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I'm new here, need help selecting phone

I plan to buy my 9 y/o grandson a smart phone, mostly for games. Our location only has Verizon available and the phones on their prepaid site are very limited. Others have discussed the possibility of buying Verizon phones and using them on the prepaid program. Would someone tell me if this is true and suggest possible phones. Thanks in advance.

Comments

Ann154

Does a nine year old really need a cellphone let alone a smartphone? Are they responsible enough to take care of the phone? Don't forget that a data plan is mandatory for any smartphone.

keysbottles

My grandson lives 150 miles from me, He lives in a broken home with no land line, internet, of cable TV and is home schooled. I feel that it is important for him to have a phone available if needed. With a smart phone he can play games and network with friends and family. I have limited means i.e. Verizon $50 unlimited and a used or refurbished phone. This the best that I can do to better his situation at this time.

I need information, not a lecture.

Ann154

The $50 unlimited prepaid is for basic/feature phone only. If you are looking at prepaid and a smartphone then you need to look at the monthly smartphone prepaid plans which include 450 minutes voice plus a data pak and could cost $80+ per month with all the fees and taxes figured in.

mortb

Any smartphone would be expensive. First, the cost of the phones. I believe the cheapest smart phone is roughly $80 and that's with a two year contract which is costly to get out of. Next, you have the mandatory data plan, for a new customer that will be $30 for 2GB. Then you have the cost of the plan. Giving a smartphone to a nine year old probably will also entail a message plan for texting friends. If you will be paying the monthly charges, you probably would be looking at a bill of $100 or more (probably more with texting) a month. I would really suggest that you give this very careful thought. A good basic phone for calling is what I would suggest. Playing games on the phone eats up data, and 2GB (at $30) would be eaten up pretty fast. Is it necessary that he play games on his cell phone? Some basic phones do have games already installed.

keysbottles

I use an LG Extravert on the $50 unlimited plan and it works great for phone use, plus my grandson uses it for games when he visits. Is this a smart phone??? Maybe I have shown my ignorance. I have already stated, I'm not very tech savvy. I'm looking for a phone with similar features as the LG Extravert but with a larger screen and maybe more game friendly, that will work on the $50 unlimited plan. Any ideas? Thanks again

keysbottles

I bought a HTC Droid Incredible with a clean ESN on Ebay for $82.

<< Comment deleted as a violation of >>

It was like pulling hens teeth to get info from this forum.

The community members provided advise and options based on the situation you presented and within the guidelines of the Community.

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

SuzyQ

keysbottles wrote:
I plan to buy my 9 y/o grandson a smart phone, mostly for games... He lives in a broken home with no land line, internet, of cable TV and is home schooled. I feel that it is important for him to have a phone available if needed. With a smart phone he can play games and network with friends and family.

I've read through the whole thread - I'm sorry for the situation your grandson and you find yourselves in. I can understand your desire to provide him with a link to friends and family, and some entertainment. For a basic phone, texting, and a few games (like your Extravert) a pre-paid would likely work, but you aren't going to find many choices beyond the Extravert.

Bigger screen, better games... not on the pre-paid $50. You'll end up paying for a data plan, and kids can really rack up the texts, so unlimited there too, and you're up to $80-$100 a month - a lot for a 9 yr old. Sounds like he NEEDS a basic phone and would be thrilled with the Extravert, but you WANT him to have more. Nothing wrong with that, but it likely won't happen for $50 a month.

As far as "pulling hen's teeth" to get info - your original question was about using Verizon phones on pre-paid - there is a list of current phones usable on pre-paid; those available for the $50 a month version are quite limited. Our answers are likewise limited.

cmhyson

I just dont see why a 9 year old child needs an expensive device like a cell phone. The most "expensive" thing I had when I was 9 was a nintendo 64. I didnt get my first computer till I was 14 and my first cell when I was 16. BUT given he doesn't have much of a good life right now I can see your reasoning

I'd just choose an iphone. Small, but powerfull. easy to use and has parental controls right out of the box.

StreetDocRN

Hey,

I thought I would put in my two cents worth to try and give you an answer. Shopping for cell phones these days can be confusing, especially with new techology that seems to change day to day. Check out this web page from Verizon Wireless that might answer a few questions for you at http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/explore/?page=smartphones and let me knwo what you think. As far as basic cell phones go, you can check out this page at http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/explore/?page=feature-phones and get an idea of what basic or feature phones can do. I hope this helps a little bit for you. Good luck.

Doc

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