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.