Not sure what year it would be, this is their first year of undergrad, right? Not sure how old they're meant to be in the present day, but if they started college in 2007, I think that would make them younger than they look. Not sure...

If it was 2007 or 2008 it could be smartphones, iPhone came out in 2007, but it's unlikely because it was expensive.

Maybe best steer clear of actually describing the phone, just to be safe!