Back to School Phones for Kids & Parents

(CBS)  With school just around the corner, both kids and adults are looking for the latest and greatest in cell phones to keep in touch.

More Back-to-School storiesMany parents, Del Conte pointed out, are relying on texting to keep in touch, so each of her picks comes with a full keyboard to make communicating easier than ever. Editor's Note: All phone prices are with a two-year contract. Phones cost up to $300 more without contracts. Samsung Reclaim
Carrier: Sprint
Cost: $49.99
- Phone is made from recycled material and so is the box
- Phone charger is Energy Star approved
- Manual is printed with soy ink
- Uses Sprint's one-click interface to customize the phone
- 2 megapixel camera
- Full spacious QWERTY keyboard

BlackBerry Curve 8520
Carrier: T-Mobile
Cost: $129 at T-Mobile or $49 at Wal-Mart
- Entry-level BlackBerry, so not all the bells and whistles of the Tour or the Bold
- 2G phone, not a 3G phone so not the fastest BlackBerry around but T-Mobile has pretty reliable service
- Trackball navigator has been replaced with an optical track pad, which is easy to get used to and works well
- There is also a dedicated media control along the top
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- Great call quality, even over speakerphone

Samsung Impression
Carrier: AT&T
Cost: $199
- Was a CNET's Editor's Choice for touch screen phones at this year's CTIA Wireless Conference
- Really sharp graphics, colors are brilliant, beautiful screen
- Haptic feedback
- 3 megapixel camera but no flash
- Full slide up keyboard
- A lot of multimedia features
- 3G

T-Mobile myTouch 3G
Carrier: T-Mobile
Cost: $199
- The second Google Android phone for T-Mobile, which means it is running Google's mobile operating system
- Thinner than the first model but has no slide-out keyboard
- Familiar Android marketplace but a new better design

LG enV Touch
Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Cost: $149
- Successor to the LG Voyager
- Full touch screen phone with flip open full QWERTY keyboard
- Customizable shortcut menu
- 3 inch display on inside and outside
- 3.2 megapixel camera and camcorder with autofocus, flash, and an image editor
- Music player, stereo Bluetooth, and EVDO Rev-A, which is one of the fastest 3G networks in the country

[infantabella]

the school administrator has a good point. however, cell phones are not going to go away and parents get an added sense of safety knowing that they can reach their kids, or their kids can ask for immediate help in case of an emergency with the use of a phone. now, i also think that cell phones are way too expensive and kids tend to use them recklessly. i think that they can be taught a lesson in restraint by getting them prepaid cell phones like a TracFone or a Net10, available at Walmart. These are pay as you go devices that can be had for about $30 a month and get great coverage 'cause they're carried on the top networks like Verizon

[Randy Chan]

Wondershare now offers comprehensive courseware software to create interactive learning and training content seamlessly and effortlessly. Pick up the wonderful tools to facilitate your learning and training. Up to 50% discount!!
http://www.sameshow.com/back-to-school/

[Randy Chan]

Wondershare now offers comprehensive courseware software to create interactive learning and training content seamlessly and effortlessly. Pick up the wonderful tools to facilitate your learning and training. Up to 50% discount!!
http://www.sameshow.com/back-to-school/

[KNARFHZ]

Oh my! As a news show I would have thought that you would listen to your own warnings to parents. I am a teacher and mom, I take issue with your spot on school and cell phones. Understanding that cell phones are a part of our society, why would you think to present cell phones as a part of a student's needs for school? As administrator and teacher I have seen so many negatives associated with cells. Bullying, text that is sexually suggestive, and so on. You should know the pitfalls you showcase them. Cells are in students' hands as young as 9 years old. It is not a positive item to suggest that students take to school. Newspapers and shows will be the first to showcase warnings but the last to follow their own advise. Please be more mindful of the opposing messages you advertise. I guess "advertise" is the working word for this segment, unfortunatly a poor choice. Maybe this segment should have had an intro of "This is an advertisement" rather an insight segment to what a student needs for school for communication with parents. Administrators and teachers are people with children's best interest at heart. Don't you think a child should be told to ask your teacher for help? That knowlege is paramount to your character and the child should be concentrating on their studies when in school? Not "mom I whats for dinner? Priorities. What happen to the idea of the teacher, administrator and parent working together for the well being of the child? ugh!