iPhone 17 on your teen’s wishlist? 5 budget-friendly phones they will actually love for school, UAE 2025

If your teen has their sights set on the iPhone 17, it might be time to pause and consider smarter, budget-friendly alternatives. Smartphones can be a powerful tool for learning, creativity, and staying connected, but experts agree that before the age of 12 or 13, children shouldn’t have unrestricted access. Early exposure can impact sleep, attention span, and online safety. Luckily, for UAE parents navigating back-to-school shopping in 2025, there are several affordable smartphones that offer the essential features teens need, smooth performance, decent cameras, and reliable battery life, without breaking the bank or going overboard.

So we did the research for you, and rounded up 5 best budget smartphones for your children, before school starts. Shop with Amazon Prime for free, fast delivery and get your products delivered in time. 

The Samsung Galaxy A16 LTE in Light Green is colourful, and ready to keep up with everything your life throws at you, and is a solid choice for teens aged 14 to 18 who want style and performance without the fuss. The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling through TikTok, gaming, or binge-watching K-dramas buttery smooth and vibrant.

Under the hood, this phone packs an octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, and a hefty 128GB of storage, expandable if you hoard memes, playlists, or endless selfies. Multitasking? No problem. Gaming? Smooth. Photo-taking? Crystal clear. Speaking of photos, the triple camera setup, 50MP main, 5MP ultra-wide, and 2MP depth sensor, plus a 13MP front camera makes every selfie and group shot Instagram-ready.

Security isn’t boring here either. Samsung Knox Vault keeps your data safe, while One UI on Android 14 makes navigating your apps easy and intuitive. The 5,000mAh battery? Forget charging anxiety, it keeps you powered all day for school, socials, and everything in between. And with dual SIM slots, managing school and personal numbers is a breeze.

Pros

Cons

The Redmi Note 11 Pro in Mysterious Gray has a The 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate makes games, videos, and scrolling through feeds buttery smooth with colours that pop. Inside, it’s packing a MediaTek Dimensity processor, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB storage, enough space for apps, playlists, and memes (expandable via microSD if you hoard content). The 5G support means downloads, streaming, and online gaming are faster than ever, so buffering is basically gone.

Photography? The 108MP main camera is insane for snapping crisp, detailed shots, and the 8MP ultra-wide plus 2MP macro lenses add creative flair for landscapes, selfies, and TikTok-ready content. A 16MP front camera ensures every selfie is sharp and ready to post.

Battery life is solid at 5,000mAh, keeping you powered through school, socializing, and gaming marathons. Dual SIM support lets you juggle school/work and personal numbers effortlessly. And with MIUI on top of Android 11, the interface is smooth, intuitive, and customisable.

Pros

Cons

The large display makes binge-watching videos, scrolling through TikTok, or gaming sessions a visual treat, while the vibrant Dreamy Purple finish ensures your phone stands out.

Under the hood, it packs a solid processor paired with 8GB RAM and a massive 256GB of storage, giving you room for every app, playlist, game, and meme collection you could imagine. Multitasking is smooth, so switching between apps, social media, and school work is hassle-free.

The camera setup is ready for your content creation: high-resolution sensors capture sharp, vibrant photos, and the front camera makes selfies pop for Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok. Battery life is long-lasting, so you don’t have to worry about running out during the day.

With MIUI on Android, the interface is intuitive and customizable, letting you make your phone feel truly yours.

The Motorola Moto G 2025 is built for teens who want a dependable phone that keeps up with school, social life, and streaming marathons. Its sleek design and unlocked flexibility make it ready for any carrier, while the 50MP main camera ensures your selfies, group shots, and TikTok clips come out sharp and vivid.

Under the hood, the Moto G packs 4GB RAM and 128GB storage, giving you enough space for apps, games, photos, and playlists without constantly worrying about running out of room. The processor handles multitasking and casual gaming smoothly, making switching between apps fast and frustration-free.

Battery life is solid, so you can scroll, chat, and watch videos all day without hunting for a charger. Motorola’s clean interface keeps the experience simple, intuitive, and distraction-free.

In short, the Motorola Moto G 2025 is a stylish, reliable, and camera-ready phone that covers all the essentials for teen life, without overcomplicating things.

The modern design turns heads, while the AMOLED display delivers crisp visuals and smooth scrolling, perfect for gaming, binge-watching, or endless scrolling through TikTok and Instagram.

Under the hood, it’s powered to handle multitasking with ease, making switching between apps, schoolwork, and social feeds seamless. Storage is generous enough to hold your playlists, memes, photos, and videos, while the camera system ensures every selfie, group photo, or creative clip comes out sharp and vibrant, ideal for posting without filters.

Battery life keeps you going through school, social hangouts, and weekend adventures, and Oppo’s user-friendly interface makes navigating apps and settings simple.

Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.