The decision for when to get your kid their first phone, and what kind, is unique to each family. There are a ton of factors: what you can afford, if your kid’s school allows phones, when their friends get phones, and a realistic assessment of your kid on a scale of “mature perfect angel who won’t do anything bad with this phone” to “little devil who is going to fight me over screen-time every day.”
… One common option for parents of young phone owners is to get a lower-priced smartphone or older model phone. Another option is something called Gabb — a smartphone designed for kids. It has no browser, no apps (so no social media or video games), no Bluetooth or AirDrop. It doesn’t even offer email. There’s just calling, text messaging, an FM radio, and a calendar.
… Worried about your kid sexting? The Gabb phone offers just SMS texting, not MMS, which means you can send plain text messages only — no texting video or pictures.