As a household with 4 children, with the oldest two being nearly 13 and eleven, we’re beginning to consider getting them smartphones.
When our oldest was about eight, we received him a Gizmo Watch. We wished to have the ability to talk with him and a Gizmo Watch was the best (and most reasonably priced) approach as a result of we had been already utilizing Verizon for our telephones.
The Gizmo Watches had been gateway system as a result of they taught them duty (preserve it protected, clear, charged) whereas not giving them an excessive amount of means – they may solely textual content and name with just a few permitted folks. No web, no distractions in school, however we might discover them and attain them when vital.
Now that our oldest is nearly 13, we’re about coming into the time when he would possibly want a cellular phone. He hasn’t requested for one but. And he typically talks about how children in school are sometimes enjoying on their telephones or Chromebooks, relatively than doing work, so he’s mature sufficient to know the hazards. However he’s additionally child. It’s a dopamine tradition.
I’ve seen children his age (typically even youthful) with older iPhones and whereas I nonetheless assume we’re just a few years away from going full smartphone, I wish to begin researching the choices now so I do know my choices.
Desk of Contents
When Ought to A Child Get a Telephone?
This can be a difficult query. And one you’ll should reply in your personal child as each child is totally different.
Our oldest is pretty accountable and we belief his means to reasonable his utilization. However I additionally know a child is a child and movies are enjoyable to observe. Chatting with buddies is enjoyable. I’ve been to events the place barely older children simply sit on their telephones within the nook and watch short-form movies the entire time. The entire time.
I additionally know the robust enchantment of social media and the way that may distort a toddler’s mind very simply (it distorts grownup brains fairly simply too!). He’s on just a few group chats and I can see him get sucked into them and people are simply chats!
The rationale social media apps, particularly short-form video apps, are so widespread is as a result of they depend on dopamine suggestions loops.
Full abstinence is just not the reply. For telephones or the rest. 😆
So this offers us a chance to show him how you can use these units responsibly.
Seeing our two oldest handle with sensible(ish) watches offers us a great way to determine boundaries and be taught to make use of expertise for good and never for dopamine hits.
My tentative plan is to:
- Smartphone in highschool
- Smartwatch in center faculty
- Gizmo Watch in elementary faculty (beginning at round 2nd grade)
What Are Our Telephone Choices?
There are three choices:
- Low-Price Cell Telephone – Limiting knowledge and utilizing an MVNO service
- “Full Service” Cell Telephone – Including them to your current household plan
- Good Watch – All of the communications functionality, not one of the scary apps 😂
Low-Price Cell Telephone Plans
There was an enormous proliferation of low-cost cellular phone plans that piggyback off one of many bigger service networks. They referred to as Cell Digital Community Operators (MVNO) as a result of the supplier doesn’t personal their community – they use an even bigger firm’s community (Verizon, T-Cell, and many others.).
And we’re seeing fairly a little bit of consolidation on this area because the bigger networks purchase these MVNOs. T-Cell simply acquired U.S. Mobile after shopping for Mint Cell in 2023. They nonetheless function independently although.
You’ll be able to try our full checklist of the most affordable household cellular phone plans right here.
Mint Cell
Mint Cell might be essentially the most well-known due to Ryan Reynolds’ involvement (he’s so dreamy!).
Mint Cell presents Premium Wi-fi for $15 a month. It comes with limitless discuss and textual content plus 5 GB of high-speed knowledge. Should you exceed 5 GB of information in a month, you continue to get knowledge, but it surely’s slower.
If you’d like extra high-speed knowledge, you simply pay extra. You will get a household plan with a number of traces, every on a unique knowledge plan. You simply should convey your personal unlocked 4G LTE and VoLTE-friendly telephone for every line.
These plans are actually no totally different than “full service” cellular phone plans, besides they’re terribly low cost. The one distinction is that your quantity of “high speed data” is restricted as a result of they use one other service’s community (in title solely although, since T-Cell acquired them in 2024).
Right here’s our full evaluate of Mint Cell.
Tello
Tello is one other low-cost cellular phone plan choice for the youngsters. It has a no-data plan that features 100 minutes of calling and free texts for $5 a month. You can even add one GB of information for simply $6 a month.
What’s neat about Tello is that it allows you to construct your personal plan so you’ll be able to customise the variety of minutes and knowledge and so they offer you a value. So you could possibly customise totally different plans to totally different youngsters’s wants.
For instance, you could possibly do a no-data plan with restricted discuss for a youthful little one, however then give your older little one limitless discuss and a pair of GB of information. You’ll be able to simply regulate because the little one ages so that they at all times have the suitable quantity of service for his or her age.
Right here’s our full Tello evaluate.
Twigby
Twigby runs on the Verizon community and has 4 plans that embrace knowledge. The least costly is $15 a month ($5 for the primary three months) and comes with 2GB of information and limitless discuss and textual content. The costliest is $35 a month ($25 for the primary three months) and that has 20GB of information and limitless discuss and textual content.
The center two plans are 5 and 10 GB of information with limitless discuss and textual content for $20 or $25 per 30 days, respectively.
Like most MVNOs, if you happen to go over the info restrict, you’ll be able to nonetheless use knowledge; it’s simply not excessive pace. Twigby states further knowledge is 2G speeds which isn’t sufficient for streaming.
Should you’d relatively not have any knowledge in your plan, you will get simply limitless discuss and textual content for $10 a month ($5 for the primary three months).
Right here’s our full evaluate of Twigby.
“Full Service” Cell Telephone Plans
This was our first consideration – we might give our oldest one in every of our previous iPhones after which add the road to our plan. That is the “easiest” reply as a result of all you need to do is add a line to our current plan. It’s additionally the costliest as a result of our plan offers us limitless knowledge – every of our traces prices $80 a month (however we get $10 off from this Verizon loyalty hack).
Simply reviewing our personal account made me pause — do I actually need a $80-a-month telephone? Might I get by with an MVNO telephone at half the value? How a lot knowledge am I actually even utilizing?
Primarily based on common utilization, it seems that I exploit a whole lot of knowledge and I do business from home! (my pretty spouse makes use of much more… however she really leaves the home)
However even at 15 GB a month, with Mint Cell you’d solely be on the 2nd lowest plan and that prices $35 a month. It’s one thing price contemplating if you happen to’re on a full-service plan.
We talked to fairly just a few folks about this (many in the identical state of affairs the place they’re eager about telephones for his or her children) and so they’ve gone with a MVNO as a result of it’s a lot cheaper. Mint Cell’s “unlimited” (which is a 40 GB restrict) remains to be solely $40 a month. That’s $40 lower than what we’re paying and I exploit lower than 10 GB a month.
Going “full service” with our son’s telephone doesn’t make a lot sense.
Smartwatch (Apple Watch)
Spoiler Alert: That is what we ended up doing.
That is much like going with a “Full Service” cellular phone plan besides as a substitute of including a telephone, you’re including a smartwatch. In our case, we opted to go together with an Apple Watch.
This offers you the flexibility to achieve your little one and so they can textual content their buddies, however they don’t have entry to a whole lot of the identical apps you will get on the telephone. For instance, there isn’t a TikTok app (natively) for the Apple Watch.
There are methods to get round it although, so in case your child is sneaky and sufficiently motivated, getting them an Apple Watch doesn’t imply you don’t want to observe their exercise.
With an Apple Watch, our prices are simply $10 a month (plus charges and surcharges). It’s cheaper than the MVNO telephone plans but it surely’s additionally only a smartwatch plan.
It’s the quantity of functionality we’re snug with. When the time involves improve, I believe we are going to move on one in every of our telephones (we’re each on iPhone 12s) and activate him on a MVNO like Mint Cell or Twigby.
Gadgets Get Handed Down
Very like garments, units are handed down from little one to little one. Our oldest will get the advantage of getting the most recent units (although they’re used or handed down from our buddies with out children!), however this offers us a path ahead to electronics with out large upfront prices.
Whereas we purchased the Gizmo Watches model new, they’re getting handed right down to our youthful children so we will keep away from the fastened prices plus any activation prices. We simply renamed the watch!
When the time comes for our son to get a telephone, he’ll get one of many ones we’re utilizing.
It’s an iPhone 12, so it’s 3+ years previous, but it surely works simply advantageous.
It’s not like he’s getting a Blackberry. 😂
What do you consider our plan? Is it smart? Silly? It’s a piece in progress, so let me know what you assume!
