Straight talk on cell phones for children.(up front: News / Trends / Advice)(Product/Service Evaluation)

Now that more than one-third of 11- to 14-year-olds have their own cell phones, marketers are targeting younger kids with phones that lack a keypad but have speed-dial buttons for parents and 911. Parents preset who their child can call and who can call in (kids scroll through names on a screen), and they control costs through prepaid, or pay-as-you-go, plans.

Companies say that the phones help parents keep tabs on kids, but some child advocates object. In July 2005,Commercial Alert, a nonprofit consumer group, led 30 health, education, and privacy advocates in asking Congress to regulate how cell phones are marketed to kids. Gary Ruskin, the group's executive director, cites concerns about kids' safety and privacy as the phones become more advanced, including, perhaps, access to external content.

To help you decide if a kids' phone is right for your family, we tested the Firefly, which is sold at www.fireflymobile.com, Target,Wal-Mart, Limited Too, and Toys "R"Us, and through Cingular and smaller carriers.The results:

* Voice quality was about as good as with an average cell phone but worse than usual in some noisy situations.

* The battery permitted more than seven hours of talk between charges.

* To activate the phone, parents just call 800-Firefly (800-347-3359). But entering the approved phone numbers is tedious.

* Features include ...