10 Best Phones You Can't miss for Teens & Kids 2024

What's best smartphone for your teen? The one with the best price or the best camera? Is an iPhone really better than an Android phone? Before rushing into the mall, keep in mind that you're buying a phone for teen, so there are a lot to consider.

You would need a cheap or portable data bundle to access websites like Facebook and Google, download files, and perform other tasks. Of course, you don't have to buy your teen a subpar used device because it's likely that they are more tech-savvy than you are. They are constantly searching for the very best. Let's go through some best phones for teens.

Table of Content

Part 1: What to consider when buying phones for teens & kids?

It might be stressful to purchase a new smartphone for your child as the cost rises above $1,000. You should know what to look for beforehand, so you don't necessarily spend too much money.

So, here's what you should pay attention to when purchasing the best phones for teens.

1. Price: Price points for smartphones range widely. As you move up the value chain in terms of CPU speeds, memory, cameras, and displays, prices inevitably tend to increase. However, don't let money constraints prevent you from getting your desired smartphone.
2. Camera: Make sure you choose a phone with a good camera if you enjoy sharing images with your kids. The Galaxy S9 and the iPhone X, two more costly phones, are very good at shooting photos in low light, so you can still obtain quality images in a dark restaurant without using the flash. Budget phones frequently have subpar cameras, so if this is essential to you, think about spending a little more.
3. Processor: The hoopla surrounding processors is like that surrounding smartphone cameras, with terms like quad-core, octa-core, snapdragon, MediaTek, and others. Here is a quick guideline. Look at the processing speed specified in GigaHertz (GHz). The CPU runs more quickly the higher the speed. Choose a speedier processor if you stream videos, play online games, or edit many photos and videos.
4. Built-in parental control system:

We know that Apple devices are born with the Screen Time feature to manage kids' phone time, while Google phones are born with Family Link. Still, there are other phones like the Palm phone and Pinwheel phone that provides stronger parental control for users.

5. Battery: Check out reviews or get in touch with others who already possess the phone you want to purchase for your kid. If feasible, you want one that will last the entire day. Consider a smartphone with a fast-charging battery. Most manufacturers of smartphones offer unique chargers that can quickly charge a battery to at least a half charge. Or, if you have an iPhone, think about investing in an iPad charger to add more power.

Part 2: Best Phones for Teens and Kids 2023

A smartphone can accomplish many things, especially those previously limited to a camera or TV. Kids can watch TV online, record their voices, and take pictures of the happiest moments in their life with a smartphone and an internet connection. Also, adults living on a budget can purchase the Android smartphone shown below for a reasonable price. Let's start by describing the best phones for teens;

1. iPhone 13

The most well-known iPhone 13 series, including the iPhone 13 small, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max, has remarkable features and specs to high consumer demand. The iPhone 13, with the same CPU performance as the latest iPhone 14, is an excellent buy at the most fantastic price and comes in various colors and storage sizes.

The iPhone 13 boasts a cinematic video recording, one of the most treasured specs for video creators. Although it is more expensive than most other options, it's the most incredible smartphone for kids, particularly teenagers.

Overall Rating: 4.5

Value for Money (Price): $929

Camera Quality: 2, 12MP (wide and ultra-wide) Rear and 12MP f/1.9 front.

Picture Quality (Display): 6.1 inches OLED

Battery Life: 15 hours

Memory: 128GB/256GB/512GB

One reason it is good for teens and kids: It is durable and can last for a long time for kids

2. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G

The person who wants anything should use this phone. Whether you like art, gaming, or curating your feed with all that inspires you, it's filled with features made especially for lovers of all types. This is the phone that won't give in, providing the Galaxy S20 5 G's innovations to make fantastic technology available to everyone. You can utilize Google's Family Link app, which enables parental controls since you use an Android smartphone. On your child's phone, you can manage their contacts, monitor how much time they spend using it, and lock them out at any moment. The software may be downloaded from the Play Store or set up using a computer.

Overall Rating: 4

Value for Money (Price): $514.99

Camera Quality: 12MP wide; 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom; 12MP ultrawide; and 32MP front camera.

Picture Quality (Display): 6.5 inches

Battery Life: 8 hours and 58 minutes

Memory: 128GB/256GB

One reason it is good for teens and kids: Google parental control is accessible

3. Palm Phone

One of the most intriguing gadgets we've seen in recent years is the Palm Phone. Despite falling short of capturing the essence of vintage Palm devices, this phone was a decent choice for children because of its small size.

Every day that goes by, smartphones appear to become larger and larger, making it difficult for little hands like those of a child to use them properly. The Palm Phone, on the other hand, is highly portable and straightforward to operate by even the smallest of hands since it is under four inches tall and has a screen that is just 3.3 inches in size. Additionally, it runs a modified Android operating system that is far more straightforward than other smartphones.

Overall Rating: 2.5

Value for Money (Price): $199

Camera Quality: 12MP rear camera

Picture Quality (Display): 3.3-inch, 720 x 1,280 screen

Battery Life: 2 hours

Memory: 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage

One reason it is good for teens and kids: It is easy for kids to operate

4. Google Pixel 4A

You may be surprised to learn that Google's mid-range Pixel, the Pixel 4a, is placed second on our list of the top Android smartphones. But at $349, the Pixel 4a is a remarkably full-featured smartphone that we haven't seen at this price.

The Pixel 4a features a camera that rivals flagship models, adequate performance, faultless software, a portable, well-built body, and 128GB of onboard storage. It costs half as much as the Pixel 5 or one-third of what Samsung and Apple charge for their best models, yet it also offers a gorgeous and vivid 5.8-inch OLED display. The Pixel 4a's successor, the Pixel 5a, might be in the works, with rumors suggesting a late-spring release.

Overall Rating: 4.5

Value for Money (Price): $348.97

Camera Quality: 12.2MP, and 8MP Front camera

Picture Quality (Display): 5.81-inch OLED (2340×1080)

Battery Life: 6.5-7 hours

Memory: 128GB

One reason it is good for teens and kids is: It comes with a built-in google parental control feature.

5. iPhone SE

Precisely the 2016 iPhone SE, Apple provided people seeking a tiny phone with what they were searching for. It unveiled a new SE model in 2020 with a more extensive form factor and continued to use the Touch ID- front fingerprint sensor. With the same hardware, the CPU offers better performance, longer battery life, and superb picture quality.

The SE has built-in parental controls that let you activate restrictions on the time your child can spend with their phone, what applications they may download, and how often. In other words, you may not win the argument for allowing your adolescent to download Instagram, but you can impose time restrictions on their usage. You need to go to Settings, choose Screen Time, and then turn on Screen Time to configure the parental controls.

Overall Rating: 4.5

Value for Money (Price): $429

Camera Quality: 12MP wide rear and 7MP front camera

Picture Quality (Display): 4.7 inches LCD

Battery Life: 3 hours and 45 minutes

Memory: 64/128/256GB

One reason it is good for teens and kids: It offers better performance and durability

SmartPhones for Kids with parental control

6. Pinwheel Phone

A fresh perspective on children's mobile phones is the pinwheel phone. It's a phone with its operating system, applications recommended by therapists, access permissions, and parental restrictions well-liked by children. The key is to keep children in mind throughout the whole design process. A calculator, flashlight, and camera are just a few of the safe, practical applications that come pre-installed on Pinwheels. As your kid develops digital literacy, you may add more than 500 more screened applications to their tablet from our App Library.

Overall Rating: 4.7

Value for Money (Price): $199

Camera Quality: 13MP camera

Picture Quality (Display): 5.7 inches

Battery Life: Up to 2 days

Memory: 64GB (expandable storage available)

One reason it is good for teens and kids: It comes with a kid-recommended app

7. Lively Jitterbug Flip2 Cell Phone

This mobile phone's simple, user-friendly features, and urgent response button make it an ideal emergency phone for youngsters, even if initially designed for older folks. The Jitterbug Flip 2 is an Android smartphone with a big screen and buttons to make it simple for kids. When you call, children can easily hear you thank the phone's loudspeaker, and if you (or your kid) need help, Amazon Alexa is on the device.

You may rest easy knowing this mobile phone doesn't have internet, social media, or other applications, even if it lacks parental controls and GPS capability. A 24/7 emergency response button also links users to nurses and medical professionals for rapid assistance. The phone cannot work with any other carriers, so you must choose a plan with Lively.com once you get it.

Overall Rating: 4.3

Value for Money (Price): $100

Camera Quality: 8MP

Picture Quality (Display): 5.7 inches

Battery Life: A few days if used minimally

Memory: 16 GB

One reason it is good for teens and kids: It doesn't have an internet connection, social media, or other applications

8. Motorola Moto G Power

The Moto G Power from 2022 is the ideal option if you're looking for a phone with a long battery life. The three-day battery life means kids may use it without stopping and recharging during the day. The Android phone has 128 GB of storage, accommodating hundreds of applications and priceless assets like friend images captured by the phone's triple camera system.

The mobile phone is protected from spills and splashes by a water-repellent design, and fingerprint identification adds another layer of protection. You may include the Moto G Power in your family plan since it is compatible with most big carriers, including AT&T and Verizon.

Overall Rating: 4

Value for Money (Price): $250

Camera Quality: 64MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro and 2MP sensors

Picture Quality (Display): 6.4 inches

Battery Life: Up to 3 days (depending on usage)

Memory: 128 GB

One reason it is good for teens and kids: You can access your child's applications, set daily use limits, and more with parental controls.

9. Moto G Pure

The Moto G Pure is a very inexpensive phone with a simple interface. It makes a suitable beginner phone for kids learning to care for a gadget for the first time since it often sells at the regular price of $159.

Give your kids a Moto G model to demonstrate their ability to properly care for a phone without damaging, losing, or leaving it in a location where it may get stolen. The Moto G Pure offers a good camera setup, a 3.5mm headphone connection, a big battery, and a big screen.

Overall Rating: 4.0

Value for Money (Price): $159.99

Camera Quality: 13MP Camera

Picture Quality (Display): 6.5 inches

Battery Life: Up to 2 days

Memory: 32GB, microSD card support

One reason it is good for teens and kids: It is useful for children who love to play games.

10. Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE isn't a phone, but it can be one if you purchase the cellular version and activate Family Setup. In this manner, you may convert your child's Apple Watch SE into a wrist-mounted smartphone. A school Time feature makes it simple to disable all applications to prevent your kid from being distracted during school hours. (They can circumvent it, however, using a monitored feature, so you can be sure they aren't abusing it if they need to reach you.)

Overall Rating: 3.5

Value for Money (Price): $249

Camera Quality: No

Picture Quality (Display): 40mm, 44mm

Battery Life: 18 hours

Memory: 32GB

One reason it is good for teens and kids: The school Time feature makes it simple to disable all applications to prevent your kid from being distracted during school hours.

Part 3: Summary

Thus, now that you know about the best smartphones give your kid a phone this festive season and bring a smile to their face. So, no matter where they are or with whom, you can call them directly and follow their whereabouts confidently.

Additionally, you let kids freely go to Halloween activities like costume parties and trick-or-treating with one of the best phones for teens. However, we recommend FamiSafe as the best application if you do not have a phone with parental control features.