Search icon

Big Kids

23rd Nov 2020

From Apple to Android: three great midspec smartphones for teens

Melissa Carton

On the hunt for the perfect phone for your teen?

As your child enters their teens there’s no doubt that technology, especially phones, will be high on their Christmas list.

More than likely they will want a phone that can run the latest games/apps/etc with good performance, have a high quality cameras and decent storage.

That being said many high end phones are extremely expensive for little benefit over midrange phones for most uses that why (as a techie parent) I’ve come up with this list of great midspec phones:

Huawei P40 Lite 5G

* Large screen
* Quad camera (best quality of the group)
* No google services including google play store, Huawei’s apps, services and app store instead – some apps may be unavailable
* Heavier, with glossy plastic finish
* Larger battery with fast charging, longest battery life
* Expandable storage and FM radio built in
* 5G ready

€329.99 sim free (carphone)

 

Google Pixel 4a

* Smaller size screen, possible to use in one hand, highest pixel density screen (best quality)
* Lower quality camera but still nice images
* Google-made, preloaded with google apps and services, but OS is clean and simple, play store installed, with full library of android apps to install
* Lightweight and slim with nice matt (good for grip) finish and build quality
* Smaller battery, but smaller screen means longer life

€382.67 (direct from google)

Apple iPhone SE (2020)

* Smallest of the 3, possible to use in one hand, lowest quality screen
* Lowest quality of the 3 cameras both front and back, but apple has enhanced camera featurs in software that can take nice pictures regardless
* 6 core processor (the others have 8), but Apple stuff is sometimes said to run more efficiently than android, and 3GB of RAM (the others have 6)
* Apple’s apps, app store and services
* Smallest battery with poorest battery life, wireless charging available
* No headphone jack (the others have one)
* Certified dust and water resistant

“Apple tax” – 128GB model is €540, for 64GB it’s €490.85 (direct from Apple)