There’s so much to consider when shopping for a mobile phone for your teenager. While they may be focused on the design, the camera, the screen size and the apps and games, you might be more interested in the budget, the level of security and the parental controls. Fortunately, there is a range of new and second-hand mobile phones available in Australia that can satisfy both of you.
Despite what the ads might be telling you, you don’t need the latest flagship smartphone in order to keep your teenager happy. In fact, the best phone for a teenager is often a refurbished one.
Refurbished phones are second-hand mobile phones that have been tested and repaired, if necessary, before being resold on the market. A manufacturer or retailer has run a background check, performed a factory reset, made sure the phone is in good working order and sold it with a warranty included. Apart from a few superficial markings, refurbished phones look, work and feel just like regular ones.
They’re also much better for the environment. A refurbished phone is 11 times more sustainable and saves 261.3kg of raw materials and 85.2% of water. By buying refurbished, both you and your teenager are taking steps to support a greener world and an economy based on reusing products rather than throwing them away.
OzMobiles has many cheap refurbished phones available from popular brands like Apple, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and Huawei. No matter what your budget is and what your teen’s tastes are, we’re sure to have something that suits you.
So what are some of the best phones for teenagers available at the moment?
Phone Features to Consider
When you’re balancing your priorities as a parent with what your teenager wants or needs in a smartphone, there are so many factors that can come into the picture, including:
Operating system
Both Apple and Samsung, the two largest smartphone brands in the world, make a diverse range of phone models, including some that rank among the best phones for teenagers. Personal taste is a factor here. You may already be aware that your teenager prefers Apple over Android or vice versa.
Parental controls
From SafeSearch and content blockers to location trackers and safety apps, there are so many ways to help your teen stay safe both online and offline. Different phones provide different options for parental controls.
Affordability
Like many families, you’re likely to be feeling the pressure of living costs. Before you go shopping for a smartphone, it’s good to set a budget and stick to it. Buying cheap refurbished phones helps you to stay within that budget.
Camera quality
Whether it’s for video calls or social media posting, a high-quality camera with great picture quality is important to most smartphone shoppers these days. That’s certainly the case for teenagers.
Security
Features like fingerprint and facial recognition are recommended for protecting your teenager’s phone in an environment like school. Strong security platforms like Samsung Knox also help a great deal on the cybersecurity front.
Battery life
The last thing you want is for the battery on your teenager’s phone to run out when they need to call you or at any other crucial time. It’s worth paying attention to battery life when considering the best phone for a teenager.
Design and aesthetics
You can choose practical features and keep your teenager safe while still getting your hands on a phone that looks good.
Phones with Parental Monitoring System
Depending on the age of your teen, it’s likely you want to protect them from harmful internet content or age-inappropriate apps or restrict things like internet shopping. There’s so much to be mindful of, but most smartphone brands offer you different ways to care for your teenager’s well-being.
This is easy to do on an iPhone or iPad, both of which come with built-in parental controls. You can track screen time, choose which apps to block and which to allow and change the content and privacy settings to restrict certain websites and downloads.
Samsung Galaxy also has parental control options, including turning on Google Chrome SafeSearch, downloading content-blocking tools, restricting access to content using Google Play age restrictions and downloading a screen time and location tracker.
For extra levels of protection, no matter what kind of smartphone your teen has, there are many parental control apps you can download, each with their own pros and cons. It helps to do a little research to uncover which is best for your teen’s second-hand mobile phone.
Best Second-Hand Phones for Teens
If you need some suggestions for the right preowned smartphone for your teenager, these are some of the best-refurbished phones for teenagers currently available:
Apple iPhone SE
The iPhone SE series has a number of features that lead these models to rank among the best phones for teenagers, whether new or used. They’re an affordable range of smartphones, even when new, and even better value refurbished. They come with a super-fast chip, an excellent camera, a high level of performance and a long battery life. Plus, they come in compact sizes.
Google Pixel 7a
Google’s Pixel range is known for its superb cameras and easy-to-use Android interface. An affordable and solid performer, the Google Pixel 7a has a unique and appealing design and wireless charging. It’s an all-around great deal in terms of value, performance and technology.
Samsung Galaxy A Series
The Samsung Galaxy A series provides great displays, long battery life and appealing performance and features at various price points. The Samsung Galaxy A13, for example, has a two-day battery life, high storage and a great-sized screen for reading off. It also has useful built-in features for enabling parental controls plus access to a wide range of apps for the same purpose.
Oppo A54s
The Oppo A54s is an ideal phone for teenagers who want more in terms of features but parents who can’t afford the latest flagship. It has a massive long-life battery, fast USB-C charging, a 6.52-inch screen and parental controls.
Motorola Moto G
The Motorola Moto G is another smartphone that offers a higher level of performance at a more affordable price. It provides an excellent battery life, an easy-to-use Android interface, a fast processor and the power of 5G.
This isn’t a full list of worthy smartphones for teenagers out there, but it’s a good starting point. So where can you find the best phone for a teenager?
Buy Affordable Refurbished Phones at OzMobiles
Whichever style of smartphone would suit you and your teenager best, OzMobiles offers major savings on iPhones, including the iPhone SE series, along with refurbished Samsung Galaxy smartphones and other Android phones. All of our cheap refurbished phones are sourced in Australia, fully functional and come with 12-month warranties and 30-day money-back guarantees.
We also put every device we sell through a 72-point checking process to make sure it meets the high standards you’d expect in Australia. This includes battery life, which we make sure is at least 80% which is useful for getting your teen through a long day of school, sports and socialising.
If you’re looking for a second-hand mobile phone in particular or just want more information about our best phones for teenagers, get in touch with the team at OzMobiles.
