>it's either the phone or a tracking device.
Yup. I've seen parents, myself included, resist a phone for the kid(s) until they realize how much it helps coordinate activities of kids, friends of kids, parents of friends of kids, etc. etc. who are all miles apart during the course of a day.
I think middle school is a good cut off point though. In elementary school it just seems wrong. When you get a locker, you get a phone.