The best phones for kids in 2023: Expert tested and reviewed

Giving your kids a phone is a smart idea that benefits you, too. You can gain peace of mind with the ability to track their location and contact them directly no matter where they are, or who they’re with.

But we understand, the decision to give your child a phone can be complicated. When are they old enough? What kind of phone should you buy? Are there kid-specific plans? And what about parental controls? These questions can be overwhelming, but we can help.

Also: Want a tablet for your kid? Our picks aren’t just for entertainment

My wife and I have gifted two out of our three children a phone when they reached a certain age. We wanted a way to contact with them at school, during sports practices, and after hours when they’re at a friend’s house.

Of course, not all phones are built equally, and you may have certain features in mind for your kid’s phone. I rounded up five of my top picks for kid-friendly phones. I recommend the Apple iPhone SE, but I also include other phone models, and even one smartwatch — keep reading to find out why.

Pros

Most affordable iPhone
Strong performance
Good battery life
Great camera

Cons

Display is somewhat small
Old design

Apple’s iPhone lineup spans a wide range of models at varying prices. The most inexpensive iPhone is the iPhone SE, which starts at $429. Apple revamped the iPhone SE in 2022 with the same processor as the more expensive iPhone 13 lineup. The end result is an iPhone 13-like experience in a phone that’s half the price.

The phone features a 4.7-inch display and a Touch ID home button that your child can use to secure their iPhone with a fingerprint. The rear camera takes photos that are nearly as clear and crisp as higher-end iPhones, while the front camera provides a solid FaceTime experience.

In addition to excellent hardware at a reasonable price, you’re also getting access to Screen Time parental controls, Find My, Family Sharing, and the rest of Apple’s software services. For a family that’s heavily invested in Apple products, the iPhone SE is a great starter phone for kids.

Review:iPhone SE

Pros

Affordable
Large display
Good battery

Cons

Somewhat slow performance
Low internal storage

The Moto G Pure is an incredibly affordable phone that offers a basic experience. It’s often on sale from the retail price of $100, which makes it a good starter phone for children learning how to take care of a device for the first time.

In fact, both of my kids started with a Moto G model in order to prove they could take care of a phone without breaking, losing, or leaving it somewhere it could be stolen. The Moto G Pure has a decent camera setup, 3.5mm headphone jack, large battery (helpful for kids who love playing games), and large display,

However, there are two potential downsides to the G Pure: Storage and speed. With 32GB of internal storage, you’ll want to add a 512GB microSD card to make room for pictures, videos, apps and games.

Performance will be slower than what you’d find on an iPhone and other phones on this list, but for a child’s first phone, it’s totally okay.

Pros

Good price
Great cameras
Solid battery life

Cons

Limited internal storage

Samsung isn’t known for low-end smartphones. But since LG recently exited the smartphone business, Samsung has begun to improve and iterate its entry-level phones.

Also: The 5 best Samsung phones

The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G looks and works just like a high-end Galaxy S22, but it only costs $160. It also features a 5,000 mAh battery, which is powerful enough to survive a full day of use for most people (even kids). Plus, the 48-megapixel camera and rear-facing cameras are solid.

With only 64GB of internal storage, you’ll want to add more using the built-in microSD card slot that allows up to 1TB of additional storage.

Pros

Always-On connectivity
All-day battery
Harder to misplace

Cons

Not a full-fledged phone

Apple Watch SE tech specs: Display: 40mm, 44mm | Battery Life: 18 hours | Water Resistance: 50m | LTE Cellular Option: Yes | Cost: Starts around $250

Even though the Apple Watch SE isn’t a phone, if you buy the cellular model and use Apple’s Family Setup feature, you can turn the Apple Watch SE into a smartphone that your child wears on their wrist. The cellular model starts at $250 for the 40mm version, but there are always discounts going on that you can take advantage of to cut the price down.

My youngest child has an Apple Watch SE instead of a phone, and we use the watch to text back and forth while he’s at school. Plus, we can view his current location and call him when we need to chat while he’s at a friend’s house. Of course, he can contact us via text or call whenever needed, too.

Also: The 5 best Apple watch models

There’s a School Time feature that makes it easy to block all apps during school hours to ensure your child won’t get distracted. (However, if they urgently need to contact you, they can bypass it — a feature that’s tracked, so you can make sure they aren’t abusing it.)

Also, you need to be an iPhone user if you want your child to use an Apple Watch.

Pros

Excellent security
Great cameras
Solid battery life
Quick charge

Cons

Pricey
No microSD card support
No wireless charging support

The Google Pixel 6a is one of the most secure phones you can buy for your child. The Google Tensor processor’s security core works with the Titan M2 security chip to make the phone resistant to hacking, tracking, and spying.

Review: Google Pixel 6a

It also uses a fingerprint reader to unlock, so only you, your child, and authorized users can access the phone for calls and texts. The phone is also IP67 rated for water- and dust-resistance, which means a little rain or spills won’t ruin it.

With a 24-hour battery life and quick-charging feature, you can stay in touch with your kid all day.

Apple’s iPhone SE is the best phone for kids because it has long software support and offers the best performance you can get in a phone under $500. Battery life and camera performance are just bonuses.

Here’s how the best phones for kids compare on price, screen size, and operating system:

Phone for kids	Price	Screen size	Operating system
Apple iPhone SE	$429	4.7-inches	iOS
Moto G Pure	$159	6.5-inches	Android
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G	$160	6.5-inches	Android
Apple Watch SE	$250	40mm, 44mm	Watch iOS
Google Pixel 6a 5G	$349	6.1-inches	Android

Deciding which phone is right for your kid depends on a few factors, including age, overall cost, and which operating system you prefer. Once you know those details, you can narrow down your search and make a choice based on personal preference.

Choose this kids’ phone…	If you want…
Apple iPhone SE	The best all-around kids phone that will be supported for years and it features a good camera and excellent battery life.
Moto G Pure	A budget-friendly starter phone for children that’s affordable, has a large display, and a good battery.
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G	A good mix of affordability and performance for parents with a solid battery life your kids will love.
Apple Watch SE	A device for communicating with your child, it has all-day battery life, and it’s hard to misplace.
Google Pixel 6a 5G	A secure phone with great cameras, quick charge capabilities, and a solid battery life.

I’ve reviewed phones for more than a decade. Not only have I tested these devices myself, but I’ve experienced my own kids reaching the age of needing their first phone.

All five of these picks are something I would (and have) trust(ed) my kids to take care of. I also considered the following factors:

Privacy: Keeping your child’s information and data is of the utmost importance with any tech device, so we picked phones with privacy features like encryption and parental controls so you can contact your child if need be.
Battery life: A phone serves little purpose if it’s out of battery, so we looked at devices with long battery lives so you don’t have to constantly recharge.
Price: These days, smartphones can range dramatically in price. Since this will likely be your child’s first phone and they simply need something more basic, we kept the prices a bit more affordable.

Both Apple and Google have their own respective solutions for adding parental controls to an iPhone or Android phone. For iPhone users, you’ll want to enable Screen Time on your child’s phone. For Android phones, you can set up Google’s Family Link.

Also: The 5 best parental control apps

Both options offer you control to schedule when the phone can and can’t be used, which apps can be installed, and even who the child can talk to.

Sticking with your current carrier and adding a line to your account is going to get you the best deal on a new phone. However, if you want to buy a phone outright without getting locked into device payments, you can always start with a prepaid carrier like Republic Wireless or Visible. The plans are cheap, and you’re not committed to paying the carrier back for a phone if your child loses it.

If you opt to add a line to your account, most carriers allow you to mix and match plans. For example, you can have your number on a plan that allows unlimited data usage at full speed, and then give your child a plan that forfeits data speed when the network is busy. It saves you money while still giving your child access to everything they need a phone to do.

Yes! If you set up Screen Time on an iPhone, you’ll also set up Apple’s Family Share feature that includes Find My. Find My is not only what you use to track down a lost iPhone, iPad, or Mac, but it’s also used to keep tabs on friends or loved ones.

Google Family Link offers the same functionality, or you can add your child to Google Maps’ Location Sharing feature.

Also: Did you lose a device? Here’s how to track it

Of course! There are countless phones for children available. From refurbished iPhones to used devices off of Swappa, or a similar second-hand website. The iPhone 12 is the oldest device currently sold by Apple, but it’s $599 and comes with an older processor and arguably a worse camera than the iPhone SE. However, it has a larger display, Face ID and comes in tons of colors.

As for Android devices, well, you really have your pick of the sea. From well-known brands like Samsung and Motorola to lesser-known device makers like TCL and OnePlus, the list of phones that are worth considering is long.

As for smartwatches that replicate a phone-like experience, Verizon’s GizmoWatch 2 is also a respectable option.

Best iPhone alternative

Refurbished iPhone

A refurbished iPhone allows you to choose a model that offers you many of the perks of a new iPhone like good security, excellent camera and battery life, at a lower price.

Best alternative for GPS

TickTalk 4G LTE Kids Smart Watch Phone with GPS Tracker

This watch will give you peace of mind with its accurate GPS tracking, SOS alerts, and more than 20 parental controls. You can even set step goals to help your child develop healthy habits.

Best compact alternative

Palm Phone PVG100

Its compact size is perfect for kids. Yet it packs a lot of goodies in its petite packaging with its 12MP camera, fast performance, water/dust resistance, and GPS.