In this current day and age, it is almost impossible to fathom life without a mobile phone. These devices have become a necessity that enables communication with other people. With this, then comes the challenge of choosing the most convenient mobile phone for your child. As kids grow older and approach the age of consent, they are better placed to make their own decisions on which mobile device they want. However, for younger ones, it is essential that as a parent or guardian, you choose the device for them. Here is a guide on buying the best mobile phone for 11-year-old kids.
Reasons, Why 11 Year Old Kids Should Have a Mobile Phone
There are a ton of reasons in the book as to why an 11-year-old kids should own a mobile phone, here are some of the most convincing reasons.
- Facilitate Communication : It is not at all times that you will be home with your child or tag them along to your other activities. This temporary separation may cause you a lot of worries. If your child has a mobile phone, however, you can easily keep in touch with them and know how they are doing before you get back home or pick them from school.
- A Better Alternative To Cable Phone : Some people will argue why should you buy a phone for an eleven-year-old yet you can have a cable phone in your house that can be used to communicate. Cable phones, however, cannot be used outside the house and are relatively more costly in terms of monthly bills. When your child has a mobile device; however, you can call them at any time when they are out playing in the park or anywhere else. Additionally, unlike cable phones that do not offer much privacy, mobile phones do not allow another person to listen in on your conversation with your child.
- For Emergencies : Emergencies arise each day without us anticipating them. The same can be true for your eleven-year-old when he or she is out playing with other kids or over at another kid’s place. Them having a mobile phone allows them to contact you first when they have an emergency, and you can respond swiftly. Getting your child a cell phone with limited numbers to call is an excellent idea on how to handle emergencies.
- For Entertainment : Mobile phones offer a good entertainment alternative for 11-year-old kids. Many mobile devices have inbuilt MP3 players and offer amazing gaming experiences. This can be a better and more affordable alternative to buying a gaming console if as a parent, you are working on a tight budget.
- For Learning : Your 11-year-old kids having a mobile phone can be a great way of getting them to read more often. Purchasing eBooks for the child getting him or her on them will do a lot to help you cultivate a reading culture in your child. Course books and other essential books can also be added to this reading list for your child.
What to Consider When Buying a Mobile Phone For an 11 Year Old Kids
- Budget: It is always a good idea to look for an affordable phone that does not leave you worse off than you were. It is advisable to factor in the features of the phone against the price it is quoted and compares it with other devices in the market. A balance should be struck between the price and the properties that the phone offers.
- Battery Life: For an 11-year-old kids, you want a mobile phone that has extended battery life. This is because, for the most part, when the child is on the phone, he or she will be gaming or will be listening to music. These two require a lot of battery energy to sustain. Check the battery capacity of each phone that you are considering buying. Especially for an emergency phone for your child, the battery life needs to be reliable.
- Parental Control: The mobile phone that you buy your 11-year-old kids need to have a provision for you as a parent to keep tabs on what your child is checking out. Many cases of cyberbullying are rampant nowadays, and in most cases, they occur when the child has unrestricted use of the mobile phone from a young age. A good way of ensuring that you have more parental control is buying a phone for your child that allows you to restrict his or her access to particular websites and also prevents the installation of specific apps. A cell phone with limited numbers to call is also a good idea if you want to have more control.
- Durability: An eleven year is someone that is most likely to drop their phone once in a while. Therefore, you need to get the child a phone that is durable such that it doesn’t crack the screen each time it is dropped. Although phone casing can help in this, it is always advisable that the phone itself be a durable one.
- Ease of use: Generally, kids learn things much faster when compared to people of other age groups. However, a mobile phone that is not easy to use or one that requires the user to be a certain age is not suitable for an eleven-year-old child. You need to ensure that your child can easily navigate the phone from its menu to the most essential apps on the mobile device. Testing the phone before buying it can help you get an easy-to-use phone for your child.
10 Best First Mobile Phones To Buy For 11 Year Old Kids
Looking at the list of the best phones for kids, you are likely to be blown away by the volume that is there. It may take you a lot of time to decide on a phone that your child should be using, but this guide should help you reach that conclusion much faster.
1. Honor 7X Phone For 11 Year Old Kids
If you are looking for a phone with the best gaming capabilities for your child, then this is the device that you should buy him or her. This phone has a large screen and an extended battery life that is ideal for your child when they are engaging in gaming on the mobile phone.
It’s EMUI OS is a cool combination of Android and IOS. This additionally makes this an easy-to-use mobile phone that your child will love. It also has a powerful camera that can help the child capture the most exciting memories he or she comes across.
2. Apple iPhone SE Phone For 11 Year Old Kids
We have talked about parental control and how important it is for your child, especially when the child is on a device that can easily access the internet such as a mobile device. Among the devices listed here, the Apple iPhone SE is the one that offers the most flexibility for you as a parent to monitor the activity of your child when using a mobile phone. You can schedule downtimes that limit the use of the phone.
This comes in very handy, especially when it’s time to do some homework or you need your child to get off the phone. App use limits allow you to set the maximum amount of time the child can spend on a particular app such as FaceBook. Also, you can block the independent purchase of apps and music and can check on the time the child spends on a specific app.
3. Nokia 3.1 Android One Phone For 11 Year Old Kids
This mobile phone is a perfect fit for kids for so many reasons. Firstly, it comes fitted with a gorilla glass screen. This helps to guard against any scratches that may appear on the screen due to kids handling the phone recklessly. Additionally, it also fits well in the palm of your child and this in one way or another helps to lessen the chances that your child will drop this phone when handling it. Amazing graphics and a huge display screen make this phone a great fit for watching movies and music videos.
It also has an in-built 16GB storage capacity and a 13MP back camera and 8MP front camera. Your child will want to share his or her pictures more often on social media with this phone.
4. LG K30 Phone For 11 Year Old Kids
This is the best first mobile phone for 11-year-olds, especially if audio capabilities is your top priority. This mobile phone offers the best audio experience for your child, and he or she will have a fantastic time listening to music or watching videos on YouTube. Additionally, the 5.3-inch display screen is curved at the edge to make the phone grip much better and prevent any possible drops that may occur frequently.
It has an extended battery life that can go for up to 48 hours before recharging it. The internal storage of 16 GB with an expandable capacity of up to 2TB makes it an excellent fit for storing high-quality videos and movies. It has 2GB RAM which makes this a fast mobile phone to use.
5. CAT S41 Phone For 11 Year Old Kids
CAT products in other categories have the durability tag plastered all over them. When it comes to the world of mobile, this company is not relenting either. CAT S41 is a phone that guarantees you nothing but durability. This phone that has been designed with the capability of withstanding six-foot drops is the best deal you can get for your eleven-year-old kids. You will be at peace, knowing that your child’s phone will not get damaged because of frequent drops.
The phone comes with 3GB RAM that makes its navigation quite fast and thus convenient for your child to use. Additionally, this phone has a 5000mAh battery guarantees that for up to three days, your child will not be required to recharge the device. It also has a powerful 13MP rear camera and another 8MP front camera. These two make it possible for your child to share amazing photos on social media.
6. Nokia 3310 Phone For 11 Year Old Kids
If you are looking for a simple phone that your child can use, then the Nokia 3310 is a great idea. Nokia is a household name, and its products can always be counted upon to deliver the best user experience. This particular phone is built with efficiency in mind. Although it does not offer the many features that other phones on this list offer, you are guaranteed that you will have a mobile phone with long battery life.
This phone can offer up to 22 hours of talk time on a full charge which when compared to other smartphones of this modern age is impressive. Additionally, the phone also has an easy-to-navigate menu that is navigated using a four-button control pad centered on the phone’s front side. It has 3G internet connection capability, and the storage can be expanded up to 32 GB.
7. Unihertz Jelly Pro Phone For 11 Year Old Kids
This is the smallest 4G device that you will find in the mobile world. Rightfully so because it is compact in size and can be confused for a music player. However, this phone offers a lot of amazing features that qualify it among the best first mobile phone for 11-year-old kids.
This phone has an internal storage capacity of up to 16 GB, which is expandable. Even It offers incredible 4G internet connection speeds that allow your child to access the internet fast and share pictures with other kids on social media. This phone also built on the Android 7.0 platform, which makes its user interface quite easy to navigate. Your child will have an easy time using this phone.
8. Relay screen-less phone
Monitoring how your kid uses his phone is extremely important for an 11 year old. We rank relay screen-less phone as one of the best phone to gift your kid as it features GPS tracking that helps you to track your son’s current location. The phone is also inscribed with a parental control feature to carb installation of unnecessary apps. With this feature, you can also monitor who your kid calls, texts, or types of contacts on the phonebook.
Relay screen-less phone also guarantees you nothing but your kid’s safety as it is designed with a SOS button to help your kid summon for help when in trouble. For safety, this phone is also inscribed with Geo-fencing features to create awareness of your kid’s current location. That way, you can be notified when your kid leaves and enters school. Last but not least, this phone is easy to navigate and features a one-time push button to easily push and make a call.
9. XPLORA X5 play
With XPLORA X5, your 11 year old kid has a chance to safely access the digital world. This is a T-Mobile network-enabled device that works perfectly for kids that live within T-Mobile network coverage. Since T-Mobile has nationwide coverage, using this gadget won’t be an issue for you.
This device functions with your kid’s optimum safety in mind. First off, it is inscribed with an SOS key that your kid can press when in trouble and ask for help from emergency contacts. In addition, it is featured with GSM which helps to track the whereabouts of your kid. The latter also features Geo-fence to monitor his current location with an alert in the event the child wanders out of allowed places. This guarantees nothing but the safety of your loved one.
Besides, this gadget has parent control features that allow parents to have full monitoring and control of their kid’s activities. With a reliable control app, this device allows you to watch and monitor your child’s activities even while in school.
With this device, your child can take quality pictures with its 2MP camera, and send and receive messages including voice messages and emojis. Xplora X5 also allows your child to receive and make calls.
The good thing about this watch is that you can disable messaging and call services during school time. Last but not least, this device is designed with the waterproof capability to withstand 1.5m in water. Since kids are not as careful, you will be at peace knowing this watch won’t damage due to rain or water splash.
10. KidsConnect secure phone 4G
Do you need optimal peace of mind and assurance that your 11 year old kid is secure and safe wherever he/she is? Get him this reliable tracker phone that is inscribed with the most reliable security solutions. Designed to create the safest environment for your child, this phone has in-built real-time GPS tracker that helps you to know the exact location of your child. In fact, the location tracker will record real-time whereabouts of your child. To track your kid’s exact location, you can use any internet-enabled device like a computer, tablet, laptop or smartphone.
If you are away from home or perhaps your son is out for school or shopping, you will be able to know if he enters and leaves his predetermined area. This is attributed to the geofencing feature that notifies you through a text message or email.
Another essential feature of this phone is the SOS button that guarantees your child’s safety, voice-monitoring, and location history features. Location history helps you to keep a track of locations that your 11-year-old has visited in the recent past. This phone supports up to 15 contacts storage and features a family mode that blocks calls from contacts outside the phone book.
How To Keep Your Child Safe on Their Phone
If not careful, phones can bring out harmful and nasty effects on kids. If not well monitored, kids can access gambling sites and graphic adult content among other harmful content using a phone. Also, phones can subject your kids to cyberbullies and cyber predators. As a result, you should keep your child safe on their phone by all means. This is through the following ways:
- The most effective remedy to keeping your child safe on their phone is the use of parental control Apps. These apps help you, as a parent or guardian, to remotely monitor your child’s phone as well as restrict sites they can access. There are several parental control apps you can use to keep your child safe on phone. The best among them is the Google family link. With the ability to work on both android and apple devices, this app has the following features that help to keep your child safe:
- Screen time feature that helps to limit the duration on which your child uses the phone. Since gaming and social media apps are other possible threats to your kid’ safety, this feature allows you to limit how long he plays games or access social media apps.
- App approval feature that restricts your child from installing any additional app unless approved by the parent.
- Bedtime mode that limits phone usage past certain hours in a day. If you want your kid to sleep at a specific time, you can set sleeping hours via the phone. When that time arrives, the phone becomes unusable until the next day.
- Location settings that help you to track your kid’s current location. This feature allows you to pinpoint the location of your kid’s device as well as provide your kid’s location history.
- Set up filters that allow you as a parent to restrict your kids from downloading certain apps that can be unsafe for them.
- You can also keep your kid safe on phone by educating them about the dangers of accessing certain sites or apps. Also, talk to him or her about the importance of maintaining privacy with their phone.
- Finally, set a good example for your kid. If they see you assessing unhealthy sites or apps, they will do the same. To keep them safe, avoid such sites and set a good example for your child.
There are many other phones that you can check out when looking for mobile phones that you can buy your 11-year-old kids. However, the list above is a comprehensive one that includes both budget-friendly and highly efficient mobile phones. The phones also allow you as the parent to have control over what your child engages with while using the phone.