
An excellent phone for texting with its full-size QWERTY keyboard that slides out from underneath the 3.2″ touch screen. The Extravert 2 recognizes voice commands and is T4/M4 hearing aid compatible.
Compare Prices:
If you’re looking for a cell phone for your child, you might not want to get them a full-fledged smart phone just yet, with 24/7 fast internet access and all that that entails. A dumb phone is therefore a very good option for kids that are old enough to have their own phone, so they can call home in an emergency situation, or parents can reach them to find out their whereabouts.
For a kids’ phone, stability is a must. It shouldn’t easily break when accidentally dropped, stepped on, left outside in the rain, or whatever. Therefore, we definitely recommend getting a rugged phone for your kids.
A simple speed dial option is a plus, for kids that are too young to remember their home phone number. However most kids get the hang of using technical equipment like phones a lot faster than us older folks, so we wouldn’t be too concerned about this as long as the number is stored somewhere in the phone.
Another great feature for a kids’ phone is an MP3 player, so they can listen to music or audio programs on long rides, flights, and similar potentially boring situations.
Our favorite phone for kids is the Samsung Convoy 3. While not completely waterproof, it can take some getting wet or being dropped. It comes with an MP3 player and a speed dial function. It also has a couple of games, and the push-to-talk feature can be fun.
If you’re looking for a 100% waterproof phone for your kids, go for the Casio Ravine 2 which is fully rugged.
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Phone | Casio g’zOne C781 Ravine 2 | Samsung Convoy 3 U680 | Samsung a157 | LG Extravert 2 VN280 |
Approx. price | $90 | $75 | $80 | $60 |
Battery | 1150mAh | 1300mAh | 800mAh | 1000mAh |
Bluetooth | v3.0, A2DP | v2.1, A2DP | v3.0, A2DP | |
Browser | Opera Mini | Opera Mini | Opera Mini | |
Camera | 3.2 MP | 3.2 MP | No | 2MP |
Carrier | Verizon | Verizon | AT&T | Verizon |
Dimensions | 2" x 0.8" x 4.3" | 2" x 0.8" x 4.1" | 3.8" x 1.8" x 0.7" | 4.4" x 2.15" x 0.64" |
Display (ext) | 1.38", 128x128px | 1.3", 128x128px | 3.2" Touch (240x400px) | |
Display (int) | 2.2", 240x320px | 2.4" 240x320px | 1.8", 128x160px | |
E-mail client | Yes | No | Yes | |
Flashlight | Yes | Yes | ||
Form factor | Flip | Flip | Flip | Slide |
FM Radio | No | No | ||
Games | Yes | Yes | ||
GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Headset jack | 2.5mm | No | ||
Hearing aid | M4/T4 compatible | M4 | M4, T4 | |
Memory (RAM) | 256MB | 256MB | 256MB | 512MB |
MP3 player | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
MP3 ring tones | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Rugged | IP67, 810F | 810F | No | No |
SIM card | Yes | No | Yes | No |
SD card (max.) | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB | |
Speed dial | Yes | Yes | ||
Speakerphone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Standby time | 21 days | 19 days | 10 days | 16 days |
Talk time | 4h40m | 6h30m | 5h | 6h |
USB | MicroUSB 2.0 | MicroUSB 2.0 | MicroUSB 2.0 | |
Vibration alarm | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Voice dial | Yes | Yes | ||
Waterproof | Yes | Not 100% | No | |
Weight (oz) | 4.9 | 3.0 | 4.15 |