Best phones for kids and teens -without the smartphone dangers!

My last blog post described why smartphones are less than ideal for children and teens under the age of 16. Despite the social media restrictions in Australia, it has been proven that unguided use of smartphones has a serious impact on children’s wellbeing, both short and long term.

However, we parents naturally want to stay connected with our children and teens, give them more freedom, be able to communicate, know they’re safe, organise pick-ups, etc.

At the same time, tweens and teenagers want (and need!) to grow more independent. It’s a step forward on that path if they can chat with or call their friends directly rather than via our phone, are able to make or change plans on short notice (and let us know), find their way around with online maps, listen to music on the school bus, tap their phone to make payments from their own bank account and so on.

How can we achieve this without a smartphone?

My previous article explored the different types of smartphone alternatives (retro phones, “startphones” and smartwatches). Since then, many parents have asked: which model alternative phone should I get then? Today, I want to provide you with my personal, independent recommendations which phone models best suit which age and requirements.

Please note: These are my independent, personal recommendations for the Australian market based on my own experiences and research. I don’t receive any commissions and am not affiliated in any way with the phone providers mentioned. Whilst I have taken a lot of care in my research, please confirm any key specs or features with the supplier before purchasing. The prices and availability might have changed since compiling this list in January 2026. New devices and phone models are constantly being developed.

Suitable phones for children under the age of 12:

• My personal view is that kids under 12 usually don’t need a phone at all. 😊

• If you feel that yours does, the best choice is a retro/minimalist phone for making calls and listening to music. See the table below for which models I recommend, but the best for this age group is probably the Kidcomms P110 or HMD 105.

• You could also provide them with only a music player for Spotify, that doesn’t provide any additional phone options, e.g. the G-Mee 3-Smartplayer (however, I haven’t done a review on these devices yet).

• Many parents want an inbuilt location tracker for their child showing where they are at any given moment. A smartwatch provides this option. Please see my comments below.

Suitable phones for children and young teens 12-14:

• The transition to high school often makes some sort of communication device necessary. Again, the best choice is a retro/minimalist phone for making calls and listening to music. See the table below for which models I recommend, but almost any is fine!

• If you feel you need location tracking, a kids’ smartwatch might still be seen as OK at that age. See notes below. However, nothing builds trust, independence and reliability like good education and clear agreements.

• A “startphone” (looks like a smartphone but has a  lot less features and apps) is another great choice to provide your (pre)teen with better messaging options, which can be useful for their communications with their friends, but also more distracting. See notes/table below for suitable models.

Suitable phones for teens 14-16:

• Stick to a retro/minimalist phone for as long as you can, ideally until they’re 15 or 16.

• Consider adding a smart music player that plays Spotify (but doesn’t do much else).

• Smartwatches: depends on your teen, as the ones with parental controls are probably kind of uncool at this age (unless combined with a fitness tracker maybe). They can also erode trust. See notes below.

• "Startphones": Good middle ground! No (or lockable) camera until later is my main advice as it can save you and your young person a whole world of pain: it's the target age for sexual predators trying to take intimate pictures/videos of your teen via their own device’s camera (girls from earlier around 10-14, boys 14-17 years old). Both sending or receiving nudes is also still illegal under 16.

Recommended retro/ flip/ ”dumb”/ minimalist phones:

• They’re the old-style Nokia type phones with a small colour screen and 9 buttons for a keypad. The best part of these phones is their lack of features, which makes them a communication tool rather than a distracting, addictive toy.
  

• The main functionalities are phone, text messages, time/alarms, calculator, notes. Some have an FM radio, an MP3 player (add music via microSD card or Bluetooth from PC or laptop), a torch and a basic camera. If your child or teen loves Spotify, consider buying a separate music player (there are many that are quite cheap).

• No fast texting (remember having to press the number “2” button x 3 times to type a “c”?). No games (except “Snake” or mini-games). No downloadable apps. No social media or HD videos. No (or very basic) camera or internet browser. No drama.

• Most don’t need a mobile plan that includes any data as they don’t have any apps that require it (unless they feature a basic internet browser) nor can you download any --> cheap plan, there are no sneaky workarounds, addiction-proof!

• Battery stand-by times are several days up to 2 weeks! Kids/teens forget to charge their phones all the time, and any device is useless if it’s out of battery.

• Starting from $49 (!), these phones are seriously cheap, so it’s not such a big deal should they get lost or broken (they’re also pretty sturdy compared with other mobile devices).

My top 3 retro phone recommendations:

1. Kidcomms P110 Classic ($95): Great phone for younger kids (brand bit uncool for teens), no camera, no browser, no games.

2. HMD 105 4G or Nokia 105 G ($49!): Super cheap and more stylish for tweens and young teens. Comes with an MP3 player. No camera, no browser but includes the classic “Snake” game. HMD/Nokia's other retro models add a camera and basic internet browser.

3. Opel Mobile Flip Phone 6 ($99): Marketed to seniors but looks like classic flip phone. Has a basic rear camera but no browser, no games and offers an SOS/emergency button.

Here's an overview with key criteria:

Please contact me if you'd like me to send you this overview table via email.

Recommended “Startphones” (or "Kids' Smartphones"):

• A “startphone” looks like a smartphone but has a lot less features and apps, or they can be locked down more reliably than on a normal smartphone. They can be a good choice if you want to provide easier messaging options (due to the on-screen keyboard), a map, much better audio or the ability for contactless payments.

• I recommend locking features down to the absolute minimum. The more apps and features, the higher the distraction and potential for addiction. Key: No (or locked) camera – it’s a common gateway to sexual predation.

• On a normal smartphone, parental controls (FamilyLink, Screentime) can be quite easily gotten around by our tech savvy kids and teens. From installing a VPN to sideloading apps, adding a new account, changing time zones, guessing or observing parents' PINs, using developer mode or factory resets, it’s not hard. Unless the parental control app is pretty strong or, much better, the controls are built into the operating system! Unfortunately, the latter comes at an extra cost for a subscription (on top of the normal mobile plan), as these companies have much higher development costs.

My Top 3 "startphone" recommendations:

1. Pinwheel Slim 7 ($249 plus Parent app $280/yr): Offers all required functionality. Using a Motorola (4G) or Samsung (5G – extra cost) as a basis but with operating system level restrictions. Pinwheel phones are therefore extremely secure, which comes at a subscription cost. Camera can be fully disabled. No browser. Choose from 1,200 curated apps with expert ratings from Pinwheel library; parents can enable Google Play Store, but apps still have to pass library criteria.

2. G-mee Connect Pro ($179, free app): Provides the necessary functionality incl. music and payments (except tracking but can be added via external app) at a very reasonable cost and without a camera. Comes with screen protector film and clear protective case. Not as secure as a Pinwheel phone.

3. Opel Mobile Smartkids Phone ($179, free app): Provides most of the necessary functionality at a very reasonable cost and without a camera. Has an emergency/SOS button. Not as secure as Pinwheel or G-mee.

Note: The HMD Fuse is another very secure option but significantly more expensive ($599 plus parent app $325/yr), however it’ll grow into a fully functional high-quality 5G smartphone if all restrictions are removed. The Pinwheel phone will always have restricted functionality; the other phones are of considerably lower quality and have no camera.

Here's the "startphone" overview for key criteria:

Please contact me if you'd like me to send you this overview table via email.

A note concerning smartwatches:

Smartwatches are those lightly chunky digital watches that include messaging, calls, an emergency function, school mode/do-not-disturb and often location tracking with “safe zone” functionality.

My personal view is that any device with functions like a location tracker/geofencing, secretly listening-in or remote picture taking is more designed to soothe a parent’s anxiousness and need for control rather than helping children feel safe. It can indirectly even fuel kids’ notion that the world is an unsafe place. There is also a potential to erode trust and impact their developing independence.

However, smartwatches can still be a great choice, depending on a family’s individual situation and preferences. I’m not here to judge, but to educate and to highlight any risks[1] that parents might not be aware of. Therefore, I’ll provide you with recommendations for the most suitable smartwatches in my next blog post.

Conclusion

Whichever you choose, I can guarantee that you’ll enjoy the added peace of mind these much more restricted devices bring with them, keeping you connected with your kids while minimising or even eliminating the risks associated with smartphones.

Please contact me if you'd like me to send you the recommended phone feature overview tables via email.

I hope this information has been useful for your decision on which phone to buy (or not). Please send through any other questions you might have, I’m always happy to help!

Much love,

Anke x

[1] The e-safety commissioner also flags that online tracking accustoms children and teens to the idea that this level of being monitored 24/7 is normal, which can be problematic in terms of a higher tolerance of coercive control in romantic relationships later in life. Read full article