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Carefully select the right time to approach your parents for this conversation. Choose a time when they're calm and not stressed or distracted. Don't pounce on them right when they get home from somewhere--and especially don't approach them as soon as they're home from work. Don't try to open the topic when other people are around. You don't want potentially jealous siblings in the room, nor do you want to approach your parents if their friends or relatives are around (they're more likely to be stressed or distracted). First and foremost, you need to have the right attitude when approaching your parents with this request. Open the conversation calmly and maturely with something like, "Do you have a few minutes? There's something very important I'd like to talk to you about." Lead into the discussion with a demonstration that you appreciate the things they've already given you and the amount of time and energy they put into helping you on a daily basis. You might say something like, "I really appreciate how much time and effort you put into helping me with my homework and making dinner [or fill in the blanks according to your situation]. And I'm really thankful for the bike you gave me for Christmas because it's really helping me to get around [or, again, fill in as appropriate]." Before asking the question, preface it with something like "You don't have to say yes or no right now" to let them know that you're willing to give them time to think it over. Taking away the pressure of an immediate response will help your parents listen to what you have to say without immediately making up their minds; when parents have to immediately decide something, the answer is often no. When you're ready to pose the question itself, do so politely but also sincerely--that is, don't be obviously obsequious or saccharine. It will only make your parents suspicious of you and your true motives. Form the question so that you're opening a dialog rather than dropping a bombshell. You might, for example, say something like "I'd like to talk with you about getting a smartphone." Showing your parents you care enough and are responsible enough to save money to put towards the phone may help convince them you're ready for one.maybe even offer to pay most of the cost. Explain to your parents that you specifically went out of your way to save this money so that you could take responsibility for part of the cost of the phone. Explain further that you'll also be invested in the phone, and will thus have a vested interest in taking care of it and not losing it. What are smartphones for if not for organization? Well, a lot of things, but you don't need to mention that part. Your smartphone will allow you to keep all of your events in one calendar, and--most importantly--it's a calendar you can share with them so they can see what you've got going on. A smartphone's calendar will help you schedule long-term school projects, thus helping you better manage your time and do better in school. Because you can sync your calendar to your parents', they can input and set up reminders for important things they need you to remember, like dentist and doctor appointments. With a smartphone, you always have a comprehensive, worldwide map right in your hand, plus a list of emergency contacts and a GPS tracking system. If you're ever driving somewhere, you phone can guide you and even help you avoid hazards. If you're walking, your phone can prevent you from getting lost in unfamiliar places. Talk about how a smartphone will help you stay in touch with them at all times because they not only allow you to text or call your parents whenever you need to, they also have GPS abilities that can allow your parents to know where you are. A number of tracking apps allow you and your family members to keep track of each other, which can be particularly helpful for parents who tend to worry frequently about your whereabouts. Smartphones are perfect for getting work done anytime, any place. More and more school assignments require internet research, and with a smartphone, you can do your work while waiting for the bus, in between classes, etc. There are all kinds of great study- and productivity-enhancing apps available to download to help you with everything from note-taking to brainstorming to task management. If you did the groundwork of keeping or getting your grades up, now's the time to let it work for you. Don't just tell or promise your parents that you'll do well in school if you have a smartphone. Instead, have physical evidence to back you up--a report card, some exams you aced, a recent project or paper, etc. Explain that not only will a smartphone help you in school now, it will help you continue to excel. A smartphone will eliminate the need to have and carry around multiple devices for email, movies, music, and books. Instead of having separate devices for all of your work and entertainment needs, you can carry just one smartphone. So your parents will have fewer devices to buy and you'll have fewer gadgets to lose or break. It's not uncommon for parents to worry about what their kids can access on the internet, particularly if the internet lives in their pocket. So try to head these concerns off at the past. If they have reservations about what you can access with your smartphone or about how much you might use your smartphone, tell them not to worry. Remind them that they can set parental controls on the phone to put their mind at ease. Your parents can set controls via your cellular carrier that include limits on the number of texts and calls you can make, as well as the amount of purchases you can make and the amount of data you can use per month. Your parents can also set specific controls using your smartphone's operating system, including setting up safe search on your phone's browser and on YouTube. Finally, there are a number of smartphone apps designed specifically to enable additional parental controls on the phone. Many parents have reservations about their kids not knowing the right and wrong things to do with a smartphone, so help reassure them. Remind them of how it will help you learn money-management. Not only will you be demonstrating financial responsibility if you offer to pay part of the cost, you can also continue to hone your financial skills with the number of helpful tools and apps available on a smartphone. Certain apps will allow you to draw up a budget and then help you to follow it while others allow your parents to set up a list of chores and a monetary amount for you to receive upon completing them. Talk about your knowledge of responsible phone use: describe your understanding that you shouldn't--and won't--send inappropriate text messages or images and tell them you understand that certain kinds of apps will be inappropriate and will let them have final say on what you have on your phone. If you really want to show them how serious you are, tell them that you and they can write up an agreement which you can all sign outlining what you will and won't do with your phone.

Summary:
Choose your moment. Open the conversation calmly and with gratitude. Take the pressure off. Ask the question politely and sincerely. Offer to contribute towards the cost. Tell them it will keep you organized. Tell them it will keep you safe and in touch. Explain that a smartphone will help you study. Remind them of how well you're doing in school. Remind them about consolidation. Remind them of parental controls. Demonstrate responsibility.