Best Cell Phones for Each Age Group

There are so many phones on the market that sifting through them to find the right one can be difficult, especially if you're buying for someone else, like a child or an older relative. Kids and older adults aren't going to want the same type of phone, and neither are teenagers and adults.

Throughout the various stages of life, we look for different features and new capabilities and designs from our phones. Older people, for example, tend to value ease of use and accessibility features in a simple mobile phone, while a teenager is more likely to look for a fashionable phone that lets them use apps to talk with friends. Let's break down popular phones for different age groups and some of the features to look for.

Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

While phones for young children used to sound a little far-fetched, now it's pretty common for kids to have phones. Common Sense Media found that before the age of 11, most kids have their own smartphones. Parents are always looking for ways to keep their kids safe, and that includes being able to reach them at any moment and know where they are.

Phones are a great solution, offering GPS tracking and easy communication with trusted contacts. However, full, unrestricted access to the internet can be risky. Safe phones for kids are heavily restricted and basic so they can only be used for the necessities. Some phones for toddlers are entirely screenless.

Another approach to finding the best cell phone for kids is to use a regular phone and enlist the help of parental controls. Both Android and Apple operating systems can use third-party apps like Google Family Link and Bark, but Apple also has some strong parental controls built into iOS. With these controls, parents can eliminate all but the most basic features, such as texting and calling trusted contacts. Other possible control features include monitoring screen time and tracking locations.

Restrictions can apply to factors like:

Some good phones for kids — and one almost-phone — include:

Grade-Schoolers and Middle-Schoolers

As kids enter the tween years, they may start to want more access and a "cooler" phone that doesn't make them feel like a kid. They'll probably want to have all the apps that let them talk to their friends or the processing power to play popular games. Of course, parents still want to keep safety measures in place, so controls come in handy. These controls will likely vary from kid to kid, depending on how you want to let them use their phone.

Remember that kids can still be pretty irresponsible. You don't want to spend $1,000 on a phone they lose or break in a month. Instead, finding phones for 10-year-olds to 14-year-olds requires balancing the cool and functional needs of your pre-teen with the safe and cost-effective requirements of parenthood.

One option is to buy older versions of popular phones. They're a lot more affordable — especially when you buy used — and come with a wide selection of cases and screen protectors to help keep the phone in good condition.

Some good phones for middle schoolers include:

High Schoolers

Moving onto the high school years, these phones are pretty close to the ones that adults use. Parental controls still come in handy, and you'll want to keep the responsibility of the individual child in mind. Some kids are likely to break their phones while others can keep them safe for years. Still, many kids can handle themselves at this age and keep a more expensive phone in good condition. For those who can't, consider cases and protection plans.

Consider the following smartphones for teens:

If cost and responsibility aren't a concern, you could always get them one of the phones for adults that we'll discuss in the next section. If cost is a significant concern, there's no shortage of prepaid phones you can grab for $50 or less at a local electronics store. Many of these phones still have large touchscreens, so they won't look out-of-place for a socially conscious teenager.

Adults

For the grown-ups of the world, you get options that are a little more fun, with all the bells and whistles. You can take advantage of the newest tech if you want, including touchless payments, secure face identification and stunning cameras. Of course, if you don't need all of that and would rather get a simple phone, there are many mid-range options for adults, as well. Flagship phones usually start in the $700 range but can jump to $1,200 for more premium versions. Tech Advisor defines mid-range phones as those that cost between $350 and $850.

Older Adults

Older adults need to communicate with loved ones and stay safe during emergencies. Some will be confident using the latest tech, while others will need something a little simpler. Regardless of how fancy they are, mobile phones for seniors often have features like large buttons and text, SOS alerts, loud speakers and hearing aid compatibility. Senior-friendly phones make it easy for older people to stay connected and safe without exorbitant prices or hard-to-use tech. Most of these phones for elderly people are available with prepaid plans that let them avoid long-term contracts.

One important component of phones for older people is health care alerts, which many people prefer over wearing a bulky SOS necklace. These alert systems can vary widely and typically require an additional monthly fee. They might include:

While many phones are designed for this age group, older adults can also use regular smartphones, which often have "easy" modes with larger text and fewer icons. Even without this mode, customization and accessibility options are extensive, and users can typically change everything from the text size to the color contrast on the screen.

Here are some of the best cell phones for seniors:

Finding the Right Phone for Any Age Group

Whether you're buying a phone for yourself, a child or an older adult in your life, you have a lot of options.