Your Child’s First Phone: Why Refurbished Makes Sense (2026 UK Guide)
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Updated 24 October 2026.
For most UK families, a refurbished iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 is the best first phone. Today, they cost from £120 and £160. Both run iOS 27, and losing one will not cost you a new-phone price.
This guide covers when to buy, why refurbished makes sense, which model to pick and how to set it up safely.
When should your child get their first phone?
There is no single right age, but in the UK the move to secondary school is the usual trigger. Ofcom research published in May 2026 found smartphone ownership rises sharply from 56% of 10-year-olds to 83% of 11-year-olds.
That jump lines up with Year 7, when many children start travelling to school on their own. A phone then becomes a practical tool for staying in touch, not just a toy.
A few questions help more than any birthday rule:
- Does your child travel without an adult, or stay at clubs after school?
- Do they look after their things, such as a bike, a tablet or a school bag?
- Will they stick to rules you set on screen time and apps?
- What do other parents in their class plan to do? Agreeing a rough timeline together reduces pressure on everyone.
If the answer to most is no, a basic phone or a shared family tablet can bridge the gap for a year.
Why a refurbished phone makes sense for a first phone
Children drop, lose and sit on phones. Paying less up front means a breakage is an annoyance, not a disaster.
Here is what we found for the three models most parents ask about, when we checked on 24 October 2026:
| Model | Fair | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 11 (64GB) | £99 | £126 | £135 |
| iPhone 12 (64GB) | £120 | £155 | £176 |
| iPhone 13 (128GB) | £160 | £200 | £240 |
Prices move daily and no single retailer is cheapest for every model. Check today’s figures on our iPhone price pages, where we compare Back Market, musicMagpie, Phones Direct, Loop Mobile and Envirofone.
Which grade to choose
We suggest Good grade for a child. It is usually £20 to £60 cheaper than Excellent, and a case hides light marks anyway. Our guide to grades and warranties explains what each grade means.
Warranty and returns
Buying from a refurbisher, not a stranger on a marketplace, gets you cover if something goes wrong. Back Market UK gives a 1-year warranty from delivery and 30 days to return for any reason. musicMagpie gives a free 12-month warranty and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
That cover is the main difference from a used phone. Read more in refurbished vs used vs pre-owned.
Pair it with a SIM-only or pay-as-you-go deal
Buying the phone outright means no two-year contract tied to a handset that might be lost in a month. A cheap SIM-only plan or pay-as-you-go SIM also caps what your child can spend.
Which iPhone should you buy?
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 are the sweet spot. Both have Face ID, 5G and a good camera, and both are supported by iOS 27, which Apple released on 14 September 2026.
- iPhone 13 (from £160): our top pick. It starts at 128GB, which leaves room for photos, games and school apps.
- iPhone 12 (from £120): the best value. The 64GB version fills up quickly, so consider 128GB if your child takes lots of videos.
- iPhone 11 (from £99): fine on a tight budget. It also runs iOS 27, but it is the oldest model that does, so it will likely lose support first.
The iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation) also runs iOS 27. Its Home button with Touch ID suits some younger children.
A child does not need Apple Intelligence, which only runs on iPhone 15 Pro and newer. For more detail on every model, see our best refurbished iPhones for 2026.
Setting it up safely
Apple’s parental controls work through Family Sharing and Screen Time. According to Apple Support, you need Family Sharing and a Child Account for your child first.
Step by step
- On your own iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, then Family to set up a family group. Apple explains the steps here.
- Add your child with Add Member, then Create Child Account.
- Go to Settings > Family > your child’s name > Screen Time to choose their limits.
- Sign in to the refurbished phone with your child’s account during setup.
Settings worth turning on
- Ask to Buy: you approve app downloads and purchases.
- Time Allowances and Screen Time Schedules: set daily limits and times when apps are off, such as bedtime.
- Allowed Contacts: control who your child can call, message or FaceTime.
- Content & Privacy Restrictions: set age ratings and stop changes to settings like Share My Location.
- Communication Safety: blurs images and videos detected to contain nudity before your child sees them.
Apple says new parental controls arrived with iOS 27, and every device in the family group needs to be updated to use them. That is another reason to choose a model that runs iOS 27.
Check the phone when it arrives
A refurbished phone should arrive reset. If setup asks for someone else’s Apple Account, it is still locked to the previous owner, so return it straight away.
Cases, screen protectors and insurance
The cheapest way to protect a first phone is a tough case and a glass screen protector, bought on day one. Together they cost far less than any screen repair.
- Pick a case with raised edges around the screen and camera.
- Buy a two-pack of screen protectors, as the first one often cracks.
- Retailer warranties cover faults, not drops or water damage, so read what yours includes.
- Check whether your home contents insurance covers gadgets outside the home before buying separate phone cover.
- Turn on Find My, so you can locate a lost phone from your own iPhone.
At these prices, some parents skip insurance and keep the saving as a repair fund. Compare the yearly premium with the cost of replacing the phone before you decide.
Our verdict
A refurbished iPhone 13 in Good grade is the best all-round first phone, at £200 today. The iPhone 12 saves a little more. Set up Family Sharing and Screen Time before you hand it over, add a case, and buy outright with a SIM-only plan. Buying it as a present? See our refurbished phone as a gift guide. Our Black Friday deals page tracks prices for 27 November.
