Best Kids Cell Phones

These top-rated cell phones are consistently recommended as the best for kids since they are cheap, easy to use and often available with low-cost prepaid plans. Most carriers offer parental controls as well.
Samsung Knack U310

Samsung Knack U310

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

Verizon Wireless
Free with new contract
 
Sanyo Katana Eclipse X

Sanyo Katana Eclipse X

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

Kajeet
*Est. $80, no contract
 
Sanyo Katana/Katana II

Sanyo Katana/Katana II

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

Kajeet
*Est. $70/*Est. $100, no contract
 
Firefly glowPhone

Firefly glowPhone

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

Firefly Mobile
*Est. $50
 
LG Rumor2 LX265/LG Banter AX265

LG Rumor2 LX265/LG Banter AX265

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

Alltel WirelessSprintU.S. CellularVirgin Mobile
Free with new contract
 
Samsung Magnet SGH-A257

Samsung Magnet SGH-A257

Unsophisticated messaging phone for AT&T

Pros: Very good messaging features, Texting-friendly QWERTY keyboard, Exceptional battery life, Slim design

Cons: Lacks multimedia functionality, Slow EDGE network, Limited web browser, Wimpy VGA camera, Available only in bright orange

AT&T
Free with new/renewal contract
 
LG Rumor/LG Scoop

LG Rumor/LG Scoop

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

Alltel WirelessKajeet
Free with new/renewal contract
 
LG Xenon GR500

LG Xenon GR500

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

AT&T
Free with new contract
 
Samsung Axle

Samsung Axle

Basic phone for U.S. Cellular

Pros: Easy-to-use design, Good value, Bluetooth and voice commands, Good voice quality

Cons: Dated graphics, Low-resolution camera, Limited feature set

U.S. Cellular
Free with contract; $30, no contract
 
Cricket A100

Cricket A100

A fine prepaid starter phone

Pros: Relatively inexpensive, Easy to use, Decent feature set

Cons: Some reports of freeze ups, Speakerphone is poor, No Bluetooth, No camera

Cricket Wireless
*Est. $90, no contract
 
Samsung Smooth SCH-U350

Samsung Smooth SCH-U350

The Samsung Smooth cell phone keeps it simple

Pros: Simple to use , Good for messaging  , Extras include Bluetooth, basic web browser, GPS capability, Long battery life

Cons: Slippery casing  , Difficult to open, Average display, Poor reception and voice quality

Verizon InPulseVerizon Wireless
*Free with new contract/renewal; $50, no contract
 
Samsung SGH-T301G

Samsung SGH-T301G

Durable slider phone delivers good performance, outstanding value

Pros: Easy-to-open slider, Responsive keypad and control buttons, Good reception, Exceptionally low price

Cons: Average display screen resolution, Limited 100-entry phone book, Mediocre VGA camera

Tracfone
*Est. $15, no contract
 

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