What is the Best Phone for Kids?

Phones!

The first thing every kid wants, some even saying "phone" as their first word. Their desire for a cell phone is stronger than the essential need for food and water. As parents, there's the constant internal conflict to give the best, provide what the kid wants, versus what's practical and economical. Like all things, price dictates what phone, which model, its performance, features, security, and the ultra-important, cool-factor! So what should be the driving factor to selecting a phone for a child?

Modern smartphones have long surpassed the processing power of high-power personal computers. Some smartphones even have a dedicated graphic processing unit (GPU), similar to the architecture found in high-end gaming computers costing tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, today's smartphones have the processing power to pilot the Apollo rocket missions that send a human to the moon and back. But is all that processing power necessary for making/answering phone calls, sending/receiving text messages and emails, browsing the internet, playing music, taking pictures, etc.? Simply put, no! Modern smartphones surpassed the basic functionalities decades ago.

Both Apple iPhones and Google Android phones have matured and have very matching features and functions. In fact, neither operating system lags behind each other for more than a year before a "new" feature is implemented onto the other. The latest budget-friendly phones by either manufacturer are very well suited for everyday essential use and then some.

What about security and privacy? These two words have become zero-compromise functions for most modern cell phones. The only devices to beware about would be Chinese manufactured phones, such as from ZTE and Huawei. Most US carriers have removed both manufacturers from their catalog following a complete equipment sales ban, imposed by the US government in November 2022, citing "unacceptable risk" to national security. Only a handful of US carriers sold either manufacturer devices, and should have ceased distribution.

Besides Chinese manufacturers, most modern cell phones have the essential security features and functions, such as the classic passcode pin, biometric fingerprint sensor, or facial recognition to unlock the device to its home screen. Both Apple and Android devices release several security updates yearly to ensure any vulnerabilities are covered. All updated devices also have "Find My" functions to locate the device, and both have the ability to remotely lock and remove any data if the phone is ever lost.

It comes down to the two most important and polar opposite factors to deciding what phone to give a child, the price and the cool-factor. As adults, we remember the importance of being cool in front of peers, but as parents, we also understand the household economics. The Apple iPhone is all the rage, outlasting its Android counterpart in longevity and has the "IT" factor amongst friends, while Androids are more economical, with better battery life, but is usually seen as the lesser of the two.

However, let's not overlook the key perspective, the whole reason behind giving a phone. It's not a badge of age or honor, nor is it meant to be cool. The cell phone has always been meant to communicate the safety and whereabouts of the loved one. Hence, the most important factor to consider when providing a cell phone isn't the latest model, operating system, features, form-factor, or screen size, it's the ability to answer the call, "HERE!". There is nothing cooler than knowing a loved one is thriving and safe.