Mobile phones for children in the test 2023
Parents know the problem: At some point the time will come when the offspring will want their own mobile phone. But does it really have to be? Aren't children still too young to have their own mobile phone? Or does it make sense to have your own cell phone?
In our detailed guide, we deal with these and other questions about cell phones for children. Among other things, you can find out here at what age it is advisable to have your own mobile phone, whether you would prefer your child to have a simple mobile phone or not a modern smartphone should give as a gift and which important criteria you should definitely consider when making a purchase. I promise: After reading this article, you are guaranteed to be smarter.
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Do kids really need a cell phone?
Of course, many parents will ask themselves whether their children really need a mobile phone. As far as the child is concerned, the answer is clear: of course they need their own mobile phone – after all, even the best friends have mobile phones.
But you don't have to exaggerate and give your offspring a cell phone as early as kindergarten age. However, many researchers and psychologists agree that it can make sense to give your child their own cell phone from the time they start school.
The reason for this is quite simple: if the last lesson is cancelled, the offspring can inform their parents quickly and easily with an SMS or a short call - and a spontaneous visit to their best friend after school can also be announced relatively easily in this way .
In the past, children could reach their parents in such situations via a telephone booth. Nowadays, however, there are hardly any practical standing phones, so the mobile phone has taken over this task. Many parents simply feel safer if their child has their own mobile phone, which they can use in an emergency.
While having a cell phone for a small child is still unimaginable for some parents, given the many benefits it brings, it is worth considering whether to consider buying one.
Which cell phone is suitable for younger children?
Nowadays, when you hear the word cell phone, you naturally immediately think of a state-of-the-art cell phone. However, such a device is less recommended for a child in elementary school. On the one hand, it is far too expensive and very sensitive, making it rather unsuitable for children who like to run around and quickly forget that they have an expensive cell phone worth several hundred euros in their pocket. On the other hand, one offers Smartphone but also far too many functional features, most of which are not even necessary.
For example, a child of primary school age definitely does not need any apps on their cell phone, and Internet capability does not necessarily have to be there. Instead, classic entry-level cell phones or mobile phones are suitable for younger children clamshell phones, as we know them from the beginning of the 2000s.
Simple bar cell phones that can make phone calls and send text messages are still available, and most of them now have a color display. They are cheap to buy and offer the most important functions that you would expect from a children's cell phone: the kids can reach their parents and friends at any time - and vice versa.
For older children from the age of 9 there are already special child-friendly smartphones. Thanks to their particularly clear and simply designed user interface, these are aimed directly at small users and thus enable them to easily enter the world of “real smartphones”.
A good example of such a child-friendly cell phone is the SIMPLE FON Nokia G20, which is very popular with many children of primary school age. It looks like an ordinary mobile phone from the outside, but offers the child's parents some useful additional features. For example, you can set up a child lock if mom and dad think that access to the Internet should not be possible yet.
If excursions into the World Wide Web are allowed, these can be set so that the child can only access child-friendly sites and search engines such as Ask Finn. Unsightly content that should not be seen by children is therefore taboo. In addition, parents can also set how long the cell phone may be used per day or activate special school quiet times. This ensures that the youngsters do not constantly play with their mobile phones during school hours.
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Which cell phone is suitable for older children?
By the time they are in secondary school at the latest, your offspring are guaranteed to express their wish for a “real smartphone”. In fact, as a parent from the 5th or 6th grade, you can think about fulfilling this wish for your offspring, because they are now at an age where they can definitely use an adult smartphone.
Added to this is the fact that 75% of all children between the ages of 10 and 11 now have their own mobile phone – among 12 to 13 year olds it is even a remarkable 95%. So if the whole class has a “cool phone” but you don't, you quickly become an outsider, which can be extremely distressing for a child of that age.
So treat yourself to a jolt and give your child a mobile phone for their birthday or for Christmas that they want. In fact, brands like Samsung or Apple already play an important role at this age. If your best friend owns the new Samsung, you naturally want the smartphone to be as cool as possible. But also make it clear to your child that a high-quality smartphone has its price.
If you can't afford an expensive iPhone, you don't need to take out a loan just so your kid can show off their new phone to school. However, be sure to sit down with your child to find out which smartphone might be a good alternative. And maybe you own a high-quality mobile phone yourself, which can now be ceremonially handed over to the next generation.
Mobile phones for children: prepaid or contract?
Many parents ask themselves whether they should give their offspring a mobile phone with a prepaid option or a mobile phone with a contract. We can only give you a very clear tip to help you decide on a prepaid mobile phone.
The reason is relatively simple: With a prepaid tariff, your child can only make calls as long as there is credit on the card. With a contract mobile phone, on the other hand, open-end use is possible, which can quickly result in high mobile phone costs. Incidentally, you don't have to worry that your child won't be able to call you if their prepaid card is empty: almost all mobile phone providers and discounters now offer special tariffs with a flat rate option included.
You can use it for a whole month to make unlimited calls to all German mobile networks and to the German landline network – and you can usually send unlimited text messages as well. Such an all-net flat rate is now available for less than 10 euros, and it even includes a certain amount of data volume for surfing the Internet.
Take your time and compare individual prepaid tariffs to find the perfect tariff for your offspring. For example, if your child likes to use the WhatsApp messenger to chat with you and their friends, we recommend the WhatsApp SIM prepaid tariff, which allows you to use WhatsApp even after the entire credit has been used up.
Alternatively, many discounter tariffs such as ALDI TALK or EDEKA smart can also be used as children's tariffs. Of course, you will also find suitable prepaid tariffs with the major mobile phone providers Vodafone, Telekom and o2 – but these are usually a bit more expensive, especially with Telekom and Vodafone.
What do I have to consider with a mobile phone for children?
If you give your child a mobile phone, you should discuss with them that they must adhere to certain guidelines: For example, there should be a set time for using the Internet so that school achievements and other leisure activities are not neglected by the new mobile phone . Here is a small checklist for you:
- Agree with your child on a fixed time per day when they are allowed to use the internet and/or games
- Ensure that the settings on the device are suitable for children and, if necessary, switch on the youth protection filter
- Talk to your child about dangers on the internet. For example, chatting with strangers should be taboo
- Talk to your child about data protection (do not give out an address or personal information)
- Save emergency numbers (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa) so that your child can always reach someone
- Explain to your child that they can contact you or a teacher at any time if they are being bullied (e.g. in chat rooms).
There are also mobile phones with a built-in tracking function, especially for younger children. Using a special app, you can see where your offspring is at any time or whether, for example, they have left a previously defined "environmental limit".
Whether you want to use such a function for "continuous monitoring" is of course up to you. If so, you should inform your child about it and not activate it secretly.
