Teen - which Iphone?

[dunraven]

DS14 has an IPhone 5s which is on its last legs and he's making me feel stingy (which I mostly ignore) in not considering getting him an iPhone 6s as a replacement for Christmas. I was thinking along the lines of an iPhone SE!

To make it worse, I asked 2 (less well off) friends with similar aged teenage DC and both admitted that their DC had an iphone7 last year! So, if your DC are teens and are getting replacement smartphones for Christmas, what are you buying them? Otherwise, what do they currently own?

[faitch]

DS14 has an iPhone 6s on contract (in my name) but he also has a monthly job, he earns £40, so contributes to the monthly payment. I pay £8 towards it which is what I paid for his previous monthly SIM.

We done a lot of research, and this was the cheapest way to get a decent handset with a good package. Bought via mobiles.co.uk.

At 14, I believe they should be contributing to the luxury items in their life (but I’m also a bitch of a Mum)!

[Llamacorn]

Dd (15) is getting the 8 plus for her Xmas, she got the 6S two years ago and has really looked after it. I think the 6S is better than my 7 tbh.
A couple of my friends are getting their kids the new iPhone X(10?) which is an obscene amount of money imo. I wouldn't be considering the 8 for dd if she was any younger, or if she hadn't looked after her last one as well as she has.
11yr old dd will probably inherit her 6S.

[Teaonthelawn]

DS has a 6s on contract which is nearly at the end of the two years. We will then look at an upgrade. He is 15 and also contributes to the cost. I have tried to avoid giving a phone as a gift as it is very expensive. I would rather work out with him the phone he wants and then look at how we both contribute.

[Leeds2]

What is the difference between an iPhone 8 and an iPhone X? Apart, I presume, from price ..........

[Hulababy]

15y DD has an iPhone 7 - got it for her birthday, on a contract, in April.

[Chocolatecake12]

I was thinking of the SE for my ds birthday in December. It will be his first phone but he’s had a iPod for the past couple of years and really looked after it.

[MongerTruffle]

DS (14) got my iPhone 7 when I upgraded to the iPhone X.

[RJnomore1]

The x has facial recognition technology which is pretty untested and apparently glitchy.

I'm getting both of mine iPhone 7s. I'm not paying a premium for the newest model but I can get good deals from Vodafone for them and the newer the model the longer it will support the software updates.

[AlexanderHamilton]

Ds' iPhone 5 is on its last legs. I'm currently considering options but it will probably be a 2nd hand 6s (same as mine). Neither of us like the 7.

[AlexanderHamilton]

Dd had a Samsung galaxy 8 for her 16th birthday but it was a combined present from us & her grandparents & we felt her 16th was special.

[RJnomore1]

I have a 6s - why are you not liking the 7?

Works out same price for both from Vodafone (I get a hefty work discount) so I was going for the newest model.

[BabyOrSanta]

Isn't the SE more or less exactly the same as the 5?
Also remember that the newer the phone, the longer he will be able to get apps and update it so it would (in theory) last longer

[AlexanderHamilton]

Well for one thing the headphone jack is very important for Ds - he's autistic & uses his headphones a lot to play music

[CakeFreeWonderland]

It's your money, but you can get basic smartphones for about £90 all paid or £14.99 a month if you are buying on the never-never.

Why would you pay all that extra money for an iPhone which doesn't really do that much more ?

[PortlyWino]

I wouldn’t spend loads on an New iPhone for a teenager. Going on my experience, they get dropped, lost, stolen etc. You can get brilliant ie Samsung phones for much less money.

[dunraven]

Well, I guess that the major reason I was considering the SE was down to the cost of buying a phone outright as opposed to getting a contract for him.

Thanks faitch for that link. We're on Giff Gaff PAYG at the moment (£10 pm which I pay for) but looking at the numbers, it does make sense to consider a contract in my name and make him contribute out of his monthly allowance rather than pay a huge amount upfront for a SIM free phone. So, it's between the 6s and the 7 since the monthly cost difference is minimal between them. Any further opinions pro and against those models?

[RJnomore1]

Oh Christ I forgot about the headphone jack.

[MongerTruffle]

Oh Christ I forgot about the headphone jack.

All iPhones released since the iPhone 7 include EarPods with a Lightning connector, as well as a 3.5 mm headphone jack to Lightning connector dongle.

[BigSandyBalls2015]

16 year old DD is trying to convince me to buy her an iPhone X for £99 (we usually spend that on main present to be fair). Then monthly payments are £60 a month!!!!! She has a job and says she'll pay £40 a month so we only pay £20 as we do at the moment.

Not sure what to do, she's a good kid.

[Brokenbiscuit]

DD (12) has an iphone 6. Bought it second hand earlier this year to replace her iphone 4. She is very happy with it. A lot of her friends still have the iphone 5.

[Ragusa]

I don't know what anyone would spend £££££ on an iPhone. You can get a Samsung or anothet smartphone for much less and they do the same. Samsung in particular are much tougher. Mine has been dropped at least 20 times often on hard concrete surfaces, dunked in the sink, and is still going strong.

Presents are special and shoukd be indulgent but so much? And for such poor value? and when apple have allegedly offshored many of their assets? It is a no from me.

[AlexanderHamilton]

EarPods are no good for Ds. They have to be over the ear completely noise reducing headphones that 'feel right'. And fiddly connectors get lost/broken

[RJnomore1]

I'm just thinking how many pairs of headphones we go through in a year plus how likely dd2 in particular is to lose the jack...

Dh has a 7, I should have realised.

[lucylouuu]

second hand but “ brand new condition “ phone from GAME is a good idea