Google Pixel 2 and 3
This is Google’s own phone and is becoming a popular choice. It is expensive, starting at £629, but it will cost less up-front on a contract and is one of the best Android phones for teenagers who use their handset to watch TV shows and YouTube clips on.
Security is paramount on smartphones these days and the Pixel’s fingerprint scanner is one of the best around. It ensures private information cannot be accessed without your child’s print. You can even register your own too, in case you need to access the phone as well.
But where the Pixel excels is with parental controls. As this handset comes with Google’s core Android software, rather than manufacturer adjustments, it has excellent controls to fine-tune access to all aspects of the phone, including apps, social media and web browsing.
Similar to Apple’s Screen Time reports, the Pixel phones now provide a Digital Wellbeing app. This offers features across all built-in features to help you understand and balance the level of use each day.
The Dashboard provides an overview on how you spend time on the phone, with a daily overview, a graphic of how frequently you use different apps, how many times you unlock your phone, and how many notifications you receive.
There’s a particularly nice Wind-Down feature that will fade the screen to grayscale to help children disconnect as bedtime approaches.
These features do come at a price. The Pixel 2 costs around £499.99, while the Pixel 3 costs £780.
For the extra money on the Pixel 3, you can an additional wide-angle front-facing camera. The Pixel 3 also has a larger battery and wireless charging. Along with these specific features the newer phone is generally faster and more robust than the previous model.
Back to top