Best mobile phones for kids in Australia (2024)

The best mobile phones for kids range from feature limited to feature-rich. Here’s our pick of the best.
Best overall
Opel SmartKids
Opel SmartKids
  • pro
    Virtual safe zones
  • pro
    No camera
  • pro
    Decent battery life
Best budget
Nokia 110 4G
  • pro
    Epic battery life
  • pro
    Durable design
  • con
    Basic smart features
Best 'dumb' phone
Optus X Lite 4
  • pro
    Affordable
  • pro
    Durable design
  • pro
    Safe from smart features
Best for tweens
Nokia G22
  • pro
    Generous screen size
  • pro
    Great battery life
  • pro
    Easy to repair
Best for teens
Samsung Galaxy A34 5G
  • pro
    Excellent camera
  • pro
    Decent battery life
  • pro
    Splash proof

SafeWise experts have years of firsthand experience testing the products we recommend. Learn how we test and review. We may earn money when you buy through our links.

There’s no point fighting it. Sooner or later, your kid is going to want a phone. Starting out, you can get away with a feature phone (read: “dumb phone”) that doesn’t have internet connectivity but does have great durability and battery life. Alternatively, opt for a kids' smartwatch or wearable tracker.

And when they reach smartphone age, the Opel SmartKids phone is our pick thanks to a great mix of affordable price, dependable battery life, and parental supervision capabilities. It also has an SOS button feature that allows up to five contacts to be alerted in the case of an emergency.



Compare the best phones for kids

Product
Best for
Outright price
Screen size
Battery life
Smart features
Learn more
Best overall5.45 inchesUp to two daysPartial
Best budget1.77 inchesUp to 22 daysFacebook and browser only
Best 'dumb' phone2.4 inchesUnknownNone
Best for tweens6.5 inchesUp to three daysFull
Best for teens6.6 inchesUp to two daysFull

Prices are accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

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Pro tip
When shopping for a mobile phone for your kid, keep an eye out for these terms and features:
  • Smartphone: This is a phone with internet connectivity, which can use apps.
  • Feature phone: Also called a “dumb phone”, this is a phone without internet connectivity.
  • Battery life: One day is standard, but up to two days (or beyond) is better.
  • MicroSD: A cheap storage expansion option.
  • Ingress Protection: An IP rating determines how waterproof and dustproof a phone is.
  • Durability: Plastic backing is fine for durability, but we strongly recommend investing in a case for any smartphone.
  • Network locked: Certain handsets are locked to a particular network provider, which means they need to be unlocked if you want to shift networks.

1. Opel SmartKids Phone: Best phone for kids overall

Best overall
Opel SmartKids

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

If you want a smartphone for your kid (regardless of their age), the Opel SmartKids Phone is a good place to start. The battery life is solid, the price is affordable, and the parental controls are extensive.

It should keep most kids happy as a first phone, even if they’ll appreciate something a bit speedier down the track when they get into app multitasking.

pro
Pros
pro Parental control capabilities
pro No camera
pro Great bang-for-buck value
con
Cons
con Internet and social access
con Multitasking performance lag

While the SmartKids Phone does still allow internet and social access, your child's safety is easy to monitor, with a pre-downloaded proprietary owned parental control app. From here, you can whitelist certain numbers, create a virtual safe zone for your child, and view call, text, and app history.

While it's not the speediest or most powerful phone, it gives parents or guardians a new level of peace of mind. The SOS feature sends an SMS to up to five contacts of your choosing in the case of an emergency.  You can access your child's real-time location through GPS, and be alerted when your child leaves a set safe zone, such as home or school. 

The whitelist feature prevents unsaved and unapproved numbers from contacting your child, so you can rest easy knowing your child will not receive unsolicited calls and text messages.

Sitting at a decent 2000mAh, the SmartKids Phone's battery does its job. You can expect it to last between one to two days between charges, especially if your child forgets to charge it of a night. You can also see their battery status and location from your end, so if something happens and their phone dies, you know exactly where they last were located. 

Performance-wise, the Opel SmartKids Phone isn’t the speediest, but it’s fast enough for a first smartphone user who isn’t into multitasking. To read more about what we think, check out our full Opel SmartKids Phone review.

You can buy the Opel SmartKids Phone outright for under $180, then pair it with a cheap prepaid phone plan (like one of the popular picks below).

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Online safety considerations

Smartphones tend to include great features, such as a GPS, which is useful for tracking a lost device (or AWOL child). But whenever a device has internet connectivity added to its functionality, it also increases the risk of exposure to some of the nastier sides of the World Wide Web. There is a chance that all smartphones sold in Australia could have parental controls added in the future, but there’s also a range of smartphone apps that are useful for parental controls
when it comes to younger smartphone users.

2. Nokia 110 4G: Best budget phone for kids

Best budget

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Nokia 110 4G is to the next generation what the old-school Nokia "brick" was to the original generation or prepaid mobile phone wielders: namely, a phone with a durable design and epic battery life. While it has very basic smart features, the Nokia 110 4G is mostly about calling and texting than anything else.

This focus on basic functionality over smarter features also means no Wi-Fi, plus the camera is only good for very basic photography.

pro
Pros
pro Epic battery life
pro Durable design
pro Access to Facebook and web browser only
con
Cons
con No Wi-Fi
con Average camera
con Small screen

While there are some great parental control apps out there, another way to not have to worry about them at all is to get a kid-friendly phone that minimises the smart functionality. The Nokia 110 does have a Facebook app and a web browser, but given the small screen size and finicky buttons, your kid probably won't have much interest in using them.

It’s best treated as a good choice for a first phone, alongside the Optus X Lite 4 below, intended for calls and texts only. The 1.77-inch screen and physical buttons are a good match for young eyes and smaller digits, plus it boasts up to 22 days of standby battery life.

For homes with multiple kids, the Nokia 110 4G has a replaceable battery, which means it can be paid forward to younger siblings (assuming it’s unlocked). It’s a lightweight handset that’s easy to use, too.

Given the minimal data connectivity, you can pair it with a cheaper prepaid mobile plan. Check out some popular picks below.

3. Optus X Lite 4: Best 'dumb' phone for kids

Best 'dumb' phone

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Optus X Lite 4 is a network-locked feature phone that’s a cost-effective entry into the world of mobile phones. As a feature phone, there’s no internet connectivity or apps, which means it’s useful exclusively for calls and texts.

That does mean limited functionality, though, and you might have to pay extra or source unlock codes if you want to shift away from Optus.

pro
Pros
pro Affordable
pro Durable design
pro Safe from smart features
con
Cons
con No smarts means limited functionality
con Locked to the Optus network
con Small screen

We don’t particularly mind that the Optus X Lite 4 is locked to the Optus network by default, given the network’s reach (wider than Vodafone) and competitive pricing (compared to Telstra). The fact it’s a 4G handset also means there’s future-proofing, given that 3G is being phased out in Australia.

As you’d expect from entry-level pricing, the Optus X Lite 4 does have limited functionality, but the physical buttons and 2.4-inch display are a great starting place for kids.

You’ll need to pair the Optus X Lite 4 with an Optus plan, and you can see some of the popular prepaid options below.

4. Nokia G22: Best mobile phone for tweens

Best for tweens
Nokia G22
$257

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

As kids start to get closer to high school, there’s a good chance they’ll have outgrown a feature phone and will want a smartphone. This is where the Nokia G22 steps in as a great first smartphone, thanks to its awesome battery life and big screen.

It’s not the speediest of smartphones, so multitasking in particular can be challenging, plus the cameras aren’t anything to write home about.

pro
Pros
pro Generous screen size
pro Three-day battery life
pro Easy to repair
con
Cons
con Performance lag
con Camera isn't great
con Slightly pricey

We like the Nokia G22 because its an excellent middle of the range phone. Its battery life is solid, and its storage (128GB) is extensive. Despite this, its slightly pricey in comparison to the other phones in our list.

Its basic features make it an excellent choice for your tween’s first foray into the land of smartphones. Expect decent performance except for busy multitaskers, and a generously sized 6.52-inch display.

The three-day battery life means the Nokia G22 can leave home at around half capacity and make it through the day, especially if your child forgets to charge it overnight. While the camera struggles to compete with more expensive competitors, it does the job. Not a bad one at that, with super resolution zoom and a triple rear camera. 

We also like that it comes with a three year warranty and built-in QuickFix repairability, meaning the battery and display can be replaced easily (and cheaply) and the phone can last years. Your kid shouldn’t expect the best performance from the Nokia G22, but that might not be the worst thing. 

Consider pairing it with one of the popular prepaid plans below.

5. Samsung Galaxy A34 5G: Best mobile phone for teens

Best for teens

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

With a high-school age kid who’s yet to discover the ‘joys’ of part-time work, the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G is a step up from previous discussed phones. The price nets you a fully-featured smartphone with an excellent camera and solid battery life.

The IP65-rated design means that this phone is generally water resistant. It'll survive a few drops or splashes of water, just don't submerge it at somewhere like the beach and you'll have nothing to worry about!

pro
Pros
pro Excellent camera
pro No/little performance lag when multitasking
pro Water resistant
con
Cons
con Battery life could be better for size
con
con Pricey in comparison to other phones on our list

With a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide camera and a 5MP macro camera, its hard to deny how excellent the camera is on the Galaxy A34.

Plus, thanks to the blazing fast 120Hz refresh rate, you can also experience seamless, fluid scrolling.

The two-day battery life could be better, but it's still more than enough to power your teen throughout the day (and beyond).

Although it's the priciest pick on our list, it out-performs the rest and will definitely keep your kid happy.

Pair the Galaxy A34 with a prepaid plan, like one of the popular picks below.

Final word

According to ACMA research, just under half of kids aged 6 to 13 use phones and a third have their own phone. When your child gets to the age that you determine they can have a phone, it’s good to know there are affordable feature phones to start that journey and stay in touch.

As kids grow up and it becomes more appropriate for them to have a smartphone, you don’t have to opt for a flagship Android or iPhone smartphone to give them access to dependable battery life, parental supervision and a range of apps. The Opel SmartKids Phone is a good mix of all of those elements, but you can just as easily opt for the other options on this page instead.

How we choose the best mobile phones for kids

We make our picks based on our extensive experience with feature phones and smart phones, research, as well as deep knowledge of Australian prepaid plans. While it would be easy to just recommend cheap smartphones, we appreciate that feature phones have a place for younger mobile phone users.

To make our picks, we draw on our own hands-on experience or analyse reviews from reputable Australian sites, as well as feedback from user reviews. First and foremost, a mobile phone for kids has to have great battery life, and we treat up to two days of battery life as the minimum.

Price is absolutely important, especially because the cost of a mobile phone has to then be paired with the ongoing cost of a phone plan, so we keep our recommendations under $300 (and under $500 for the big kids) to buy a handset outright. While feature phones are a great way to keep your kids safe from the wild World Wide Web, these phones also tend to lack handy components like GPS tracking, Wi-Fi and apps for managing parental controls.

FAQ

It’s up to you to determine whether your child is ready for a smartphone or should start with a feature phone. There aren’t any wrong answers, but while feature phones are safer, they lack some of the smarter features (such as Wi-Fi and GPS).
Yes, mobile phones that can only call or text are called feature phones. They’re sometimes also called “dumb phones” to indicate that they lack the extended features of a smartphone.

Disclaimer
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time of publish and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the retailer’s website at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. SafeWise Australia utilises paid affiliate links.
Nathan Lawrence
Written by
Nathan Lawrence

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