If you’re considering buying a phone for your child, the chances are you’ve had to endure at least a few months of pestering. Kids love phones, and they can be a great way for them to socialise and develop digital skills, but it’s important to make sure they get the right phone at the right time.
Many children will ask for a phone while they’re still at primary school, which may well be too early. Even if it isn’t, younger children might not be ready for a smartphone, particularly given the extra risks that internet connectivity can bring.
Kids and their circumstances are different, and you must decide the right time to buy your kids a phone - or let them buy one for themselves. It’s best to be driven by need. For example, you might want your child to have a phone if they’re travelling to school independently, or as a way to keep in touch if the family has separated.
But while it might be tempting to just hand down your old mobile, it’s wise to think twice. Young children in particular can be at risk when using internet-connected apps and devices, and giving them a smartphone may make their internet use harder to police - particularly if they have a SIM card with mobile data. If you are handing over an old phone, be sure to factory reset it to remove your own data, and set up parental controls to limit what your children can see and do.
Phones are unlikely to survive too long in the rough and tumble of daily trips to school, so it’s important to limit the value of your child’s phone: a cheap or refurbished mobile will cut your losses if the phone gets lost, smashed or stolen. In any case, it’s a good idea to protect smartphones with a strong case and a screen protector.
The single most important job before you hand over any phone is to set up its parental controls. Every phone here has them built in and free, letting you manage screen time, approve app downloads, filter content and see where the phone is. Here’s what each platform gives you.
On any Android phone (Samsung, Google and TCL here), Family Link lets you set screen-time limits and a bedtime, approve or block every app, filter the web and Google Play by age, and locate the phone on a map, all from your own phone.
Samsung’s Galaxy phones add Samsung Kids on top of Family Link, a colourful, walled-garden home screen with only the apps and contacts you approve, plus built-in time limits. Ideal for easing a younger child in gently.
On iPhone, Family Sharing and Screen Time let you set app and content limits, schedule downtime, and use Ask to Buy so nothing gets downloaded without your say-so. Communication Safety blurs sensitive images automatically.
So what are the best phones for kids, and which is the best phone for your children? Here’s our top five.
Why buy? The affordable way into an iPhone, with Apple’s controls.
If your family lives in Apple’s world, or your child simply wants to be on the same iMessage and FaceTime as their friends, the iPhone 16e is the sensible, affordable way in. It is the cheapest current iPhone, yet it shares the powerful A18 chip with the pricier models, so it flies through apps and runs the most demanding games with ease.
For parents, Apple’s Family Sharing and Screen Time are excellent: you can set app and content limits, schedule downtime, and turn on Ask to Buy so nothing is downloaded or bought without your approval, while Communication Safety automatically blurs sensitive images. The build is tough and water resistant, and years of iOS updates keep it secure well into the future.
It is the priciest phone here, so it suits an older child with a good track record of looking after their things. Add a sturdy case and some insurance and it will go the distance.
Why buy? A proper 5G smartphone for not much money.
If you want a real smartphone for a first-time owner without the worry of an expensive handset, the TCL 60R 5G is the place to start. From around £120 it gives you a big screen, 5G and a sizeable battery that comfortably sees out a school day, so it handles messaging, video, music and lighter games without fuss.
Because it runs Android, you get the full suite of Google Family Link controls, so you can cap screen time, approve apps and keep tabs on where it is. You won’t get flagship speed or a dazzling camera, and the LCD screen can’t match an AMOLED, but as an affordable, low-stakes first phone it does the important things well.
It is the one we’d pick for a younger child who is ready for a smartphone but not for a price tag you’ll fret over every time it leaves the house.
Why buy? The ideal first smartphone, with years of safety updates.
For many families the Galaxy A17 5G is the sweet spot for a first smartphone. From around £220 you get a trusted brand name, a large AMOLED screen, a 50MP camera and a big battery, all in a phone that covers calls, messaging, streaming and the social apps kids actually want.
What makes it a great kids’ phone is the software. On top of Google Family Link, Samsung adds its own Samsung Kids mode, a simple, colourful space with only the apps and contacts you approve, which is perfect for easing a younger child in. Better still, Samsung promises years of security updates, so it stays safe for the whole time your child is likely to have it.
Performance is modest and the extras are pared back, but as a dependable, grown-up first phone with proper parental controls, it is hard to beat for the money.
Why buy? A nicer screen and more polish, still kid-friendly.
Step up to the Galaxy A37 5G and you get a more grown-up phone for an older child who wants something that feels a bit more premium. It keeps a lovely 6.7-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, a 50MP camera with optical stabilisation and a 5,000mAh battery with fast charging, so it looks and feels well above its price.
It is IP68 water resistant, which is reassuring in young hands, and Samsung backs it with six years of updates. You get the same Family Link and Samsung Kids safety net as the A17, plus enough speed for popular games to run smoothly. We ran a few sessions of the usual playground favourites on it and it kept up happily.
From around £290 it is one of the smartest buys for a child who has outgrown their first phone but doesn’t need a flagship.
Why buy? The cleanest software and the best parental controls.
If you want the most straightforward, best-supported Android for a child, the Pixel 10 is our pick. Google’s own phone runs clean, clutter-free software with Family Link built in at the deepest level, so the parental controls are the most polished and reliable you’ll find on any phone, and new safety features arrive here first.
It is also a genuinely lovely phone in its own right, with a bright 120Hz screen, a camera that is streets ahead of anything cheaper and the speed to run demanding games smoothly, so it will keep an older, gaming-mad child happy for years. Seven years of updates mean it will comfortably outlast their time at school.
It costs more than the Samsungs above, but for a tech-savvy teen it is the one that feels like a proper phone while still giving you full control.
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