Cricket Lumia 530: The Ideal Smartphones for Kids & Teens

I’m working with Cricket, an affordable Cell Phone service. They sent me a Lumia 530 for review.

According to a new report from The NPD Group, almost one in five kids between 4 and 14 owns a cellphone today.  With high tech gifts likely on most wish lists this holiday season, parents may need some help in deciding which smartphone is going to be the best fit for their children. I was surprised that my son wants a cell phone for Christmas, he’s only six and I think that’s too young, but what is the right age, I have no idea. I think it depends on your child, and what type of phone.

The Lumia 530 is a great phone for children because it’s light, small and well built. For the screen to crack it’s going to have to have just the right hit on a rock to break, plus it’s a great price. It’s even free right now at Cricket when you sign up for a new plan.

Stay connected with Cricket’s reliable nationwide network and fast 4G LTE speeds. Our simple, straightforward monthly prepaid phone plans include mobile data access and unlimited talk and messaging. Plus all prices include taxes and fees so there are no surprises.

For parents who want to keep affordability in mind and make their kids happy this holiday season, the new Nokia Lumia 530 is a full-featured smartphone that is supported by some of the best apps for work and play, including Facebook, Evernote and Twitter.

Equipped with Windows Phone 8.1, this smartphone comes with Microsoft services built-in and features Cortana as a personal assistant that can help remind kids of their after-school commitments or to say happy birthday to their best friend when they arrive at their house. Regularly Priced at just under $50, the Nokia Lumia 530 is the practical choice for parents looking to give their children that coveted smartphone, fully supported by essentials like Xbox, Skype and Microsoft Office applications, without breaking the bank this holiday season.

My kids use my phone all the time so it was nice to have a phone for them to use for a while. They play games and we use Cortana for school time. I love using Cortana for my calendar and asking her questions like today we asked her what the definition was for hue. Cortana learns about your specific interests and the things you care about the most, makes recommendations and anticipates your needs. From warning you about impending road conditions to reminding you to pick up flowers for a loved one’s engagement, she’ll keep you close to the people who matter most. My kids love to listen to music and it’s really easy to use Pandora or MixRadio. And the games are practically endless. They play tons of different Disney games.

If you are thinking about getting a phone for your kids I wanted to share these tips with you that Cricket sent to us.

· Start planning early – according to advertising consultancy Communicus, 18% of pre-K children now ask their parents for a smartphone.  Finding a phone that provides both gaming apps and productivity tools will help kids early on to find the balance between work and play.

· Price matters – Weighing both cost and utility is important for parents who want to provide their children with a useful device without paying the price of a premium smartphone.  Let’s face it – kids break and lose important things all the time.  Starting kids off with an affordable device will teach them the value of the technology.

· Choose a phone that is productivity focused – 46.3%  of teens with a cellphone agree with the statement, “My cellphone should help me get work done when and where I want,” according to data from Simmons.  Kids have busy schedules – connecting them with their email and word documents opens up opportunity to get work done wherever they are, whether that be while waiting for sports practice or at the park on the weekend.

· Get extra help – not all digital personal assistants are created equal.  Some only provide reminders at a specific time, neglecting the opportunity to integrate people or location specific information into the alert.  Choosing a smart device with an intuitive and adaptable digital assistant can be incredibly useful for a child – particularly for keeping track of homework assignments and afterschool activities.