To be annoyed with my siblings for insisting our mum gets a Samsung phone?

[Smangsung]

Namechanged for this and swapped a few details.

I am one of 3 siblings. Our dad died last summer which means our mum is now on her own a lot more and using a mobile more than she did. My dad was a massive Apple fan and they both have/had iPads and my mum has an iPhone. My dad had a very old Nokia.

Anyway, my mum's iPhone 6 doesn't retain battery charge very well now as it's old so sibling A suggested that we club together for a new phone for her birthday at the end of February. Great!

We talked about budget and agreed £100 each so I researched refurbed iPhones for that sort of price. Sibling A said that actually it would be much better for mum to have a Samsung as £300 will buy a pretty good new phone. As our mum is in her 80s I thought learning how to use a new phone would be a bit tricky but both siblings overruled me and said Samsung was loads better than Apple.

I have an Apple and they're both Samsung users so I backed down and agreed that we should get her a Samsung.

On her birthday, sibling A said they would stay after the birthday lunch and set the new phone up. After several hours, they gave up as actually it seems it's not that simple to transfer content from an iPhone to a Samsung. They said they'd come back and do it another time.

They were visiting again this weekend. Apparently they were 'too stressed' to do it this time too.

So I've spent £130 (it went up) on a present for my widowed mother on her first birthday after her husband died which is sitting in a drawer. Our dad was a really thoughtful and considerate gift giver. I know our mum will be sad and disappointed.

I don't think AIBU to be pissed off but I'd like suggestions on what to do. I don't want to have to learn how to use the new android phone but is that the only thing I can do?

Return it and order a new phone?

And I am sorry for your loss OP.

Can you return it if it's opened and we've put the sim card in?

That would be my preference and I suspect our mum's though it would be hard to get her to say that as she'd think it rude.

And thank you

Do you have a local shop that fixes phones? You might be able to get some advice/help to set up the new phone

Return it. If your siblings find it frustrating, your mum is going to.

I think so, I returned a phone to Amazon about six months after I bought it, because it was too big! I tried it, left it, tried it again and then returned it.

I would try and go down that route, maybe say it's too complicated for your mum or words to that effect.

I really get what you mean, I have always gave Android and cannot fathom iphones. I would feel the same as you.

Return it or sell it on

https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-switch-from-ios/

This might help

Sympathies. I only provide tech support for oldies on devices I own.

I told my aunt if she bought an android phone she could no longer rely on me.

She bought an iPhone (to go with her two iPads. Because obviously you need two when you can barely use one).

I was all set to say there is nothing wrong with Samsung. But in your case, I'd be sticking firmly with Apple.
Your siblings messed up. See what you can do about returning or selling the Samsung. And get the best iPhone you can with the proceeds.

If your siblings find it too stressful or time consuming, then it will be even more complicated for your mum. I agree with those who suggest returning the phone and if the siblings say anything, then perhaps they can devote appropriate time to setting it all up and making sure your mum is comfortable with using it!

My mum's first phone was a Samsung and for that reason I never change the brand. She is used to it and there is no way I can easily get her to get used to something else. So I fully understand your reasoning and frustration.

It's WhatsApp which is a particular issue apparently. You can't just transfer stuff across easily it seems? My sibling had to go and buy a thing yesterday morning but still didn't manage to do it.

We made this mistake and bought DM a Galaxy tablet rather than an iPad as it seemed like a much better deal and my thinking was 'how different can it be?'

Turns out it was very different, we weren't good at supporting DM and consequently she rarely used it as we couldn't help her easily over the phone. Bit the bullet, sold the tablet on Marketplace and bought a reconditioned iPad. Just wish we'd done it to start with.

I’d cut my losses, return the phone or take it to somewhere like CEX and trade it in for a used/refurbished iPhone XR or 11 - or there are online companies that do this. She already happily uses an iPad and an iPhone so it’s easy to set up and for her to use.

the top-end android phones my brothers get always seem to die after 12-18 months so I’d get rid of it pronto

Not exactly hard to learn how to use an android phone. Your over reacting and it sounds like your just pissed off because they did not by an apple phone.

So my hyperbole. Might good for you to sit down and actually have a play around with it and do something useful if it's sat in her draw, take it and learn how to use it, it will only take you a couple of hours.

You never know you might get over the fixation on Apple products, after all there is nothing special and no magic apple dust that makes them magical devices.

Tell him to stop dropping them then 🤣, Utter nonsense.

My rule is, if I’m going to be tech support I get to choose. Along with that if I choose that means I’ve signed up for tech support.

Yeah your sisters screwed up and let them sort it out.

Android phones and tablets are very good however swapping between apple and android is a nightmare.

Once you've found one that suits you then stick with it imo.

It's nothing to do with magic. It's familiarity.

My mum would never have coped with the switch to Android at that age.

If your mum is ok with an iPhone then don’t change.

My mum found the screen glare and touch- screen approach too hard in her 80s, even though she was fine on an iPad. I think it all gets harder with age.

tell your siblings to return the phone and once that’s done you’ll source a new iPhone. I have a reconditioned iPhone 8 that was cheap and is fine

Apple aren’t better/superior/magic but if you are used to one operating system and set up then it can be hard to transition. I think I would volunteer to sort it out but only on the understanding that the phone goes back. I couldn’t be an Android helpdesk, but I am pretty good at being an Apple one.

I had a similar choice a year or so ago. My iPhone 6+ (old, I know bit it works perfectly well and it's mine, no contract and Tescos charges me £9 a month for everything - unlimited). Anyway, £18 later via Amazon and twenty mins with the supplied screwdriver set, and I've installed a brand new battery and it's holding its charge really well. It may not be everyone's idea when compared to a shiny new phone, but it made sense to me.

She's far too old to change now. Get her an apple.

PS I couldn't be arsed changing either.

I feel your pain. I went from iPhone to a Samsung a few years ago and I lasted 2 days and got another iPhone. I find them so awkward to use and the operating system just really inferior.