if they lost of broke it at school.

thesockgap · 16/12/2018 15:51

Our kids all had a phone from the very end of year 6, I didn't see the need for them to have one before then but it seemed about the right age.
Our eldest got a mid range contract phone that we paid about £10 a month for. However the 2nd got a second hand Galaxy S-whatever-it-was then, we paid £50 for it and then got him a SIM only contract for about £5 a month.
Similarly our youngest got his dad's old phone when he upgraded.
I don't see the need for children of that age to have the fanciest / most expensive handsets. In fact, our middle son is now asking for an iPhone for his 15th birthday but we are really reluctant to get one as I think they're a waste of money. There are other brands that are a fraction of the price, that do exactly the same job.

katieskatie82 · 16/12/2018 20:21

I've given my 10 year old my old mobile after i upgraded. There's no sim card in it at the moment and he uses it more like an ipod just to play games on. I'll buy him a sim card soon as he will be going to comprehensive school next year.

rejcomp · 16/12/2018 22:11

They've got more disposable income than me they can buy their own, I'll worry about keeping them housed, warm and fed. Just only one of those per day... :D

liamell · 17/12/2018 13:49

My children have had my "hand me down" phone whenever I have got a new one. I always keep my phones in pristine condition and even after 2 years they look brand new.
The reason they get my hand me down is that usually a week after having it, it looks two years old!! They will have dropped it, scratched it and down right ruined it.
So its a definite no to a brand new one for them. Not until they earn the money to buy it themselves.

Nemoandthefishes · 17/12/2018 18:21

My children have all had their first phone with connection at around year 6. Young enough for me to be able to control and monitor before being sent to secondary. Never have they had a new phone but instead have been given a hand me down from either parent or an older sibling.

Mykey2015 · 17/12/2018 18:29

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Babycarmen · 17/12/2018 20:28

My daughter got her first phone at 10 when she was starting to spend more time outside with her friends. She got my old iPhone, which I was happy with as I knew how to set up parental controls and she couldn’t download anything without me having to accept it on my phone. I would definitely buy her a refurbished phone.

bevmichelle47 · 18/12/2018 09:15

Mine wanted Smartphones, but there was no way i could afford to buy 2 brand new ones, so i bought refurbished phones, they was not amused at all! But now they love it and wouldn't be without it.

newusernameforxmas · 18/12/2018 10:19

What age did you decide to give your child their first phone?
Yes, the birthday before secondary school.

Have you/did you ever consider getting them a second hand/refurbished phone?
Yes, a secondhand iPhone 6

How did decide which phone was best and what type of package did you get e.g. pay-as-you-go or contract? Have you put any rules in place surrounding the use of their phone?
We like the ease of use of iPhones so he got an older model when his father upgraded. He has a pay monthly contract which gives him unlimiited texts and calls, and around 4gb of data per month.

Rules are just that he must never text anything horrible or take pictures of embarrassing situations.

headfullofdreams · 18/12/2018 15:28

End of y6 for all mine. Just a basic one to begin with in case they lose or break it!

CMOTDibbler · 18/12/2018 16:06

Ds got his first phone in Yr 6 - a second hand one, and has been upgraded to other refurbished ones. He has a contract as we have a BT bundle between the three of us and it works out very cheaply

LITTLEMUTLEY23 · 18/12/2018 17:04

My dd got her first phone at 11. It was my old one.