Buying a first mobile phone: best dumb phones and smartphones for kids

Calls to put age restrictions on smartphones by those who believe they are harmful to children has led to a rise in interest in 'dumb' phones – basic handsets that allow kids to contact you in emergencies without becoming a distraction.

But if your child needs access to the internet, specific apps, or a decent camera, a smartphone with parental controls might be a better option. Fortunately there's a way to cover your bases by considering each. We've picked out a range of popular handsets and explain how you can use parental controls on smartphones to manage access.

Our guide to the best smartphones reveals the models that topped our tests.

How much do you need to spend on a first mobile phone?

If you don't want your child to have access to the internet, a cheap 2G dumb phone might be perfect. These old-school phones from brands like Nokia offer texts and calls without much else. They're a good option if you want your child to be connected when out of the house or at school, and can cost as little as £20.

However, you may not want to entirely discount a smartphone, perhaps restricted to use at home or outside school. Many parents may have an old phone they can pass down, but if you need to buy a new one, it's possible to get good, affordable handsets for under £150. We reveal a selection of models below – but shop around, check our mobile phone reviews, and consider additional savings that can be made from shopping in the second hand market – see our guide to buying a second-hand phone. The key thing to remember with a smartphone, as we'll explain below, is setting up parental controls.

How to choose a Sim card 

In addition to a phone, you'll also need a Sim card for both dumb phones and smartphones. Fortunately, these can be purchased fairly cheaply. Our pick of the best Sim-only deals includes rolling monthly Sim cards from as little as £5 per month, and you can get additional discounts on family Sim plans. 

Alternatively, many providers offer Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) options, which involve topping up a Sim card each month and a set price per minute, text, or megabyte of data.  For low use, this may be the cheapest option – for example 1p Mobile offers a PAYG tariff that charges 1p per minute for a call, 1p per text and 1p per MB of data, provided you top up at least £10 every 90 days. Read our guide to the best mobile providers to see which networks come out on top, and where we detail in our mobile provider reviews whether PAYG options are available.

While 3G is being phased out in the UK, 2G should be around until 2033, so a 2G phone should have legs for a good few years yet.

Best 2G 'dumb phones' for texts and calls

Dumb phones generally have long battery lives and will help you limit the time your child spends online and on social media. But a 2G phone will not have access to any apps that need the internet, such as WhatsApp. Some benefit from having an SOS button, which can alert chosen contacts to an emergency when pressed, and handy additional features like a flashlight.

TCL 4022S

The TCL 4022S has a classic 'brick' phone design and comes with basic applications like a torch, calculator, calendar and voice recorder. It has Bluetooth, and there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack for connecting wired headphones. The phone also comes with 16MB of internal memory, which is enough to save texts, contacts and some photographs.

It's just for the basics though, since without predictive text, writing messages will feel a bit laborious.

Check out our full review of the TCL 4022S, or buy it from the retailers below.

Nokia 3310

This nostalgic phone will take a lot of us back to the noughties, and of course, it has the game Snake for your kids to enjoy. Its price might feel high for a 2G dumb phone but it benefits from a decent-sized 2.40-inch screen, a 2Mp rear camera, a large 1,200mAh battery, and an FM radio. 

Buy it direct from Nokia or at the retailers below.

Nokia 105

Simple and compact, this phone can store up to 2,000 numbers and 500 texts. It has a small 1.8-inch display, and Nokia describe it as 'tough and rugged', so it should survive any slippery fingers. There's a torch, MP3 player and classic games like Snake. It can connect to wired headphones using the headphone jack.

You can buy it direct from Nokia or from the retailers below. 

4G 'dumb phones' with limited internet access

Some dumb phones have 4G connectivity, which means they can access the internet. Browsing the web is generally slow and fiddly in comparison to using a touchscreen smartphone, but it means your child might be able to access to the internet from their phone, and have access to a limited set of apps, such as WhatsApp and Facebook. If you'd prefer a phone not to have internet access, check to see if this is available before you buy, or consider a smartphone with effective parental controls instead.

For example, the Nokia 2260 Flip has all the features of a dumb Nokia phone, but it has a built-in web browser and 4G. SQUIRREL_TEXT_50011740

We haven't tested the Nokia 800 Tough – but it might appeal as a heavy-duty phone that Nokia claims can withstand harsh conditions. With 4G-connectivity, it supports some apps like Google Maps, YouTube and WhatsApp. But you can't use every WhatsApp feature, such as audio or video calling. SQUIRREL_TEXT_50014275

Smartphones for kids: Android and iPhone parental controls

There are lots of ways to control what your kids can do on their smartphones, what they see online, and how long they can access apps for. If they already have a smartphone, or you think it's a more suitable purchase, using parental controls effectively should give you peace of mind. Each of our handset recommendations below run on iOS (Apple) or Android, which have a number of parental control options – we explain how these work below.

You can also check our smartphone reviews – while some cost more than £600 to buy outright, we’ve found several Best Buy mobile phones that cost less than £400, and Great Value phones for under £200.

Apple iPhone SE

A lot of kids want a glitzy iPhone, so Apple's cheapest may be the ticket. It's great for smaller hands with a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with 1,334 x 750-pixel resolution. It starts from 64GB of storage and has the same processor as in the iPhone 13 series – the A15 Bionic chipset. On the back is a 12Mp wide camera on the front is a 7Mp one for selfies. You can keep it secure for a while too since it is expected to get security support until March 2028.

Read our full Apple iPhone SE 2022 review to see how it fared in our rigorous lab tests. Compare contract deals, or buy it from the retailers below.

It's likely you'll find a great deal on any Apple iPhone on the second-hand market. But bear in mind that you'll need to opt for an iPhone 12 or later to get at least two years of security support.

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is one of Samsung's cheapest handsets, but it comes with some great specs. It's a thin and sleek device with a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with 1,080 x 2,340-pixel resolution. On the back are three camera lenses and 128GB of storage to hold all of your child's photos and videos. It still has over four years of security support guaranteed left (January 2029), so your child should be able to enjoy it for a long time.

For the full scoop on this bargain phone, read our full Samsung Galaxy A15 5G review. It's available to buy Sim-free from the retailers below.

Samsung Galaxy A35

Two steps up from the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G, we find the Samsung Galaxy A35 with more premium features. The 6.6-inch OLED screen with 2,340 x 1,080 resolution and high 120Hz refresh rate to keep scrolling smooth. The triple camera system looks prominent on the back of the phone and videos can be recorded in 4K quality with both the rear and front cameras. It comes with 128GB or 256GB of storage and there are a few shiny colours your child can choose from. We expect it will get security support until March 2029.

Find out it's Which? score in our full Samsung Galaxy A35 review. Or buy it using the links below.

Looking for the latest deals? See our list of the best mobile phone and Sim-only deals.

Parental controls on Apple and Android

With increasing concerns around what children can be exposed to online, parental controls are a digital tool that can help keep your children safer. They can also help children develop positive digital habits by limiting their screen time.

Built-in parental controls on Apple and Android phones allow you to restrict and supervise a number of activities on a smartphone, such as controlling screen time, restricting access to certain apps or types of content, and locating a child's phone. 

Social media apps also offer their own controls to help limit content and consumption. Read our full guide on how to set up parental controls on smartphones and social media for more detailed advice.

Tech tips you can trust - get our free Tech newsletter for advice, news, deals and stuff the manuals don't tell you