How I Decided On My Child’s First Smartphone

Getting your child’s first smartphone isn’t only a question of how much you can spend.

As a parent, I thought long and hard before I decided to get one for my teen. I had all these scenarios in my head and realised that there are lots of things to take in consideration that doesn’t have to with money. Their age, how responsible they are with their belongings, what they need, how their phone is mainly going to be used and so many other things.

Teens experience a lot of peer pressure these days but the desire to give them what they want don’t always mean you are making the most cost-effective and smart decision.

A brilliant man named Bill Gates seems to think 14 is a pretty decent age for a teen to get his first smartphone and I think it would be a great way to challenge Spencer. Smartphones comes with rules. It would be great to see how responsible he is with things that he owns.

To make the long story short, I got my 14-year-old son, Spencer, his first phone. I bought him the Alcatel 3 (2019), one of the Alcatel’s latest release.

The smartphone is marketed as’ideal for teens and I found it a good deal for having the right features and looks ‘cool’ as how Spencer described it. He got all excited seeing the screen size and resolution plus the super full view display. “I can watch Youtube on this!” He exclaimed.

The phone does look stylish with the glossy/shiny exterior and the two-tone colour makes it more stylish. Impressive for a budget smartphone. Spencer chose the black blue gradient colour. They also have it in a purple to blue variation. The fingerprint scanner and face recognition feature is what grabbed my attention. The grip feels light and secure and fits the hands nicely, too. For – $279, the features of this phone is pretty advanced. Impressive, right! Something I didn’t find in the other phones we checked out with the same price range. I also noticed that the phone has a protective shell which helps lessen my worry of Spencer dropping it accidentally and the phone gets broken. Ouch! Although I must admit, it wouldn’t hurt as much as if we got a phone that’s worth a thousand and then Spencer lost or broke it. I asked my son to tell me more about how the phone performs after he has used it for a few weeks. He found the phone’s settings easy to understand and straightforward. The battery is also quite long-lasting. Its 13MP + 5MP camera is superb and fun with its cute bokeh features. It’s also great for basic internet and social media needs. The phone is not much for heavy gaming though, but that’s perfect since I don’t want him glued to the phone all day and not be able to speak to him!   As a mum I am quite impressed with the choice I made for my son’s first smartphone. It has advanced security features for a low-end smartphone. It serves its purpose of being used for communication, school and social life while looking sleek all that for a very affordable price.

I would highly recommend it to parents like me who are thinking of getting their kids a new phone. For those who are on a tight budget but still want to invest in a high-quality smartphone that’s great for daily use and with features you wouldn’t expect to see for its price, definitely check out this particular model, the Alcatel 3 (2019).

You can also check out other Alcatel smartpones! They have lots of smartphones to choose from that are can fit your specific needs.

Alcatel has been in the industry for a decade and has a solid track’record of delivering high-quality handsets with amazing features that you can buy without having to spend too much. While shopping for a phone I saw several phones that are under the – $300 price range and all are great options just not what I was looking for in a phone to buy for my son.

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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