"dumb" phone for kids?

[ExtraSlow]

What's a small durable "dumb" phone for a kid to be able to text with? Would like our kid to be able to text is she misses her bus or something. Don't want apps and games.

[revelations]

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What's a small durable "dumb" phone for a kid to be able to text with? Would like our kid to be able to text is she misses her bus or something. Don't want apps and games.

Prob the same phone as for seniors - I got my parents one of these:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ushining-Unloc...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[ExtraSlow]

how is texting on that phone?

[AndyL]

Do the flip phones still sms as they once did? I saw a bunch on Amazon recently

[revelations]

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how is texting on that phone?

T9 baby - lol ..... ie. annoying enough that kids wont do use it endlessly

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Do the flip phones still sms as they once did? I saw a bunch on Amazon recently

yes they do! T9 mode all the way.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Anything without a touchscreen means they will be typing with T9 which is a nightmare. I'd suggest buying a cheap smartphone and just not putting a data plan on it. Samsung for example has a kids mode that allows you to control everything including screen time. You can also disable WiFi, disable data, etc.

[ganesh]

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What's a small durable "dumb" phone for a kid to be able to text with? Would like our kid to be able to text is she misses her bus or something. Don't want apps and games.

Don't want to derail this thread or anything like that. How old is your kid?
My daughter is 8 and me and my wife are having this discussion about her getting a phone.

[spike98]

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Don't want to derail this thread or anything like that. How old is your kid?
My daughter is 8 and me and my wife are having this discussion about her getting a phone.

Got my kid a phone at 8. Best decision we could have made. The key is to limit it (via nanny app) and teach them responsible use. Phones are an important part of life now and in my opinion, you are better off teaching responsible use vs keeping them in the dark.

[ExtraSlow]

Older then 8. If you want to have that talk, let's do it in person over a beer sometime.

[Tik-Tok]

Unfortunately most "dumb" physical keyboard phones died when CDMA was phased out. The ones that are GSM are hard to find now, and everything with touchscreen us a smartphone.

LG Expression was a good one.

[revelations]

This is a much broader question to get into:

- no data = no GPS tracking of said phone
- data = nanny mode (ie. disable apps)

[ganesh]

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Older then 8. If you want to have that talk, let's do it in person over a beer sometime.

Thanks . I will message you .

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Got my kid a phone at 8. Best decision we could have made. The key is to limit it (via nanny app) and teach them responsible use. Phones are an important part of life now and in my opinion, you are better off teaching responsible use vs keeping them in the dark.

Thanks that is good to know.

[adam c]

I know it's not the topic but I gave my oldest my old iPhone, but I installed 'ourpact' so I can limit screentime on it, the paid version has more controls of being able to control individual apps but I'm fine with free

The iphone also allows me to track where she is, which in this day and age with the amount of fucked up people out there, provides a bit of comfort

[cyra1ax]

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Unfortunately most "dumb" physical keyboard phones died when CDMA was phased out. The ones that are GSM are hard to find now, and everything with touchscreen us a smartphone.

LG Expression was a good one.

Have an LG Xenon, was incredible for texting. Absolutely crap at everything else lol.

[killramos]

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how is texting on that phone?

Annoying enough that they will just resort to noods via picture messaging.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Why spend money to get dumb phones when you can simply have dumb kids for free?

[ExtraSlow]

Just ordered this one:

By referring myself to public mobile I'll get $30 credits plus $1/mo discount on the $15/mo plan. Unlimited texting. Phone has no wifi, plan has nearly no data. Sounds great to me. T9 texting is about perfect amount of frustrating I suspect.

[speedog]

Fuck, when I was 8 all we got were a couple of rusty tin cans with jagged edges and piece of string and the string was only if we were sort of good. Shiny new tins with safe edges just didn't ever happen, I still think our parents were hoping we'd either bleed out from a cut or get an infection and die somewhere out on the bald prairie but tough little fuckers we proved to be. Even playing the rock-ricochet game with 22's and 303's didn't off us although our parents were unaware of that stupidity.

[killramos]

I’m pretty convinced the infection and subsequent fever had a lasting effect

[speedog]

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I’m pretty convinced the infection and subsequent fever had a lasting effect