My DD is 14 and still does not have her own Smart Phone. She has, however, had a cellular phone since she was about nine years old (for safety reasons). She has been extremely responsible about her phone(s) over the years-- she's on her third one now.
1. two words for you-- FEATURE PHONE.
2. Texting, yes-- if you think that he'll be responsible with it. We only recently gave DD unlimited texting and a keyboard-phone with a touchscreen. She hasn't abused the privilege, but it does get a little annoying from time to time.
3. Ask at the store how to turn OFF data/network functions like web access and e-mail. We did this with her first two phones... a flip-phone that probably isn't even made anymore, and then a Samsung Convoy which was bulletproof and had the battery life of a space telescope-- 2 weeks on a single charge, EASY. No kidding.
4. Find out about a camera-phone's pros and cons before you make a decision. There are some places where it will NOT be permitted, and could get him in trouble if he has it with him. There are a few phones without cameras, but you'll need to know ahead of time if it's a priority, since that will narrow choices considerably.
Honestly, we've never regretted getting DD her own phone.
