You have probably been dragging your feet about this topic for a while now, but it’s finally time to get your child a cell phone. The age that kids are getting smartphones these days is becoming younger and younger. While many parents are waiting until their child turns 12 or 13, some are handing them over to children as young as 8. Whatever your current situation is, it has led you to the inevitable conclusion that now is the time to get your kid a phone. Once you have made this decision though, how do you pick the best cell phone for kids? There are SO many options these days it can be overwhelming.

There are a few features you will want to be on the lookout for so you can pick the best cell phone for your kids, regardless of your cell service provider.

1. Operating System

The first thing you will want to consider is what operating system do you want your kids to use. Many people will blindly pick Apple because the rest of the family is already using Apple products. Here at Boomerang, we think that would be a mistake. Android is a much better option for your kids if you want to have the best control over the device. You also don’t need to switch over to an Android device yourself in order to use parental controls on the Android device. Parental Controls like Boomerang are able to control Android devices from another Android device, and Apple device or even the web.

2. Durability

Not that we think your child will undoubtedly break their device, but it’s a HUGE possibility that your child will break their device at some point. Find a phone that is made of plastic and is water resistant or even waterproof. There are many different “rugged” models on each service provider. I would search for the words “tough” or “rugged” devices on your carrier’s website and see what pops up.

3. Expandability

Kids take a lot of pictures, videos, and download a lot of games and apps on their devices. Space can run in short supply on a cell phone for kids very quickly. A phone with an SD card slot can really help the phone go the extra mile so your child can get more use out of it.

4. Cost

Obviously, the cost is going to be a huge factor in your decision. Remember the point we made about kids breaking their devices? It is more than likely your child will break their first cell phone at some point. You don’t want to be out a ton of money when they do. It’s very much like when you are buying your child their first car. You want to get them an old beat up car because they are very likely to beat it up as well. A great way to reduce the cost of their first smartphone is to check the classified ads. Many people upgrading devices will sell their old device to try and offset the cost of the new one. Your child definitely doesn’t need the latest most expensive model phone. An old beat up phone will usually do the trick just fine.

Once you’ve gone through these features you should be able to narrow your choices down to one or two. A great deciding factor can be how easy it is to get a case for the device. The case will definitely help the phone to last a bit longer, but some of the more obscure devices don’t have as large of a selection.  Good luck in your search, and don’t forget to add parental controls once you’ve found it!