Basic Verizon flip phone is great for seniors, kids
Pros: Outstanding reception and call quality, Accessible design, Easy-to-use navigation menu, Large readable fonts, Good battery life
Cons: Tiny external display, Thin on features, No Bluetooth
Free with new contract
Basic clamshell phone with mirror-like finish and great battery life
Pros: Excellent battery life, Lots of features, Good reception
Cons: Slow, So-so call quality, No multimedia features, External screen useless in sunlight
Free with new contract
Cheap clamshell cell phone with some cool features
Pros: Fast EVDO network speed, One-click navigation is easy, Includes camera/camcorder and music player, Cool flashing lights, MicroSD memory card slot (up to 8 GB)
Cons: Slow browser, Conflicting reports on call quality and keys, Some say music player is subpar
*Est. $50 with contract
Slim clamshell cell phone that's good for kids
Pros: Kajeet models have parental controls, GPS locator, Thin and good-looking, Good call quality, Has Bluetooth, External camera key
Cons: Cheap VGA camera, No music or video player, It's slow, Conflicting results on battery tests, No microSD slot
*Est. $70/*Est. $100, no contract
A good starter phone for kids
Pros: Good parental controls, Simple to use, Geared to kids 8 to 12
Cons: Too limiting for older kids, Durability complaints, Not many options
*Est. $50
Kid-friendly clamshell cell phone with cheap VGA camera
Pros: Price, Excellent battery life, Includes a camera, Can send voice messages, Can be a wireless modem in a pinch
Cons: Camera is pretty low-end, Battery life is short, Browser is slow and freezes, No music player or camcorder, No microSD memory card slot
from $9.99 with new contract
Cheap clamshell cell phone that's good for kids
Pros: Decent call quality, Kajeet model has parental controls and locator, Offers text and instant messaging, email, Raised keys
Cons: No camera, no music player, Video playback is very choppy, Mixed reviews on battery life, speaker, Cheap display screens
*Est. $50, no contract
Multimedia candy-bar phone suitable for kids
Pros: Lots of multimedia features, Bright display screen, High-speed 3G data network, Expandable memory
Cons: Bulky size, Cheap construction, Flat and slippery keypad, Inconsistent call quality, Proprietary headset jack
Free with new contract
Middle-of-the-road messaging phone for Sprint and Alltel
Pros: Better design than original Rumor, Full QWERTY keyboard, Good reception and call quality, Support for corporate email
Cons: No high-speed 3G network support, Lackluster music player, Inferior camera
Free with new contract
Bargain-priced slider phone with QWERTY keyboard
Pros: Inexpensive, Full QWERTY slide-out keyboard, Good call quality, Decent battery life
Cons: Slow web connectivity, 2-inch screen a bit low-res, No dedicated keys for periods or commas, 1.3-megapixel camera with no flash , No voice dialing
Free with new/renewal contract
Basic flip phone with VGA camera and Bluetooth
Pros: Compact clamshell design, Easy to use, Good call quality, VGA camera, Bluetooth
Cons: Faded internal display, Low volume, Slow menu interface, Limited ringtones
Free with contract
Good entry-level messaging phone for AT&T
Pros: Touch-screen display, Long battery life, Good call quality, High-speed network, Solid build quality
Cons: Confusing user interface, Touch-screen can be quirky, Limited email compatibility, Web browsing hit-and-miss
Free with new contract
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