It doesn’t take long for children to ask for a cell phone. We have summarized for you from what age this is recommended, what you have to consider and which models are suitable.
Smartphones are playing an increasingly important role in the everyday lives of many children and young people, whether for communicating with friends and family, for playing games or for entertainment. Loud statesman 54 percent of all 10 to 11 year olds own a smartphone, among 12 to 13 year olds it is 73 percent. Among the 14 to 19 year olds it is already 94.2 percent.
This shows that in order to keep up in the modern, digital world, young people also need a smartphone. But there are many questions for parents: At what age should my child have a smartphone, which models are recommended and which cell phone tariff should I choose for my child? We answer all of this in our comparison.
At what age should my child get a cell phone?
Admittedly, the question of the age for using a mobile phone is definitely an individual question. Every child develops differently and at different speeds. Often only the parents are able to assess whether their own child is ready for a mobile phone or a smartphone or not and whether they can use it responsibly.
But there are also many opinions from the experts. Above all, the pedagogical rule of thumb: No mobile phone before the 9th birthday, no smartphone before the 12th birthday. This is how “Schau Hin!”, an initiative of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, puts it on their Website with golden rules for cell phone use in childhood.
Overall, it is important to ensure that the child is aware of the risks and dangers of the internet and regularly talks to the parents about it.
Which mobile phone models are recommended?
When it comes to children’s first cell phones, it is crucial to first determine whether they should be cell phones or internet-enabled smartphones. The former is particularly recommended for younger children under the age of 12, as such cell phones are more robust and less dangerous, as they often offer no or only very limited internet access.
The best cell phone models for children
If you have decided on a normal mobile phone for your child, the following list of suitable models will help you make the right purchase decision.
Nokia 6310
The Nokia 6310 is the new edition of the Finnish manufacturer’s old cult device. It comes with a robust but elegant design, has a clear 2.8-inch display and can do everything a young child needs: i.e. make calls, send text messages and play snake.
Buy Nokia 6310*
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The features here are intentionally limited in number so the little ones can’t do unwanted things. In order to stay in contact with family or friends, it is perfectly adequate and, at only 60 dollars, is also very cheap.
The best smartphones for kids
If you have decided that your child is mature enough for a real, internet-enabled smartphone, you can look around for a suitable model in the following list.
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
The iPhone SE from 2022 is not a particularly cheap smartphone at around 500 dollars and is just scratching the edge of the smartphone upper class. But it can do a hell of a lot for the money: It comes with the same ultra-fast A15 Bionic chip that the iPhone 13 uses. Another advantage is that the iPhone SE will receive software updates for at least five years – this is a big factor in the longevity of the device.
The battery life is still excellent and the somewhat outdated but very robust design with the home button and the small 4.7-inch display ensures that the cell phone can be used well by children. The camera is also very suitable for photos, and iOS as the operating system is very user-friendly and therefore particularly suitable for children. It also supports the new 5G mobile communications standard.
Samsung Galaxy A34 5G
With the Galaxy A34 5G, Samsung offers a robust mid-range device with everything you need these days for around 350 dollars. The liquid AMOLED display has a refresh rate of 120 Hertz. The built-in MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chip isn’t a beast like Apple’s A15 Bionic, but it’s mostly sufficient. After all, the device comes with 6 gigabytes of RAM and 128 GB of flash memory.
not yet tested
We haven’t tested the product yet, so we can’t show you Samsung Galaxy A34 test results here.
- RAM: 6 Gigabyte, 8 Gigabyte
- Battery capacity: 5.000 mAh
- Device memory: 128 GB, 256 GB
- Main camera (rear): 48 Megapixel
- Display-Diagonale: 6.6 inches
What is not a matter of course in the mid-range sector is IP67 certification, which the Galaxy A34 5G has. It is therefore dust and water resistant. The triple camera supports OIS and takes decent photos. Another plus is Samsung’s OneUI, which comes with plenty of setup options for kids and is pretty user-friendly overall. The device also receives security updates for five years.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
The Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi is known in the industry for its smartphones with an unbeatable price-performance ratio. The Redmi Note 11S is no exception: for only 200 dollars, it comes with a 108MP quadruple camera, an AMOLED display with 90 Hertz and 33 Watt fast charging. A few years ago, such specs were reserved for the absolute upper class.
not yet tested
We haven’t tested the product yet, so we can’t show you Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S test results here.
- RAM: 6,8 GB
- Battery capacity: 5000 mAh
- Device memory: 64, 128 GB
- Main camera (rear): 108 MP
- Display-Diagonale: 6.43 inches
The 5,000 mAh battery gets your child through the whole day. The more angular design makes the device much more manageable overall. The eight-core MediaTek Helio G96 is sufficient for most smartphone activities of a 12 to 15-year-old, but stuttering can still occur in challenging games. The MIUI used as the operating system is not the yellow of the egg either, but some compromises have to be made in view of the price.
What do you have to consider when setting up?
When setting up a smartphone for your child, you should consider a few things. Set up a screen lock, but make sure your child knows the password. After setting it up, you can immediately install parental controls in the Google Play Store. In the linked article, we will show you how to do this with Android devices.
For Android devices, it is also recommended to add the cell phone to your Google Family Link. This gives you even more control over what your child does with the smartphone, how long it is used during the day, etc. You can find out how to set up Family Link in the linked article.
Which mobile phone tariff is suitable for my child?
If you have made a decision to buy a smartphone for your child, you should look around for the right smartphone tariff. In general, prepaid tariffs are recommended for younger children, since when making phone calls and surfing the Internet, you can only spend as much as is in the credit account and no unexpected costs can arise as a result.
The situation is different if you as a parent already have a mobile phone contract. Then you often benefit from additional cards. Telekom offers a Plus card for children and young people under the age of 18 for just 10 dollars a month, which has the same data volume as your main card. You can even book a smartphone and cancel the additional card monthly. Vodafone also offers a similar offer with the Red+ card.
Vodafone CallYa
Like every major mobile operator, Vodafone offers a prepaid option called CallYa. For 10 dollars a month, with the CallYa Allnet Flat S tariff, your children can get a prepaid SIM with 3 gigabytes of data volume, an Allnet flat rate with telephony and SMS, and 5G speed.
Order a CallYa card*
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For five dollars more you get double the data volume, for 20 dollars for four weeks it’s 15 GB of data volume. The classic tariff without a fixed data volume is called CallYa Classic, where a minute or an SMS costs 9 cents and 3 cents per MB.
WhatsApp SIM
WhatsApp SIM is a unique mobile phone tariff. In addition to normal units for SMS/Internet/telephone, you also get the advantage that chatting via WhatsApp is also possible free of charge without data volume. This is an advantage for your child because they can always be reached even if the data volume is empty at the end of the month.
Buy WhatsApp SIM*
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For 10 dollars for four weeks you get 4,000 units, which can be divided between megabytes, phone calls and SMS. Disadvantage: Internet surfing is via LTE, but is limited to a speed of 25 Mbits.
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