What is a good phone for a 10 year old?

For most 10 year olds, a kid phone with calls, texts and a parent portal is enough: Pinwheel, Gabb, Troomi or Bark all sell one. They cost about $380 to $530 in the first year, device and service together. A full smartphone like an iPhone starts at $699 before you add a plan, and needs you to set up the controls yourself.

What age should a kid get a phone?

There is no legal age, so it comes down to need and readiness. Common Sense Media's 2021 census found about 3 in 10 kids aged 8 and 9 had their own phone, about 7 in 10 at 12 and 13, and about 9 in 10 from 14 on. A good test: does your kid travel without you, and can they follow a rule about when the phone goes away?

How much does a phone for a kid cost per month?

On the kid-phone plans we checked in October 2026, service runs about $15 a month for a watch and $13 to $35 a month for a phone, plus a device payment of roughly $7 to $15 a month if you spread it out. Taxes and fees come on top. Adding a basic phone to your own family plan can cost less, so ask your carrier first.

Should my kid pay for part of their phone?

Paying part of it is one of the best money lessons a tween can get, because the bill comes every month whether they use the phone or not. A common split is the parent covers the plan and the kid saves toward the device, or the kid chips in a fixed few dollars a month from their allowance. Keep their share small enough that they can actually meet it.

What is the safest phone for a tween?

Phones built for kids, such as Gabb, Pinwheel, Troomi and Bark, start with limited or no web browsing and social media, and give you a parent portal to decide which apps your kid gets. A regular smartphone can be locked down too, through Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link, but it takes more setup and a kid can find gaps. The rules you agree on at home matter as much as the device.

Is a smartwatch a good first phone for an 8 or 9 year old?

Often, yes. A kids' watch handles calls, texts to approved contacts and location, with no apps or browser to manage. Pinwheel lists its watch plan at $14.99 a month and Gabb sells its Watch 3e for $229.99 plus a service plan. It's a cheaper, lower-stakes way to see how your kid handles a device before a phone.

By the Penny Time editorial team October 26, 2026

Reviewed by the Penny Time editorial team

Part of our Money Skills hub.

Phones for Kids by Age: What a First Phone Really Costs

A kid phone for a 9 to 13 year old costs about $380 to $530 in its first year, device and service together, where the brand posts its full price. A new iPhone starts at $699 before you pay for a plan. Below is the cost of each option, which one fits which age, and how to let your kid pay a share without it turning into a fight.

TL;DR: For ages 8 to 9, a kids' watch (about $15 a month) usually covers it. For 10 to 11, a calls-and-texts kid phone. For 12 to 13, a kid phone with approved apps, or a locked-down smartphone. Budget $30 to $45 a month for a kid phone, and let your kid cover a small, fixed part of it.

First-year cost of a kid's phone, compared

Prices come from each company's own pricing page, checked on October 26, 2026. They change often and leave out taxes and fees, so check the current price before you buy.

Option	Device	Monthly service	About a year, all in
Pinwheel Watch	Sold separately	$14.99 (or $164.99 a year)	$165 plus the watch
Gabb Watch 3e	$229.99 + $30 activation	Varies by plan	$260 plus service
Troomi (Do plan)	$6.94 a month for 36 months	$24.95	$383
Troomi (Discover plan)	$6.94 a month for 36 months	$34.95	$503
Pinwheel Wireless	Sold separately	$29.99 (or $284.99 a year)	$285 plus the phone
Gabb Phone 4	$249.99 + $30 activation	$12.99 to $17.99 on new-line offers	$436 to $496
Bark Phone (Starter plan)	$15 a month for 24 months	$29	$528
iPhone 17e	From $699	Your carrier's line price	$699 plus service

A kid phone and a hand-me-down smartphone often land within a hundred dollars of each other over a year, because the kid-phone price includes the parent controls. Over time the monthly bill outweighs the device: $30 a month is $360 a year, every year your kid keeps the phone.

Ages 8 to 9: a watch, or nothing yet

Common Sense Media's 2021 census found about 3 in 10 kids aged 8 and 9 had their own phone. At this age the need is usually simple: call you after practice, let you see where they are. A kids' watch does that with no apps, browser or camera roll to manage, and Pinwheel's watch plan is the cheapest line in the table at $14.99 a month.

If your kid mainly wants a phone for games and videos, a family tablet with screen time rules may cover it for now. Our guide to managing kids' screen time covers the rules side.

Ages 10 to 11: calls, texts and a parent portal

This is where most of the "phones for 10 year olds" searches come from, and where kid phones earn their price. Gabb, Pinwheel, Troomi and Bark all start a child with calls, texts and a parent portal, and let you add apps later as your kid shows they can handle them. You skip the work of locking down a regular smartphone yourself. Bark, for one, lists contact approval, GPS and tamper-proof controls on its cheapest plan.

Money-wise, expect $30 to $45 a month once the device payment is spread out. A 10 year old is old enough to understand that the phone has a bill. Show them the number.

Ages 12 to 13: approved apps, or a locked-down smartphone

About 7 in 10 kids aged 12 and 13 had their own phone in the same Common Sense census, and 43% of all 8 to 12 year olds did. By now your kid will likely want a group chat, music and a few apps, so look at the higher kid-phone tiers (Troomi Discover at $34.95, Bark's Advanced plans from $39) or a regular smartphone with Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link turned on.

A $699 iPhone is also a lot of money to lose or crack at 12. If you go the smartphone route, a hand-me-down or a cheaper Android model plus a case keeps the stakes lower. Keep in-app purchases behind a password too. Our Robux gifting guide shows how fast game spending adds up on a new device.

Age 14 and up: most kids already have one

From 14 on, about 9 in 10 kids own a phone. The question moves from "which phone" to "who pays for what." Teens with a job or a bigger allowance can take on the whole plan, which is good practice for the first bill that's fully theirs.

How to let your kid pay part of the phone

A phone is the first recurring bill most kids ever see. Three ways to split it that work at 10 to 13:

They save for the device, you pay the plan. A $250 phone at $10 a week takes about 25 weeks. Put the number in our savings goal calculator with your kid and they can see the finish date.
They pay a fixed share every month. $5 a month out of a $10 a week allowance is about 12% of it, which most kids can keep up with and still feel.
They pay for the extras. You cover a basic plan. Upgrades, a nicer case or more data come out of their money.

Whichever you pick, write the deal down before the phone arrives, including what happens if it breaks. Not sure what allowance makes room for a phone share? The allowance calculator suggests an amount by age.

Their new phone can show their allowance too

In Penny Time, your child signs in on their own phone or tablet, watches their allowance land automatically, and tries quests that show how money can grow. There's no card or bank account to link, and you hand over cash-outs yourself. No phone yet? You can track their allowance from your own phone until they have one. Free for families.

Educational only. Prices are from each company's website on October 26, 2026, exclude taxes and fees, and change often. Penny Time is not affiliated with any phone brand named here.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

: For most 10 year olds, a kid phone with calls, texts and a parent portal is enough: Pinwheel, Gabb, Troomi or Bark all sell one. They cost about $380 to $530 in the first year, device and service together. A full smartphone like an iPhone starts at $699 before you add a plan, and needs you to set up the controls yourself.
: There is no legal age, so it comes down to need and readiness. Common Sense Media's 2021 census found about 3 in 10 kids aged 8 and 9 had their own phone, about 7 in 10 at 12 and 13, and about 9 in 10 from 14 on. A good test: does your kid travel without you, and can they follow a rule about when the phone goes away?
: On the kid-phone plans we checked in October 2026, service runs about $15 a month for a watch and $13 to $35 a month for a phone, plus a device payment of roughly $7 to $15 a month if you spread it out. Taxes and fees come on top. Adding a basic phone to your own family plan can cost less, so ask your carrier first.
: Paying part of it is one of the best money lessons a tween can get, because the bill comes every month whether they use the phone or not. A common split is the parent covers the plan and the kid saves toward the device, or the kid chips in a fixed few dollars a month from their allowance. Keep their share small enough that they can actually meet it.
: Phones built for kids, such as Gabb, Pinwheel, Troomi and Bark, start with limited or no web browsing and social media, and give you a parent portal to decide which apps your kid gets. A regular smartphone can be locked down too, through Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link, but it takes more setup and a kid can find gaps. The rules you agree on at home matter as much as the device.
: Often, yes. A kids' watch handles calls, texts to approved contacts and location, with no apps or browser to manage. Pinwheel lists its watch plan at $14.99 a month and Gabb sells its Watch 3e for $229.99 plus a service plan. It's a cheaper, lower-stakes way to see how your kid handles a device before a phone.

Raise kids who understand how money works

Download the app, add your child, and connect their phone or tablet by scanning a code. About a minute, no email needed for kids.

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Put this into practice this week

Add your child in Penny Time and, on their own phone or tablet, they can watch a real balance grow, take on quests, and ask for cash-outs you approve. Free for the whole family.