| Teen talk: top cell phones for teenagers | ||||
![]() Kent German Associate editor |
Though your primary reason for buying your teenager a cell phone is to keep in touch, allowing your kids a little fun can be a goal as well. Bare-bones handsets such as the Firefly may be fine for younger kids, but if your teen is old enough to handle the responsibility of a mobile, it may be time to give them something with a little more pizzazz. With that in mind, CNET has chosen some ideal cell phone for teens that offer style and functionality without the fancy--and costly--extras. If you don't want a camera phone, the Samsung SCH-N330 for Verizon has a fun pop-up screen, and Sprint's Sanyo VI-2300 comes in six different colors. If a camera is not a worry, the Nokia 3220 for T-Mobile and Cingular has great performance and some quirky design features, while U.S Cellular's Kyocera Slider SE47 (also available with Virgin Mobile and MetroPCS) offers a slider form factor and a speakerphone. And if you favor a prepaid plan, Boost Mobile's Motorola i860 Tattoo has custom youth-themed content.
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| Product name |
Samsung SCH-N330 (Verizon Wireless) |
Sanyo VI-2300 - blue ice (Sprint) |
Nokia 3220 (T-Mobile) |
Kyocera Slider SE47 (U.S. Cellular) |
Motorola Tattoo i860 - gray (Nextel) |
| Review date | May 3, 2005 | June 15, 2005 | February 9, 2005 | March 15, 2004 | February 24, 2005 |
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| Buying choices |
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| Review summary | Samsung's SCH-N330 is a cute, unpretentious phone that offers nontechie cell phone users a simple, functional handset with a cool pop-up screen and a few hidden extras. | Inexpensive--and somewhat cheaply built--the relatively simple Sanyo VI-2300 is perfect for staying in touch in a variety of ways. | Although the 3220 includes a VGA camera and a speakerphone, this handset will appeal mostly to those looking for an attractive but fairly basic cell phone. | Though not as sleek as the Siemens SL56, the Kyocera SE47 is an attractive phone for young adults. | Boost Mobile's Motorola i860 offers Nextel form and functionality in a package designed for younger users. |
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| Basic Specs | |||||
| Service Provider | Verizon Wireless | Sprint Nextel | T-Mobile | U.S. Cellular | Boost Mobile |
| Cellular technology | CDMA | CDMA / AMPS | GSM | CDMA | IDEN |
| Band / mode | CDMA 800/1900 | CDMA 800/1900 / AMPS 800 | GSM 850/1800/1900 (Tri-Band) | CDMA 800/1900 | IDEN 800 |
| Talk time | Up to 216 min | Up to 195 min | Up to 210 min | Up to 240 min | Info unavailable |
| Wireless Interface | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | No | No | Info unavailable |
| Weight | 3.9 oz | 3.6 oz | 3 oz | 3.4 oz | 4.7 oz |
| Carrier | Verizon Wireless | Sprint PCS | T-Mobile | U.S. Cellular | Boost Mobile |
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| Product name | Samsung SCH-N330 (Verizon Wireless) | Sanyo VI-2300 - blue ice (Sprint) | Nokia 3220 (T-Mobile) | Kyocera Slider SE47 (U.S. Cellular) | Motorola Tattoo i860 - gray (Nextel) |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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