Let’s face it: Children need iPhones. Their favourite celebrities use them, their dad and mom use them, and a few of their pals have them, too. However which iPhone is finest for your child? There are many components to think about, not the least of which is the age of the kid in query. When ought to a toddler be given their very own iPhone? We’ll focus on that in a bit beneath.
For toddlers who want a easy system for watching parent-approved movies and enjoying some video games or instructional apps, we advocate avoiding iPhones altogether and getting a fundamental iPad. It’s inexpensive, you don’t have to fret about mobile connectivity, and the massive measurement is straightforward for toddlers nonetheless engaged on their high-quality motor abilities. You may try our greatest iPad for youths information to see if this may be a greater match in your youngster, and we advocate a have a look at our greatest iPad offers roundup so you may get the most effective costs.
However, as soon as a toddler will get sufficiently old for cellphone connectivity to be helpful (for cell web, texting pals, monitoring and being contactable by you), it’s time to step as much as a correct iPhone. Apple has simply up to date the iPhone for 2024, introducing the iPhone 16 sequence and lowering the costs of the present handsets. How does that change the panorama for the most effective iPhone for youths? Learn on to seek out out and see our suggestions.
No matter iPhone you get, you need to think about using Display screen Time to handle their use. Constructed into iOS, Display screen Time permits you to set limits on how lengthy your child can use their cellphone, what apps they’ll obtain and use, and when they should put it down for the evening. It’s a good way for busy dad and mom to maintain tabs on what their youngsters are doing after they’re not inside eyeshot, and must be the very first thing you arrange.
Finest iPhone for youths
Under you’ll find our high selections for iPhones for youngsters. We aren’t recommending the last word iPhones as a result of we predict that until you might have a cash tree within the backyard you received’t need to be spending an entire lot of cash on a cellphone for a kid who’s simply as more likely to depart it on a bus or drop it. However when you’d like a wider vary of iPhones to select from learn our iPhone shopping for information and our iPhone comparability.
Apple iPhone 14: Finest iPhone for older youngsters
Execs
- Worth
- Show measurement
- Good battery life
- Respectable digital camera
Worth When Reviewed:
£599 (was £699)
Older youngsters (younger teenagers and highschool college students) have demanding requirements. An iPhone SE could serve them properly, however that smaller display screen is somewhat archaic they usually’re going to need to look cool in entrance of their pals. Extra importantly, photo-taking and social media have began to change into an vital a part of their social life. So when you’re prepared to spend extra on an iPhone with a extra succesful digital camera, Face ID, and a full-screen show, we advocate trying no additional than the iPhone 14.
With a 6.1-inch show, it’s significantly greater than the iPhone SE, which older youngsters will admire, and it has a extra trendy design and options. The iPhone 14 will ship, with battery life that may simply final a full day.
You is likely to be questioning why we picked the iPhone 14 over the iPhones 15 and 16. It’s cheaper, which is an effective sufficient purpose. However we additionally assume that the iPhone 14 compares very favorably with the iPhone 15. Certain, you’re giving up a few of the newer options, comparable to enhancements to the digital camera, or the iPhone 15’s USB-C port as an alternative of Lightning. The iPhone 14 nonetheless has a quicker chips and glorious battery life.
The iPhone 14 begins at $599/£599 for 128GB, you pay one other $100/£100 for the iPhone 15 and yet one more $100/£100 for the iPhone 16. Since your ninth grader might be going to replenish the reminiscence shortly making TikTok movies and taking selfies and pics for social media and texting with pals, we’d counsel that when you do have a much bigger price range that the additional cash is spent on rising the storage within the iPhone 14 reasonably than the bells and whistles of the newer fashions.
Learn our full
Apple iPhone 14 evaluation
Apple iPhone SE (2022): Finest iPhone for youthful youngsters
Execs
- Worth
- Small measurement
- Sturdiness
Cons
- No Face ID
- Older, much less trendy, design
Worth When Reviewed:
$429 (64GB) | $479 (128GB) | $579 (256GB)
When you have a child at grade faculty/elementary/main faculty who’s mature sufficient to deal with their very own cellphone, you need to look no additional than the iPhone SE. It’s received the identical A15 processor used within the iPhone 13 vary, so you realize it’s going to carry out properly and get software program updates for years. With a 4.7-inch display screen, it’s additionally fairly small, which is sweet for youthful youngsters’ fingers and pockets. It’s a greater than serviceable iPhone, and there’s actually nothing your child could need to do this they received’t be capable of, outdoors of utilizing options like Memoji or Animoji, which require the TrueDepth digital camera discovered within the Face ID-equipped higher-end iPhones.
One of the best half is that it’s cheap (for an iPhone) at $429/£449, though that’s for the 64GB model, which may replenish shortly if the kid in query desires to obtain loads of video games and content material to observe. Stepping as much as the 128GB model ($479/£499) can alleviate this, however the worth does begin to creep up. Nonetheless, slicing again on options just like the all-screen Liquid Retina show and twin cameras, and sporting Contact ID as an alternative of Face ID saves loads of value, so the SE will nonetheless be cheaper than all the opposite iPhones. And since younger youngsters are typically tough on stuff, even with an excellent case and display screen protector (that are extremely beneficial), you’re not going to need to threat placing a $700 cellphone of their fingers.
In fact, we don’t actually advocate the iPhone SE (2022) for adults (though it may be ideally suited for the aged), as in trendy phrases it appears a bit dated and restricted, however for a child’s first step into the Apple world it might be an amazing alternative.
Learn our full
Apple iPhone SE (2022) evaluation
Apple iPhone 16 (128GB): For teenagers who need all the things
Execs
- Newest iPhone
- Big enchancment in battery life
- Helps macro and spatial pictures and video recording
Worth When Reviewed:
$799
There may be in fact a sure standing you can solely get from having the newest iPhone, and children actually aren’t resistant to that. There are much more causes to purchase the iPhone 16 than there have been for the iPhone 15 in 2023, together with the brand new Digicam Management button and an improved digital camera that’s able to taking macro and spatial images. That is likely to be helpful in case your youngster is usually engaged on initiatives and needs to develop their inventive eye for the photographs they take.
Maybe the largest change for 2024 although, is the massive enchancment in battery life. In our exams, we noticed a four-hour enhance in battery life for the iPhone 16 over the iPhone 15. That’s a drastic enchancment. Children are by no means conscious of the quantity of battery their cellphone makes use of, so the iPhone 16’s battery life offers them even much less to consider.
We additionally advocate getting a case, see Finest iPhone 16 circumstances.
Learn our full
Apple iPhone 16 evaluation
iPhone 15: Finest iPhone for youths who need higher-quality images and video
Execs
- 48MP sensor within the digital camera
Cons
- iPhone 16 provides significantly better battery life
Worth When Reviewed:
From $699 (Was $799)
Whereas the iPhone 16 is a greater general cellphone, the iPhone 15 isn’t any slouch. It has a greater digital camera than the iPhone 14, capturing at greater decision to offer higher high quality. It additionally information glorious video that youngsters can use in shows or social media.
The primary disadvantage to the iPhone 15 is its battery life–it’s truly superb however the iPhone 16 provides a dramatic enchancment. However in any other case, the iPhone 15 is a high performer and may deal with something you youngster desires to do on it, together with streaming movies, video games, and much more.
Learn our full
Apple iPhone 15 evaluation
iPhone 13 mini – Finest worth iPhone for youths
Execs
- Improbable measurement
- Light-weight
- Nice cameras
Cons
- Discontinued by Apple so more durable to seek out
- Battery life isn’t superb
Worth When Reviewed:
Was $599
Apple has discontinued the iPhone 13 mini, but when you may get maintain of 1 it is a wonderful alternative for kids with a small body that’s excellent for small fingers.
The system shares a lot of the attributes of its greater brother the iPhone 13, together with the processor and twin rear cameras. Someway the engineers at Apple nonetheless managed to suit a 5.4-inch show into a tool that’s smaller than the iPhone SE.
One factor to keep in mind is that the smaller nature of the mini implies that battery life generally is a little missing. So, when you’re anticipating your child to be on it on a regular basis, particularly when out and about, we’d counsel possibly choosing up a conveyable energy financial institution to high up the battery if issues get low. Because the iPhone 13 mini helps MagSage, you possibly can select one from our roundup of the most effective MagSafe transportable battery packs and energy banks.
Learn our full
Apple iPhone 13 mini evaluation
Purchase a refurbished iPhone
Before you purchase one of many telephones talked about above our recommendation is to discover the second-hand and refurbished market. Shopping for a second-hand or refurbished iPhone can prevent some huge cash.
Your first port of name must be Apple’s Refurbished retailer the place Apple sells iPhones which have both been returned as defective or undesirable. These iPhones (and different merchandise) are mounted up so they’re good as new and bought at round 15% off their regular worth.
There are numerous advantages to purchasing from Apple’s Refurbished Retailer within the U.S. or U.Okay., together with the truth that all merchandise within the Refurbished Retailer include a one-year guarantee.
You might even be capable of discover an older iPhone mannequin that Apple doesn’t promote anymore, such because the iPhone 12 mini or an iPhone 13 Professional in Apple’s refurbished retailer.
However Apple’s not the one place that sells refurbished iPhones although; there are many corporations that make a residing from refurbishing and promoting iPhones. Try our the place to purchase second-hand and refurbished iPhones information for extra particulars.
musicMagpie
There’s a rising market for older gadgets which are mounted up and bought on. Before you purchase from one in all these do verify their insurance policies concerning refurbishment and returns, and in addition we’d advise shopping for latest fashions of iPhones – a few of these shops have a lot older fashions. Seek the advice of How lengthy does Apple assist iPhones for extra details about the handsets to keep away from.
Refurbished iPhone sellers within the U.S.
- Decluttr: A preferred vacation spot for refurbished gadgets, usually with gross sales that slash much more cash off. You too can commerce in any of your outdated tech, devices, and media (together with books and CDs) to get steeper reductions.
- The iOutlet on eBay: Affords aggressive pricing for refurbished gadgets and in addition accepts different devices comparable to iPads, Apple Watches, and gaming consoles.
- Amazon Renewed Retailer: This web site’s best profit is that purchases are all backed by Amazon’s normal returns coverage and its “Renewed Guarantee” permits you to get a refund or substitute inside 1 12 months of receiving your product.
- Finest Purchase: Finest Purchase doesn’t provide quite a lot of info on pre-owned iPhones’ situation, however you possibly can return inside 14 days if the merchandise is “unopened or defective in any way.”
- Walmart: Walmart doesn’t promote refurbished iPhones instantly; reasonably, they’re sourced from different sellers. Return insurance policies fluctuate from vendor to vendor, however there are minimal necessities that apply universally.
Refurbished iPhone sellers within the U.Okay.
- Music Magpie: The UK model of Decluttr and an excellent place to begin in search of refurbished iPhones. You might discover that gross sales scale back the worth nonetheless additional.
- The iOutlet or The iOutlet on eBay: Affords aggressive pricing for refurbished gadgets and in addition accepts different devices comparable to iPads, Apple Watches, and gaming consoles.
- Amazon Renewed Retailer: When you can’t actually promote on Amazon Renewed until you’re a enterprise, these seeking to purchase a refurbished iPhone Amazon Renewed have loads of choices to select from. Its best profit is that purchases are all backed by Amazon’s normal returns coverage and its “Renewed Guarantee” permits you to get a refund or substitute inside 1 12 months of receiving your product.
- Envirofone: Additionally means that you can commerce in your outdated cellphone for money in the direction of buying a refurbished cellphone. Nevertheless, it principally makes a speciality of telephones so that you received’t be capable of commerce in your DVDs or books for money.
- 4Gadgets: Affords a 12-month guarantee for all on-line orders.
- Reboxed: Pledges that gadgets “are fully tested and in perfect working order.” All include a 12-month no quibble guarantee.
- Smartfone Retailer: Look out for the extra 10 % low cost for college students and younger folks.
- Refurb-Telephone: Like most refurb sellers, this web site provides a 12-month guarantee. Much less commonplace is its coverage of permitting returns inside 14 days when you merely change your thoughts.
- The Large Telephone Retailer: Says it ensures refurb telephones “are thoroughly tested, repaired, and cleaned before being sent out.” Backs this with a 12-month guarantee.
- Laptops Direct: You get a 12-month guarantee on components and labor. Be careful for barely complicated grading system: “A3,” for instance, means “Average condition.”
- Again Market: You get 30 days to vary your thoughts and a 12-month guarantee… or often extra.
Corporations like musicMagpie (UK), Decluttr (US), Amazon and eBay are all now offering this service, together with one-year warranties and money-back ensures when you’re not utterly glad together with your buy. After all, investing in older tech can also be higher for the surroundings, because it stops the iPhones from being thrown into landfills despite the fact that they’re able to offering years extra service to a contented child.
So, they arrive with ensures, prevent cash, and defend the planet. What’s to not love?
Cross on an outdated iPhone to them
One other path to discover is handing over your present iPhone and shopping for your self a brand new one! In the event you’ve had yours for some time, then it could be out of its contract interval, however when you purchased it outright then all it’s worthwhile to do is get a brand new SIM card in your teenager, give them your handset, then head off to the Apple retailer to present your self a gift for being such a magnanimous guardian. In the event you’re uncertain what to deal with your self to, our greatest iPhone roundup ought to show a useful information.
Earlier than you hand over your outdated iPhone be sure you set it up appropriately in your youngster. Take a look at 5 issues to do earlier than giving an outdated iPhone or iPad to your child, easy methods to put together an iPhone on the market, easy methods to reset an iPhone and easy methods to arrange parental controls on iPad & iPhone.
Ought to youngsters have iPhones?
It is a big query and a subject fraught with execs and cons. Everyone seems to be totally different. There are nonetheless dad and mom who don’t permit their youngsters to observe TV, not to mention play laptop video games. Different dad and mom don’t see any hurt in letting their youngsters be acquainted with know-how. And others simply want a couple of minutes of peace whereas they push a toddler round a grocery store, or one thing to cease the tweens combating behind the automobile on an extended journey. Certainly permitting the children a couple of minutes right here and there with a cell phone received’t harm their improvement.
You possibly can give them your personal iPhone in fact, however that is determined by how ready you might be for the danger of them sending their favourite YouTube video to your supervisor at work. A greater resolution could also be to present them an outdated iPhone or iPad: it may nonetheless be linked to your account so there isn’t any must pay for the apps you’ve already downloaded for them.
Older youngsters will little question need a handset with a little bit of credibility. It’s additionally at this age that the dangers related to cell phone possession change into extra distinguished as issues about their use of, and affect of, social media change into obvious. You’ll want to familiarise your self with Parental Controls and make sure that they’re actually mature sufficient to deal with all that comes with this reference to the world and that they can keep away from changing into hooked on their handsets.
Apple founder Steve Jobs famously restricted his child’s use of know-how, so possibly we must always take a leaf out of his ebook. Or possibly we must always settle for that our youngsters are rising up in a world so immersed in know-how that it will be part of their lives whether or not we prefer it or not. We simply want to regulate their entry to it, reasonably than cease it altogether.