This post is brought to you by Pantech Mobile. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
Cell phones are quickly becoming an accepted part of day to day life. I remember my first cell phone, it was a huge bag phone that weighted about eight pounds. It had one special feature – it was a mobile phone. Back then that was virtually unheard of. Tech evolved after that as it does and here we are today. Cell phones are more capable now than ever before, so much so that they can be overwhelming for some. At the same time, no coincidence I’m sure, cell phones seem to be getting more and more expensive. People spend hundreds of dollars on them. Would I ever spend hundreds on a cell phone? Likely not for myself, and definitely not for a child.
Parents are finding themselves facing the question of whether or not to get their cell phone pretty early. I remember having to consider this myself for my oldest TJ years ago. He was about 11 or 12. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly because there were so many things to consider. At that time phones were pretty expensive, as was pricing since that was before family plans started becoming an option.
Had that happened today things might have been a bit simpler. There are family plans that make it affordable to add a phone without costing an arm and a leg. And, there are phones that don’t require a mortgage to buy or a college degree to operate, such as the Pantech Vybe.
The Pantech Vybe is the newest mobile phone from Pantech Mobile, and it is a great first phone for tweens. The Pantech Vybe was designed to be simple to use, akin to a smartphone on training wheels. At the same time, it has all of the features that tweens are looking for, and then some.
I did some testing on a Pantech Vybe. I found it thick enough to feel sturdy without feeling like it weighed a pound or so. The textured back helps provide grip, because let’s face it – sometimes kids (and adults) drop things. Once powered on you will first notice that the display is a 3.2″ touchscreen, which makes it nice and easy to navigate the menus and move between apps. Even my hubby, who needs BIG icons, noticed that the icons were easy to identify on this phone.
There are three customizable homescreens where your child can organize their favorite bookmarks and apps in a way that works for them.
The phone also features something my oldest use to love – a slideout QWERTY keyboard. It’s a whole different feel to a touchscreen, but if you have a tween girl who does her nails she will likely appreciate how easy it is to press the keys. The side of the phone has a few buttons, including one dedicated that allows quick access to the 3 megapixel camera.
Speaking of the camera. If your child will be taking a lot of photos you should know that the phone can take an additional microSD card of up to 32gb where those pictures can be stored.
The Pantech Vybe is capable of doing many things including sending text messages and emails, surfing the web, playing games, taking and viewing pictures, playing music and of course making telephone calls. Tweens will love the ability to even add video and voice memos to their text messages! The phone comes preloaded with some of the most popular social media apps like Facebook. This means if your child is old enough and you let them create an account they don’t have to download anything, the app is there ready to use. If your child is doing more than one thing then they will find the Say-a-Command button very helpful, it lets you say what you want the phone to do.
Now if you’re contemplating getting your tween their first cell phone, there are a couple of things you might appreciate knowing about AT&T. Why do I mention AT&T? Because the Pantech Vybe is available exclusively from AT&T. AT&T has several safety features available as monthly add-ons designed with children in mind, including:
- AT&T Family Map – Shows your family member’s location on a map or sends it by text or email
- AT&T Smart Limits For Wireless – Sets time restrictions to specific times during the day, text and mobile purchase limits and blocks unwanted calls/text
Here’s a brief video about the phone.
The Pantech Vybe is available exclusively at AT&T stores nationwide and online at www.att.com. With a low-cost monthly rate plan, the Pantech Vybe is a very attractive option for folks that want to add get their child their first phone. Costing only $29.99 with a two year contract the phone is certainly affordable. You can earn more about the Pantech Vybe at MyFirstPhone.com.
What things you would take into consideration if you were looking into getting a cell phone for your tween?
CONNECT
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One (1) winner will receive a new Pantech Vybe mobile phone.
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Enter using the Giveaway Tools widget below. The winner will be selected by the Giveaway Tools widget. If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that you must complete the mandatory required entry, and that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. US addresses only please, no PO Boxes. Good luck to everyone that enters!
I am actually looking to get a phone for my own personal use. My Old, OLD LG has outlived it’s usefulness.
We just got our tween a cell phone, and went with a model like ours so we knew exactly how it worked. Didn’t have to learn a new phone in a process.
I would look for unlimited text since I know how my kids are and also to make sure I can have limits to where it cannot be used anytime during school hours or bedtime hours
I would definitely look into what kind of parental controls are offered by the phone.
It would be the age and responsibility
Wow the idea of having a cell phone as a child is so interesting to me. Life would have been completely different!
I would look to see how much text time,as that is important!
I think a phone like this one would be perfect for my son. I need something reliable that will allow me to keep in contact with him when he is at basketball practice.
Device cost, plan cost, contract terms, warranty, control of usage settings, tracking features and most of all service area.
The price of it for sure!
I would look for a phone with GPS capabilities, great parental controls, and modern features that my kids would like. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Erin
I would look into the price of the plan and the ease of use of the phone itself.
I would consider the price and parental control options.
We look for a phone that allows us to connect with our tween as well as one that they can grow with, utilize for school and email.
I am looking for time restrictions. My oldest girls want one for school but want to make it so they cannot access while in school or during their homework times or bedtime at home.
The easy use and the price of the phone!
Thanks for the chance to win this.
For a tween…I look at price first!
I would look into the security features and make sure it had apps that would protect him.. like not allowing him to add phone numbers without permission or getting emails that are spam! I have an 11 year old son who is in sports and band and lots of after school activities and we are looking into getting him a cell phone for safety reasons.. this would be perfect for him! Thank you so much for the chance to win such an awesome prize 🙂
babydjs_mom@yahoo.com
A cell phone I would buy for my tween must be durable, sturdy and waterproof been there, done that
I would look into security and control features.
I would look into security features and data usage.
I look into cost and what it can do.
I would look for safety features and GPS. I would also like computer access. I would look for other features as well.
How much do I want to spend per month on service?
i look for a phone that will stand up to our young son’s abuse.
It would have to be water proof and tough as leather!
When my boys were younger they had a similar phone and it was awesome, they loved it and it lasted forever.. ; this sounds like a very affordable option for a Tween ; what a great review and a fun giveaway; thanks for sharing
I would first look at price. GPS would be cool, and so would the ability to limit calls/texts.
I’d look at price, security and parental controls.
Ease of use, price and possibility to access information. Privacy is a privelage.
price, call texts prices and battery life
I am looking at price and how awesome the camera is since photo taking is all the rage.
price, durability, word of mouth
Not bad for a first phone, or a replacement for an accident prone kid.
I would consider the battery life and the ability to monitor their usage and texting.
What a great phone and a great plan.. we are always looking for an affordable plan and a phone that goes with it, thanks for sharing
I think a phone with good parental controls would be most important. I wouldn’t want my daughter viewing inappropriate content or spending a fortune on apps.
My daughter just turned 12. Most of her friends now have cellphones, but that doesn’t mean I am ready for my daughter to have one. I have lots of considerations for my daughter. It would have to be affordable, parental controls, able to turn on or off any kind of Internet activity, being able to monitor phone usage, and limiting texting and who she may call. She does lots of sports and there are times I wish she could get a hold of me without having to use someone else’s phone.
Parental controls are huge for me. Cost is another issei to consider.
Parental controls are very important to me
If it had a GPS built in and a good camera. I have always trusted my kids to not to monitor them daily or every time they went one line.
We look for affordability, the options to close off extra costs & security features.
I would look for parental controls and price.
The cost would be a big factor for me
Thank you so much for the win!!!