2. Apple iPhone SE (2022) – Best iPhone for Kids
If your child really needs to be a blue bubble in the group chat (basically, if all their friends have iPhones and they say they want one too), then the most cost effective way is with the iPhone SE 2022.
The third generation SE is the latest version and is the only iPhone still sold with the classic design with the home button. It’s a very thin and small device with a small (and not great) LCD screen, but it has 5G and wireless charging (but no charger at all in the box) and access to iMessage, FaceTime, AirDrop and all the other Apple-only things iPhones offer.
It might not be peer pressure, though – if as parents you also have iPhones, it might be useful for your kids to have one too, as you can use the Find My app to keep a record of their whereabouts.
There are more expensive iPhones with more features and better cameras and displays, but for most kids the iPhone SE is more than enough. It will also have software support until around 2028.
