{"id":761,"date":"2023-07-18T07:05:14","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T07:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batteriesfast.co.uk\/blogs\/?p=761"},"modified":"2025-03-04T02:03:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T02:03:38","slug":"a-childs-first-smartphone-4-things-to-consider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.batteriesfast.co.uk\/blogs\/archives\/761","title":{"rendered":"A Child\u2019s First Smartphone: 4 Things to Consider"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summer is the ideal time to buy the first smartphone<\/a><\/strong>for a child \u2013 they\u2019ll have plenty of time to learn to use it before school starts and it\u2019s easy for parents to see how they\u2019re managing with it. Buying a used phone is also a highly viable option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does a child need a smartphone?<\/strong>There are many answers to this question. There are good and bad sides to a\u00a0child\u2019s smartphone\u00a0<\/strong>use, but these days there are notable benefits of a child having one, both for the parents and child. Parents may be worried about their children having access to inappropriate content or using the phone excessively, but these problems are easy to overcome thanks to modern technology. In this article, we will discuss issues that should be taken into consideration when buying a smartphone for a child, and ways of making children\u2019s smartphone use safer.
A\u00a0child\u2019s phone\u00a0<\/strong>sees and experiences all kinds of adventures: it may occasionally lay on the grass, be covered in sand or even take a swim in a puddle. Although you can protect the phone with a protective case, it\u2019s worth buying a smartphone that is durable and safe. It doesn\u2019t have to be the finest or newest model with the best features, instead, a good phone for basic use is enough.
At least by the time when the child starts to travel independently,\u00a0smartphones<\/strong>\u00a0become a very important tool for communication. You don\u2019t have to worry about the child\u2019s comings and goings and trips to school when you can monitor their location through a smartphone app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A good first smartphoneSo what should you take into consideration when choosing the first smartphone for a child? In our opinion, the most important things are the phone\u2019s size, price, quality, durability and safety.As children have small hands, small phones are easier for them to use. The phone shouldn\u2019t be too large, so that it\u2019s easy for a child to handle and use. Of course, a\u00a0smartphone<\/strong>\u00a0with a big screen looks good, but it\u2019s not necessarily practical for a child. Children can easily leave an oversized phone at home or in their bag, which makes it difficult to reach them. When the phone is pocket-sized, it\u2019ll easily fit in the child\u2019s hand or pocket and they\u2019ll be more likely to keep it on them, making them easier to reach. You should pay particular attention to the width of the display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A child\u2019s first smartphone doesn\u2019t have to be the most expensive model on the market. Since the phone may easily be damaged in use, it will save you both money and a headache to not buy the most expensive phone for a child. The price should be such that buying a replacement phone won\u2019t hurt much \u2013 a cheap basic smartphone is often good enough. A child\u2019s first smartphone is typically average-priced, that is, between a hundred and three hundred euros. Cheaper phones often contain nearly the same features as expensive flagship models and are completely suitable for children\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A durable and high-quality smartphone for a child<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The phone will see and experience all sorts of things. Children don\u2019t always remember to treat their belongings with care, and this applies equally to their phone. The phone can easily break: it might be in their pocket when they\u2019re wrestling with friends or rolling in snow.
Fortunately, the phone can be protected in various ways. You should definitely buy a tempered glass screen protector, which will prevent scratches and cracks in the screen. Phone cases also protect the child\u2019s phone. They are available in many different styles: the wallet case is a good choice for a child, because it offers the best protection for the screen. Bus cards and library cards can also easily be transported in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Phone cases let the child customise their phone as they like. Online stores are full of various cases, from which the child can choose their favourite one \u2013 and the cheaper ones are usually good enough for children. There are also waterproof cases available. If the phone has a waterproof case, it\u2019s not such a big deal if it starts to rain while it\u2019s left lying on the grass.
You shouldn\u2019t underestimate children as phone users, however. Many children take better care of their belongings and smartphones than adults. Accidents happen to everyone, but when the phone is durable and well-protected, it will usually survive all sorts of bumps and knocks.
A safe smartphoneNaturally, phone use has its own risks. Anyone can be in contact with the child through the internet or they may encounter content inappropriate for their age. The child might not understand what kind of pictures should be uploaded to social media or what kind of conversations they should have in their class\u2019 WhatsApp group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to childproof a child\u2019s smartphone<\/strong> use is to agree shared family rules. It\u2019s a good idea to set limits for phone use, i.e., how much it can be used per day and for what purpose. It\u2019s important to teach the child good online habits and explain what kind of photos and posts are approp\u00a0 riate for uploading on social media. Age limits are worth knowing and adhering to \u2013 there\u2019s a reason why Facebook and Instagram have an age limit of 13 years.
The phone also presents a risk in traffic. You should definitely remind the child to keep the phone in their bag and their eyes on traffic on their trips to school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


It\u2019s also important to prevent the misuse of the phone in case it\u2019s accidentally lost or forgotten somewhere. It\u2019s a good solution for the child to use a smartphone fingerprint sensor. The advantage of it compared to a passcode or unlock pattern is that people can\u2019t peep over their shoulder and copy the code. In addition to this, installing a location tracker app on the phone is a smart move in case it gets lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 things to consider:Price \u2013 the first smartphone doesn\u2019t have to be the newest and most expensive model.Size \u2013 the phone should fit in the child\u2019s hand or pocket.Durability \u2013 protect the phone with a screen protector and case.Safety \u2013 agree ground rules for phone use with the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An iPhone for the first phone?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An iPhone is a good choice for a child\u2019s first smartphone. The older models in particular are very well-suited for children\u2019s use. They are pocket-sized and fit easily in the child\u2019s hand or pocket. The price of older models isn\u2019t sky-high either. iPhones are durable phones and there are huge amounts of accessories and cases available for them. The operating system is simple and won\u2019t take long for the child to learn how to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


An iPhone is an especially good choice for a child if the rest of the family also uses Apple phones<\/strong> and devices. It\u2019s easy for the child to learn to use an operating system that the rest of the family uses as well, and using it is safe because parents can easily keep track of what their child is doing on their phone.
Apple\u2019s\u00a0Family Sharing makes everyday family life and monitoring the children\u2019s phone usage very easy. For example, the family can share photo albums, reminders and their locations. One adult from the family has to be chosen who will define the family sharing settings.
Family sharing enables close monitoring of the child\u2019s phone use. All new app downloads and purchases made on the phone have to be approved by the parents and the parent can track the child\u2019s location through the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A used smartphone for a child?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A used smartphone is not a bad idea at all for a child\u2019s first smartphone. The price is cheaper than a new one, of course, and the phone\u2019s functions and condition are totally suited for a child. Nowadays, it\u2019s easy to buy used smartphones online. Swappie sells refurbished and fully functional used iPhones<\/a><\/u><\/strong>, which can be ordered easily online or collected from their store. All the devices have a 12-month guarantee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summer is the ideal time to buy the first smartphonefor a child \u2013 they\u2019ll have plenty of time to learn to use it before school starts and it\u2019s easy for parents to see how they\u2019re managing with it. Buying a used phone is also a highly viable option. Does a child need a smartphone?There are many […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-smartphone"],"yoast_head":"\nA Child\u2019s First Smartphone: 4 Things to Consider - Batteries Fast Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.batteriesfast.co.uk\/blogs\/archives\/761\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Child\u2019s First Smartphone: 4 Things to Consider - Batteries Fast Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Summer is the ideal time to buy the first smartphonefor a child \u2013 they\u2019ll have plenty of time to learn to use it before school starts and it\u2019s easy for parents to see how they\u2019re managing with it. 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