Need a phone for your Tween or Teen? Check out the Nokia Lumia 610

The return of school is creeping up on us at an alarming rate.  I will freely admit to being in total denial about it.  I am not prepared and not ready at all. I suppose I should start making lists of the things I have to buy and deal with before the beginning of next month. ONE of the things that my kids want on that list is their own cell phone.

Previously, I would just laugh at this request.  They are, after all, only ten and 8, and beyond the cost, neither are mature enough to be in charge of such an expensive item (in my old-fashioned opinion anyway).  However, the folks at Telus Mobility asked me to check out the Nokia Lumia 610 for a few days this summer and they may have swayed me to the dark side so to speak.

The Nokia Lumina 610 is a Windows based smart phone.  It is about the same size as the iPhone and its touch technology is fairly intuitive.  The kids were impressed that it came with Facebook, Twitter, Xbox Live, and Youtube.   I liked having Microsoft Office on it, since a person like me grew up in a non-Apple world and all my documents are Office documents.  Of course tech costs if you are using it away from the home wifi connection and that is definitely something to think about when looking at phones for your tweens.

My kids love all the tech on the new phones.  When I upgraded my own phone I took all the data eating toys and games off it and let them use my old phone for Angry Birds.  Yes, they love YouTube and Google and all that social media, but do they really need it on their phones?  Our house has computers, and iPad, iPhones, and an iPod.    Does he need to carry that around?  In my opinion – not really.  Not when he isn’t paying for the plan himself.

The phone IS a good deal with Telus.  The phone itself is free with their 3 year contract; you just have to find the right plan that suits yours and your kid’s needs.  I have to admit that I loved being in contact with my son while he was out and about.    Even on sleepovers it was nice to check in on him via texting to see if he was happy.  He may be ten, but he is still my baby boy and I worry when he is out of my sight.  At the same time though, I love watching him spread his wings and venture farther afield the older he gets.

Did I like the phone?  Yes.   I wasn’t familiar with the Windows based phones and I liked the design and how easy it was to figure out.   Would I buy it for my ten year old?  Honestly, I don’t know.  He is a bit young yet, but if there was a package that wouldn’t put an enormous dent in my pocket, I would certainly have this as one of my first choices.

I would love to know who has already purchased cell phones for their kids and at what age they did so.  I would love to hear what people really think about the idea and whether they are a necessity or just us buying into the marketing.  Can any of us imagine life before our smart phones?