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Teen talk: top cell phones for teenagers
Kent German
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)
Samsung SCH-N330 (Verizon Wireless)
Sanyo VI-2300 - blue ice (Sprint)
Sanyo VI-2300 - blue ice (Sprint)
Nokia 3220 (T-Mobile)
Nokia 3220 (T-Mobile)
Kyocera Slider SE47 (U.S. Cellular)
Kyocera Slider SE47 (U.S. Cellular)
Motorola Tattoo i860 - gray (Nextel)
Motorola Tattoo i860 - gray (Nextel)






Review date May 3, 2005 June 15, 2005 February 9, 2005 March 15, 2004 February 24, 2005






Editors' rating
(Editors' rating explained)
6.0 out of 10 6.0
Good






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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  






 
 
 
 
 
 
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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