As a household with 4 youngsters, with the oldest two being virtually 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) means as a result of we have been already utilizing Verizon for our telephones.
The Gizmo Watches have been a very good gateway gadget as a result of they taught them accountability (hold it secure, clear, charged) whereas not giving them an excessive amount of capacity – they may solely textual content and name with a couple of accredited folks. No web, no distractions at college, however we might discover them and attain them when crucial.
Now that our oldest is sort of 13, we’re about getting into the time when he would possibly want a cellular phone. He hasn’t requested for one but. And he usually talks about how youngsters at college are sometimes enjoying on their telephones or Chromebooks, fairly 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 youngsters his age (generally even youthful) with older iPhones and whereas I nonetheless suppose we’re a couple of 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 Cellphone?
It is a difficult query. And one you’ll should reply to your personal child as each child is totally different.
Our oldest is pretty accountable and we belief his capacity to average his utilization. However I additionally know a child is a child and movies are enjoyable to look at. Chatting with associates is enjoyable. I’ve been to events the place barely older youngsters simply sit on their telephones within the nook and watch short-form movies the entire time. The entire time.
I additionally know the sturdy enchantment of social media and the way that may distort a baby’s mind very simply (it distorts grownup brains fairly simply too!). He’s on a couple of 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 well-liked is as a result of they depend on dopamine suggestions loops.
Full abstinence isn’t the reply. For telephones or anything. 😆
So this offers us a possibility to show him the way to use these gadgets responsibly.
Seeing our two oldest handle with sensible(ish) watches provides us a great way to ascertain 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 college
- Gizmo Watch in elementary college (beginning at round 2nd grade)
What Are Our Cellphone Choices?
There are three choices:
- Low-Value Cell Cellphone – Limiting information and utilizing an MVNO service
- “Full Service” Cell Cellphone – Including them to your current household plan
- Sensible Watch – All of the communications functionality, not one of the scary apps 😂
Low-Value Cell Cellphone 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 a much bigger firm’s community (Verizon, T-Cell, and so on.).
And we’re seeing fairly a little bit of consolidation on this house 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 may try our full checklist of the most cost effective household cellular phone plans right here.
Mint Cell
Mint Cell might be probably the most well-known due to Ryan Reynolds’ involvement (he’s so dreamy!).
Mint Cell affords Premium Wi-fi for $15 a month. It comes with limitless discuss and textual content plus 5 GB of high-speed information. In case you exceed 5 GB of information in a month, you continue to get information, but it surely’s slower.
If you need extra high-speed information, you simply pay extra. You will get a household plan with a number of traces, every on a unique information plan. You simply should deliver your personal unlocked 4G LTE and VoLTE-friendly cellphone 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 “excessive pace information” 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 children. It has a no-data plan that features 100 minutes of calling and free texts for $5 a month. You can too add one GB of information for simply $6 a month.
What’s neat about Tello is that it helps you to construct your personal plan so you may customise the variety of minutes and information and so they provide you with a worth. So you could possibly customise totally different plans to totally different kids’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 couple of GB of information. You may simply modify because the little one ages so that they all the time 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 embody information. 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 most costly 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 thirty days, respectively.
Like most MVNOs, should you go over the info restrict, you may nonetheless use information; it’s simply not excessive pace. Twigby states further information is 2G speeds which isn’t sufficient for streaming.
In case you’d fairly not have any information in your plan, you may 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 Cellphone 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 “best” reply as a result of all it’s a must to do is add a line to our current plan. It’s additionally the costliest as a result of our plan provides us limitless information – 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 cellphone? May I get by with an MVNO cellphone at half the value? How a lot information am I actually even utilizing?
Based mostly on common utilization, it seems that I exploit a number of information and I work at 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 value contemplating should you’re on a full-service plan.
We talked to fairly a couple of folks about this (many in the identical state of affairs the place they’re occupied with telephones for his or her youngsters) and so they’ve gone with a MVNO as a result of it’s a lot cheaper. Mint Cell’s “limitless” (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 cellphone doesn’t make a lot sense.
Smartwatch (Apple Watch)
Spoiler Alert: That is what we ended up doing.
That is just like going with a “Full Service” cellular phone plan besides as an alternative of including a cellphone, you’re including a smartwatch. In our case, we opted to go along with an Apple Watch.
This provides you the flexibility to achieve your little one and so they can textual content their associates, however they don’t have entry to a number of the identical apps you may get on the cellphone. 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 cellphone plans but it surely’s additionally only a smartwatch plan.
It’s the quantity of functionality we’re comfy with. When the time involves improve, I think 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 similar to garments, gadgets are handed down from little one to little one. Our oldest will get the good thing about getting the latest gadgets (although they’re used or handed down from our associates with out youngsters!), 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 all the way down to our youthful youngsters 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 cellphone, 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 positive.
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 suppose!
