I got a basic LG flip phone at the end of my sophomore year of high school. My sister, who goes to a private school in Chicago got one when she was nine. The thing is, everyone in her class had one before her, and she says most of them run around with Blackberries and iPhones.
I would say once your kids are in high school, it's time they can have one. They don't NEED it, but it makes communicating a lot easier. Instant messaging is obsolete now with texting and Facebook, and even Facebook can be accessed from a phone now too so more kids want it. Any time before high school is pointless since you're driving your kids everywhere and you'll know where they are. A pay as you go phone isn't bad before high school though, just in case.
As far as smart phones go, when I graduated high school in 07, I don't think there was a person with a smartphone in our class. It wasn't until the iPhone came out, just after May 07, that smartphones became "cool" and everyone had to have one. Now, on campus, there are a good portion of people with Blackberries and iPhones, and those with "dumbphones" either really want a smartphone, or don't care for it. No one's in between, or indifferent.
So wait on the smartphone, but high school is a good time for a basic phone.
That's just my opinion. I too was a bit spoiled, so I still might sound a bit lucrative.
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