Helping Your Teen Make The ron Call On A Cell Phone (NAPSA)—Research shows that when it comes to cell phones, teens are well connected. Accord- ally see whois calling. It’s all about the music.. If your teen spends as much time downloading music as he does sleeping, then the Slider Remix may be the phone for him. Priced more affordably than other music phones, the Slider Remix offers one-touch ing to a recent survey from Jupiter Research, almost half of young people ages 13 to 16 own their own cell phones—andthisis likely to increase over the next few years. Fortunately, a mobile phone can benefit parents as well as teens. One of the main reasons parents buy phones for their kids is safety, turning a wireless phone into a virtual lifeline. It can allow kids a measureof independence while giving parents the security of knowing that their children are only a phone call away. How to choose that first phone... Here’s good news—there are a growing number of entry-level phones now on the market that your teens won’t be embarrassed to carry—and won’t cost you an arm and leg. For example, if you want a simple, reliable phone for your child, consider two new offerings from Kyocera Wireless: the Dorado, a stylish “candy bar” phone; or the KX9, a “clamshell” flip-phone. Each is designed to offer the style that kids demand without sacrificing terrific reception, long battery life and a com- }| @ —eesorera Tie St access to downloaded MP3 files, This popular, affordable camera phone(left) has zoom andflash, while the fun “candy bar”-style phone(right) makes a greatfirst phoneforteens. “But I phone...” want a camera The prices on camera phones have come down significantly, making them a fun, affordable option for a first phone. Three camera phones from Kyocera all offer one-touch, auto-focus cam- eras with digital zoom and even a flash. In addition, the Candid also features screensavers, polyphonic ringtones and the ever-popular text messaging. color display, polyphonic ring- One step up the style ladder, say those in the know,is the Kyocera K8322, ergonomically sleek with a built-in antenna, external caller ID, real music ringtones and “hands-free” Bluetooth wireless and other bells and whistles traditionally found on more expensive phones. sion, including an external color screen for photo caller ID to actu- petitive price. Kids will like the tones, two-way text messaging technology. Finally, the Xcursion offers it all in a larger-screen ver- a camera with zoom, and an MPEG-4 video player/recorder— along with text messaging, a wireless browser and other fun features. What about phoneplans? For parents who wantthe safety and convenience of reaching their kids without the “surprise” $500 phonebill at the end of the month, there are some useful new pricing plans from national and regional service providers. One option is the flat-rate local plan, which is ideal for kids and families whosetravels rarely take them farther than the semiannual regional soccer tournament. With flat-rate providers like Cricket Wireless, kids can talk all they want for one low price—no surprises. Also attractive are prepaid services from youth-centric carriers such as Virgin Mobile. With prepaid service, there’s no long-term contract and costs are easily controlled because you're paying competitive rates for air- time before it is used, not after. Now that you are prepared to purchase a new phone and pick the right service plan for your teen, you can rest easy until the next dreaded question: “Mom, Dad, can I have a car?”
