Christmas is just around the corner, and it should be time for the children’s first smartphone in many families. If the parents are convinced of Apple, it makes sense to give the children an iPhone. But how do you find a suitable device for children? And which settings should you make so that there are no nasty surprises? We assist.
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iPhone For Kids: That’s What Counts
At the beginning of the consideration, there is undoubtedly a suitable iPhone model. Cheaper devices generally make more sense for children than modern high-end iPhones. Used, completely overhauled devices are also an option, as they can often save a lot of money. Since Apple has provided its devices with updates for a long time, your children can get by with their first smartphone for several years.
Our recommendation goes toward a fully-fledged device because Apple offers enough settings to restrict its iPhones in a child-friendly manner and maintain control over costs and activities.
Another critical point is the handiness of the device. Children’s hands are significantly smaller than adults’, and a 6-inch cell phone is quickly perceived as unwieldy and awkward. We, therefore, attach great importance to handiness and robustness in our selection in case the device slips away from small hands.
iPhone SE (2020) – Cheap And Good
The iPhone SE (with contract) was launched in the second generation and is now available at a comparatively low price. For well under 500 euros, you can get a full-fledged iPhone running iOS 15. In addition, it is one of the handiest smartphones that are available as a new device on the market. With an edge length of a little more than 13.8 x 6.7 cm, it fits well in small hands and is pleasantly light at 148 grams.
Apple does not provide any information about the battery’s capacity but promises up to 13 hours of video playback – you certainly don’t want your children to use the cell phone for that long. A battery that gets normal adult users through the day should be entirely sufficient for children and last for several days.
The internal memory of either 64 GB or 128 GB should be sufficient for most children. Anyone who can already estimate that their offspring will use the smartphone for longer and like to take pictures with the high-quality camera should opt for the larger storage variant.
Minimize Damage Through Wireless Charging And IP67
Who does not know it? You have connected your mobile phone to the charger and got stuck on the cable – the phone falls to the floor and, in the worst case, has a crack in the display. Wireless charging minimizes this source of accidents on the iPhone SE.
The diminutive iPhone is protected against minor accidents, and it is certified to IP67, i.e., protected from dust and water. So if the limo should fall over and spill over the smartphone, that shouldn’t be a problem.
The iPhone SE is also future-proof thanks to its modern Apple A13 Bionic Chip and the already mentioned compatibility with iOS 15. Updates to newer versions of the operating system are also likely in the next few years.
iPhone 11 – Everything At A Glance
Would you prefer to give away a modern-looking Apple phone with an almost borderless display? Then you should also take a closer look at the iPhone 11 (here with a contract). It went on sale in 2019, is IP68 certified against dust and water, and is powered by the Apple A13 Bionic Chip. It is slightly larger with an edge length of around 15.1 x 7.6 cm, but at 6.1 inches, it also offers a larger screen diagonal. This can be particularly advantageous when reading texts or recognizing content in learning apps.
You can choose between 64 GB or 128 GB of internal storage. Suppose your child likes to create high-quality Christmas videos. In that case, we recommend the variant with more significant memory, as the dual camera can record videos in 4K, and the files are correspondingly large. The optical image stabilization helps your young director to make blur-free recordings.
When it comes to updates, you are on the safe side with the iPhone 11 because even if it has been on the market for two years, Apple will continue to support the smartphone with new software for a long time. Of course, wireless charging is also on board to charge the battery wirelessly.
Overall, the iPhone 11 appears to be a good compromise between performance and cost-efficiency. The design does not have thick cheeks on the lower edge of the display and thus looks very modern. In addition, the extensive collection offers plenty of space for learning content from apps and texts.
iPhone 8 – Oldie But Goldie
You want to give your children an iPhone for Christmas, but you don’t want to buy a brand new model? Then it would help if you looked around for used and refurbished devices. New devices are one way of getting cheap smartphones with a guarantee. Since Apple has provided its devices with updates for a long time, you can still expect corresponding software support for older devices.
If you want to buy a used and renewed iPhone 8, you only pay around 200 euros and get a device that was one of the top models in 2017. The performance of these devices has not decreased since then, so they have not been called any worse. There are only more modern devices that can do even more. The iPhone 8 does not have to hide its performance: Even today, it can keep up with many mid-range smartphones.
Family Tools – Setting Up iPhone For Kids
Age-appropriate use is at least as necessary as the right iPhone. There are various applications in the App Store that parents and families can use to determine what the children can do with their first iPhone.
Apple offers you the opportunity to network all of the family’s devices and use Apple services together. For example, all family group members can access films, music, and books that have been paid for once. You can also create profiles for your children and set limits for them. For example, you can set screen times for the device and certain apps, prevent in-app purchases, and prohibit the installation of new apps.
Since the usage times of the individual apps can be controlled, you can set the time for learning apps more extensive than the time for social media. If you do not want your children to use social media or certain websites, you can block their family profiles’ corresponding apps and websites. You also have control over their contacts and can thus ensure that they do not communicate with strangers. You can also specify who your children can be reached outside of their screen time.
Also Read: What Are Android Gestures?
