by Jamie Lendino, pcmagParental control and child locator services are more robust now than they were a few years ago. The 2005-era dedicated "kid phones" never panned out and largely disappeared from the market. But many of today's handsets let parents restrict content in Web browsers, or even control how much time their kids can use the devices—and are much better phones to boot.
There are two ways to approach the parental controls issue. Carrier-based services, like Verizon's Chaperone or Sprint Family Locator, are controlled via a browser interface from a desktop or laptop PC using a password-protected account. On-device settings, such as the ones found on certain Sanyo phones, are set up right from the phone and allow for more granular control of the address book and internal apps.
If you're shopping for your kid's first cell phone, here are the best handsets to use with parental control services. In a nod to the current recession, and the fact that there's a good chance whatever phone you buy could end up lost between the couch cushions in the basement, I'll stick with budget-priced phones for this roundup.
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