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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Do most 11-16 year olds really have an iPhone?

98 replies

SDRyan · 23/08/2014 21:48

I wasn't too sure which section this was best for, although this one does meet the age range.

DSD (12) keeps asking for an iPhone and banging on about everyone except one or two people (or sometimes ten, it seems to keep changing) people in her class have an iPhone and that almost everyone in the school has one. So, it's left my curious how common it actually is? I tried looking for UK stats, but kept on finding US ones, or stats for adults. I have a feeling it's not very common and just one of those arguments kids try to use, but I could be wrong.

OP posts:
Fairylea · 23/08/2014 21:50

Hmmm well my dd is 11 and of her group only 1 has an iPhone. Most have just the cheapy pay as you go ones. She has a Samsung galaxy y.

LatteLoverLovesLattes · 23/08/2014 21:52

I think it depends a lot on where you live :) She might be telling the truth or she might just be doing the '...but everyone else...' thing we all did Grin

Still, doesn't mean you have to get her one. I wouldn't. Unless you have more money than you know what to do with it's a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a phone for a 12 yo.

exexpat · 23/08/2014 21:58

I have an 11 year old and a 16 year old and they both have more basic android smartphones (samsung galaxy S3 mini - they've both had them about a year, and lots of DD's friends have the same one, not sure about DS). Neither of them has ever even mentioned getting an iPhone, and there is no way I would spend that much on a phone for myself, let alone for them. FWIW they both go to private schools so you'd expect there to be lots of families who could afford to give their children expensive phones, but I haven't noticed that being the case.

I think that as usual you have to take the 'but everyone else has/does/is allowed to…' stuff with a huge pinch of salt.

Jellified · 23/08/2014 21:59

Ds2(14) says not everyone has an iPhone but, more have iPhone than any other phone. He doesn't have one, knows not to askWink

noblegiraffe · 23/08/2014 22:07

No, they don't. I've asked my Y10 class to get their phones out before as part of a lesson. Nearly all had a phone on them and there were a load of different types. Only couple had non-smart phones. Ones that have iPhones usually have their mum's old one from when she got an upgrade. Further down the school they are even less common.

This is in a pretty well-off school.

CiderwithBuda · 23/08/2014 22:19

DS does. He is 13. It's his first phone.

We were going to give him my old one when I upgraded but decided to get him a new one. It's a 5C same as mine.

He is pretty good with things. Has never lost or broken anything major and is pretty careful with his stuff.

bigTillyMint · 23/08/2014 22:22

DD(15) got a 4 about 4 months ago. Most of her friends have 4's or 5's. I think DS will be after one when he turns 14.

I prefer my Samsung Galaxy!

clary · 23/08/2014 22:22

None of mine do. They have Nokia Lumia 635 (15yo), Samsung galaxy mini (13yo) and LG cheapest-one-there-is (11yo).

Most of their mates who have an iphone have their mum's old one or similar. I don't think I could afford new ones for my kids. DS1's phone is the dearest at £12.50 a month and he pays £5 of that.

thelmachicken · 23/08/2014 22:27

My 16 year old has one. It was an xmas present when he was (I think) 14.

My other ds doesn't have one as he'd lose it! He's not bothered- I don't think many of his friends have one either.

12 is maybe a bit young IMO as they are so expensive and very easy to lose.

Acolyte · 23/08/2014 22:30

Second what noble says. Lots of iPhones in the school I work at but probably not the majority.
Most do seem to have smartphones though.

The school is in an affluent area, if that makes any difference.

Treasures · 23/08/2014 22:32

My DD is 15 and wanted us to buy her one for ages but I always said no. So she decided to save up and buy a 5s on p.a.y.g. I was, and still am, horrified by the price (£500!!!) but she has a part time job and funds it completely out of her wages. It took her a good 6 months to save up for it. And most of her friends do have iPhones, but parents old ones or free with a 2 year contract I think.

Original poster
SDRyan · 23/08/2014 22:36

I don't think we'll be getting her one as she has an iPad (her dad got her it) and DW thinks that is enough for now. I tend to agree, as she hardly goes out, so the only place she would take it is too school and I know her school has a policy against expensive phones (although their policy documents doesn't name brands, just states "valuable items, including expensive mobile phones, or equipment are not brought to school", which seems to be a sensible policy).

Most of my friend's daughters have cheap Androids, or their parents' old Android phone.

DW did say that in a bit more than a year DSD can have her iPhone, when she upgrades, but DSD turned it down as it will be out of date. :D

OP posts:
lecherrs · 23/08/2014 22:49

Of my daughter's friends, some have iPhones, but I don't know any who have them on contract. Every child I know who has got an iPhone has got a hand me down from a parent. Some haven't even got a SIM card in them.

That said, at the moment you can pick them up quite cheaply. There are deals for a 4S at the moment for £14.50 a month with no upfront cost.

pebblestack · 23/08/2014 22:54

My 16yo has one but only because she bought it herself with all her worldly wealth.

Lots of her friends have them but not all by any means. They are terrible for careless teens - they all have cracked screens - she'd only had it a couple of months before she broke hers.

Have just got her sister a Motorola G. Much cheaper and still cool.

Original poster
SDRyan · 23/08/2014 22:58

@lecherrs, I remember DSD and DW had a discussion about a 4S, her mum was going to top up the money she had so that she could get one (her dad gave her about £150), but that wasn't good enough for her, too old. Shock

OP posts:
4boysxhappy · 23/08/2014 23:02

Most have a smart phone of some sort but very few seem to have iPhones around here. I think they are seem by the teenagers as a bit naff now.

iPads are still the thing though.

LadyWellian · 23/08/2014 23:19

DD(14) has a 4s she has had for a year. It is smashed in so many places. They are very fragile! Some of her friends have iPhones but I wouldn't say they are the norm. They do all have smartphones, though.

JadeJ123 · 23/08/2014 23:19

15 year old step sister has the 5S because her mum got it for her on contract

Heyho111 · 23/08/2014 23:22

Yep. My youngest is 16 and the majority do. Not all have the latest model though.

MajesticWhine · 23/08/2014 23:24

I bought 14yo DD an iPhone for her birthday, probably spoiling her but she fed me the line that everyone has one.

m0therofdragons · 23/08/2014 23:26

I think most get their parent's old iPhone but in my school it's less than 50 per cent.

MmeMorrible · 24/08/2014 00:05

11 year old DD has an iphone 4 but only because I had an upgrade to a 5 and it made no sense to buy another phone for her that wasn't as good. A couple of other girls have inherited iphones from parents/older siblings like DD but no means is it the most prevalent model. In the last few weeks, one of her friends has just had a new iphone 4 for her birthday and another has said she is getting one as a starting secondary school present.

500smiles · 24/08/2014 00:09

A lot of DS friends have them - last Christmas a lot of them got the 5C on contract as their present.

DS has my old 3 because I got an upgrade.

They are all 15/16.

Alonglongway · 24/08/2014 01:47

iPhones are still a bit less common in my 14 yr old's age group. 16 yr old is in college and it's pretty much universal there.

My 2 both have old handsets running on giffgaff contracts and it has been fine. They went through stage around 12-14 where their gadgets did seem to get broken - we had various traumas with kindles and iPods so I held off till they inherited the phones

Kablooger · 24/08/2014 02:24

Yup. All three of mine. Two have old ones of ours. The eldest got one for his birthday

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