We didnt have smartphones when we were kids, which means that your children are growing up in a very different world to the one you did. A world where the technology lets young, creative minds do things that were impossible when we were young, but with a freedom that can be intimidating to worried parents.
So how do you give your kids the right balance of freedom to enjoy the amazing technology and protection from its worst excesses? Strangely, its a 154-year-old brand that may well offer the best balance. In fact, the company probably made your first phone: Nokia.
After three years away, Nokia is back and its making some excellent smartphones for every budget. Now free from making exclusively Windows phones, Nokia is working closely with Google to make some of the most stylish and feature-packed Android phones around.
The Nokia 3.1 Plus and Nokia 8.1 are the Finnish company’s latest, and theyre ideal for your children. This is why:
Great for them
A stylish design thats sure to turn heads
First off, these are phones that your kids will want to use. Whether you opt for the more-powerful Nokia 8.1 or the entry-level Nokia 3.1, the Finnish company has the same stylish design aesthetic: a precisely crafted metal frame with smooth corners and a slightly curved glass front.
Versatile cameras for making vivid memories
The Nokia 3.1 Plus and 8.1 both have three cameras each, and while the latter offers a bit more, your kids will be delighted with the results of either especially for selfies.
The Nokia 3.1 Plus has a wide-angle, 8-megapixel camera for getting more of their friends in shot, while the Nokia 8.1 has an incredible 20 megapixels with enhanced low-light capture for detailed pics whatever the conditions. The 8.1 also includes Nokias innovative Bothie technology, allowing your kids to capture shots from the front and back cameras at the same time.
No need to worry about space
Unlike some expensive Android handsets, both the Nokia 3.1 Plus and 8.1 offer support for microSD cards of up to 400GB in size, meaning your kids have plenty of space to play with.
But you probably wont need to splash out on a huge card, because both come with unlimited high-quality uploads to Google Photos, meaning your kids snaps can be off the phones and into the cloud, free of charge.
Great for you
But thats only part of the picture. As a parent, both the Nokia 3.1 Plus and Nokia 8.1 offer some very welcome peace of mind…
Help develop healthy digital habits
Googles own Family Link app is a great way to instil healthy digital habits in your children. Simply download the app to your childs Nokia handset and your own phone and youll be in control, without limiting their ability to get the most out of their new device.
Youll have a veto over any apps they download (and what addons can be bought), you can keep tabs on their screen time with handy breakdowns by app, and you can see where they are if youre worried. You can even apply set times where the phone is locked, so theyre not up all night or uncommunicative at dinner.
The latest Android nasties kept at bay
The Nokia 3.1 Plus and Nokia 8.1 come with Android One: the purest version of Googles operating system available. Not only does this mean you wont be bogged down by useless apps from day one, but youre guaranteed monthly security updates for two years. In other words, your kids phone will be at the front of the queue for malware protection.
Theyre always reachable with outstanding battery life
Theres nothing worse than not being able to reach your kids, and Nokias long-lasting batteries should ensure that wont be a problem. Both the Nokia 3.1 Plus and Nokia 8.1 come with big 3,500mAh batteries that promise up to two days worth of stamina, so your children should always be reachable when you need to check in.
In other words, both the Nokia 3.1 Plus and Nokia 8.1 offer great features for them and peace of mind for you. Both are available now from the Carphone Warehouse.
Alan Martin is a freelance writer with more than a decade’s worth of experience, mainly in the technology space, with bylines at The Evening Standard, Tom's Guide, The i and many others. His main focus at Expert Reviews is ensuring that your next pick of phone or wearable is the right choice for you and represents the best possible value for money. In the past he’s covered a broad range of games, dental apparel and pet accessories and, on one memorable occasion, had to strip off to retrieve a rogue drone from a lake – such is his dedication to reviews.
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