A newly released study by iGR finds 50 to 70 percent of kids aged 12 to 14 have a cellular phones. The percentage of 15 to 17 year-olds with mobile phones is even higher. The reasons for having a cell phone cited in the study were to keep in touch with friends and parents. But “the ‘cool’ factor and peer pressure also ranked highly,” the study said. Older kids selected chic, more sophisticated handsets and avoided handsets geared toward younger children.

While kids have strong opinions and will want their cell phones to boost their image with their friends, iGR advises parents to make the final choice for the handset and service as they will likely be the ones paying. The study does not go into usage of mobile services including voice, text and mobile Web applications.

iGR