Mobile for 11 year old

one-non-blonde

I'm looking for a suitable mobile phone/tariff for my 11 year old son. It's mainly for me to keep in contact with him - I don't think he'll be making a lot of calls/texts but he'll want a handset with a camera and a few games. As it's his main Xmas present I'm happy to spend up to about £80 but we'll definitely spend less that £10 a month in top-ups (I don't even spend that much!) and need a network with reasonable coverage in rural areas.

After much trawling of interweb I'm now completely confused but leaning towards the Samsung J600 on Virgin (http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/viewProduct.do?productId=AA9539BA-AB9D-4C1D-8B80-E5C76E60DC61) though I've no idea what Virgin are like as a network. He'll mainly be calling/texting me on O2 and his sister on Tesco Mobile (which I think is also O2).

Any advice?

matthewn.green

Pay as you go, orange can provide free texts, definatly wouldn't reccomend a Contract Handset. Don't think Virgin are bad. Samsungs are fairly easy to use, sounds like if you like the handset go for it.

before_hollywood

i could reccomend a great site for checking coverage in your area but i know a heck of a lot about phones and coverage maps and it confuses the heck out of me tbh, if o2 works where you are get him an o2 phone, tesco uses o2 transmitters so thats why it works for you and your daughter.

£80 will get you a heck of a lot of phone for the money- have you thought about a samsung d900i???? £79.99 i think and a heck of a lot of phone for the money, looks the dogs nuts in chrome (i want one and am 26 lol), or something like a nokia 5300? he can put his mp3's off the computer on it (if he likes music which i certainly did at 11 lol)

calling crossnet will cost a bomb for both of you irrespective of network

cazziej

Hi, slightly more than you wanted to pay, but I have an 11 year old boy too, and for Christmas, he has asked for the Sony Ericson W580i, which seems to be quite popular at the moment.

I got mine from Play.com at £99.99 with free delivery.

Hope he is happy with what he gets anyway!

Merry Christmas

Carol

one-non-blonde

Thanks for all your replies. I showed my son a pic of the J600 in blue (under the guise that it was for me) and he went 'yuk' so I guess that's out! I've an E900 which he thinks is cool and knows how to use which is why I thought he might have liked that one and it comes with quite a few games (he has every video console known to man and he still runs off with my phone to play the crappy games on it - kids are wierd). I'm now considering the D900i as mentioned above as it does seem quite a lot of phone for the money with the 3MP camera, thanks for that suggestion. He's not that into music yet so mp3 capability isn't too important but he does like to take photos.

I shall persevere!

z4kir

Could go for the K800i from Play.com:

http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4-/3297056/Sony-Ericsson-K800i-Vodafone-Pre-Pay-Mobile-Phone/Product.html?P36=6SB8SH

There is a £5 off £50 voucher kicking around so could get it for £64.99, (Quidco also available)

Though it's on Vodafone...

one-non-blonde

Thanks for all your input. I've just ordered the D900i in chrome from Marshall Ward for £79 minus a £20 discount code, 6% cashback from Quidco, free delivery and a free teddy bear.

Bargain. :T