They get a flip phone in HS so the can text/call/communicate with parents. By the time my oldest got a smart phone her Jr year, within a few weeks she wished she could have her flip phone back.
"Connecting with friends" by phone is completely over-rated. Social media/online friend relationships are 99% bogus and usually end up causing more heartache than anything else in middle school. Last thing a MS kid needs is social media or a smart phone.