5 Budget-Friendly Starter Phones for Pre-teens

On social media, numerous posts harp about issues concerning parents allowing preteens to own smartphones. The comments sections are split into two contending views – Team “Smartphones are essential!” Vs Team “Smartphones ruin young minds!”. While these opposing teams bash it out, parents reading these comments on the sidelines are confused about which side to choose. 

Smartphones give preteens access to easy communication and information, along with entertainment. But, it also exposes them to the darker side of the internet and leaves them vulnerable to sinister entities. 

These days most parents are pursuing careers that leave little time to monitor their children or activities online. While promoting individuality and independence is crucial, it’s necessary to ensure that their naivety isn’t subject to the crude intentions of others. The best way to avoid such scenarios is to teach children the importance of responsible internet surfing and networking. And the consequences of engaging with content or individuals that are suspicious or unknown. 

Understandably enough, there is no end to parents’ worries! Despite the potential dangers of the internet playing on their minds, the risk of not owning a smartphone outweighs them. Teach your children the correct way of using these devices instead of dissuading them. 

5 Pocket-Friendly Smartphones under ₹10,000

Let your children practice these new learnings with a starter smartphone! Once confident about their ability to manage these devices, upgrade them to the latest phones available in the market. The following budget-friendly phones serve the purpose without burning a hole into your pocket! 

1. Realme C11 

Price: ₹9,999 

Key Features – 

● OS: Android 11 

● Octa-Core Processor 

● Rear Camera: 13MP + 2MP 

● Front Camera: 5MP 

● Display: 6.5”

● Battery: 5000 mAh 

Packed with a powerful 5000 mAh battery, the C11 offers an impressive standby capacity of 40 days. A single charge allows it to run 21.6 hours of movies and handle 31.9 hours of calling. Moreover, it can manage marathon gaming sessions for up to 12.1 hours. 

The Mini-drop full screen has a massive screen-to-body ratio of 88.7%! It makes watching movies and videos or gaming more exciting for preteens. The C11’s powerful Octa-Core 64bits processor has a clock speed of up to 2.3 GHz that plays more smoothly. Its 13MP + 2MP AI dual camera provides high resolution + Bokeh effect for high definition picture quality. 

2. Itel A27 

Price: ₹5,999 

Key Features – 

● OS: Android 11 

● Unisoc 9832E Quad Core Processor 

● Rear Camera: 5MP 

● Front Camera: 2MP 

● Display: 5.4”

● Battery: 4000 mAh 

Built with 32GB ROM and 2GB RAM, the ROM is expandable to 128GB memory capacity. It’s a 13.84cm screen designed with an FW+ IPS full-screen display. The multifunctional fingerprint sensor and a fast face unlock keeps all user data safe and secure. 

The Itel A27 serves the purpose of being a budget-friendly phone without compromising quality. Being on the heavier side with a 4000 mAh battery, its lower dimensions and sturdy design allows it to endure fall damage. The front speaker offers clever and loud audio. Powered by Android Go to handle tasks like browsing or video streaming. 

3. Samsung Galaxy A03 Core 

Price: ₹7,999 

Key Features – 

● OS: Android 11 

● Octa-Core Processor 

● Rear Camera: 8MP 

● Front Camera: 5MP 

● Display: 6.5” 

● Battery: 5000 mAh 

It provides a depth of quality with a display designed with HD+ Infinity V Display. The resolution is 720×1600 pixels with an aspect ratio of 20:9. Samsung Galaxy’s A03 Core provides users with a screen rate of 1.6 GHz via its Octa-Core Processor. 

This smartphone is ideal for individuals that want premium quality in the low mid-range. Despite its relatively pocket-friendly price tag, the Galaxy A03 Core camera takes clear and stunning images. Its textured back and soft curves give a better grip with lesser chances of accidentally dropping it. However, this smartphone is durable and capable of taking a few hits. 

4. I KALL Z5 

Price: ₹5,249

Key Features – 

● OS: Android 10 

● Quad Processor 

● Rear Camera: 8Mp 

● Front Camera: 5MP 

● Display: 5.4″

● Battery: 3000 mAh 

Its multi-touch capacitive touch screen is built with a resolution of 480×960 pixels. Its storage offers 3GB RAM and 16GB ROM, expandable up to 64GB. This smartphone has a dual SIM capacity that supports 4G Volte. 

This smartphone lets preteens indulge in mobile games without encountering any lag. At the same time, its seemingly limited features make it a great starter phone until your children learn to use smartphones. The Z5’s camera allows them to capture their favourite moments with high-quality videos. 

5. Vivo Y91i 

Price: ₹6,990

Key Features – 

● OS: Android 8.1 

● Octa-Core Processor 

● Rear Camera: 13MP 

● Front Camera: 2MP 

● Display: 6.2” 

● Battery: 4030 mAh 

The Y91i has a massive battery of 4030 mAh capacity. Its display is designed with a Halo FullView display and offers security measures like facial recognition. The screen-to-body ratio of 88.6% provides users with an enhanced viewing experience and smart hand gesture controls. 

Y91i gives preteens the freedom to own ample storage without the stress of constantly decluttering their storage for additional space. Its 32GB ROM comes with an expansion capacity of up to 256GB. The Octa-Core processor offers improved performance while switching between apps with a clock speed of 2GHz. 

Congratulations! You have reached the next level of parenthood. All jokes aside, we applaud your initiative to teach responsible smartphone usage! Preteens are very impressionable, and these pocket-friendly phones will provide them with some much-needed user experience. 

But, before you go, have you considered upgrading to a new smartphone yourself? Visit Bajaj MARKETS to explore a wide range of budget-approved smartphones today!