According to Wirefly, teenagers are obsessed with their mobile phones and this opens the door of opportunity for marketers.

Wirefly claims the most popular phones for the teen demographic are those that are text-friendly. Touch screens and QWERTY key pads are at the top of the list when it comes to teen favorites because of the functionalities these types of phones offer.

"Not only are more teens using cell phones, they are using them more and more primarily as texting devices," said Scott Ableman, chief marketing officer of Simplexity, the parent company of Wirefly, Reston, VA. "We are seeing the first generation of Americans who are more comfortable texting than talking."

Wirefly, an online authorized retailer of mobile phones and wireless plans, said teenager's obsessive nature when it comes to mobile devices expands the audience for marketers.

The company selected 10 phones from a variety of different carriers including T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon and ranked them according to teen's favorites.

The LG Vu CU920 is a touch screen phone. Available in red wine and black, it has a 2.0 megapixel camera/camcorder, virtual QWERTY keyboard for email and text messaging, expandable memory and AT&T Music and MediaFLO for watching videos and listening to music.

The phone is popular amongst teens because it is free for current or new AT&T customers.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 came in second place and has a 3.2-MP camera, WiFi, GPS, full HTML Internet browser, MP3 player, and BlackBerry's emailing power.

LG enV Touch took third place and is a messaging device with advanced multimedia capabilities, a full HTML Web browser, an enhanced music player and a 3.2 megapixel camera/camcorder.

But, when it comes to picking phones for teenagers, parents have to take other things into consideration besides features and service areas.

"There are many factors that make a cell phone popular," Mr. Ableman said. "Of course, carrier preference still rules in the U.S. "But when a phone is advertised or used by a celebrity, it also generates demand.

"But the biggest driver is still price," he said. "When we give away a hot texting device for free with a service plan, we get a lot of people signing up."

In today's wireless world, marketers need to look to how teens and tweens use their phones and social media.

"Teens in the U.S. are both over-scheduled and technically savvy," Mr. Ableman said. "They use social media not only to keep up with each other during their busy days, but also as a means of expression.

"Today's cell phones are a complete mobile platform for managing those social media," he said. "All of the popular social apps are available now for every mobile phone platform.

"They may be using PCs to do their homework, but the cell phone has taken over all communication."