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

[SDRyan]

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.

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

And certainly better than DD2's sodfing sony lap top, that has two manfacturing faults they never sorted out fixing.

In the end DH fitted a new screen and the fan is held together with very careful super gluing.

[moolady1977]

Ds nearly 15 has just been bought a second hand iphone 3gs and ive just got the same as him he wont be geting a new one until he buys it himself , his is to replace his dead samsung and so is mine but quite a few of his friends have the newest ones on contract my dd 12 still loves the blackberry and ds 10 isnt having a phone til he goes to secondary schol

[DarkHeart]

My ds 13 has an iPhone 5c on my contract and nearly all his friends have smart phones.

[Bishopstonmum]

My early 13 year old doesn't . She has hand me down phone- giffgaff £5 per month with text and data allowance. She is happy with it and didn't want a fancier phone for her birthday. Also makes it less likely to be stolen.

[19lottie82]

MY 14 year old dsd has one and tbh a lot of her friends do too.

[liveoutloud]

No, they do not. My son (16) and my daughter (13) both got their pones when they started high school (not before) and just to stay in touch with me. My son got a basic flip-flop phone that we got free from our cellphone company. My daughter just got her first phone (she started grade 8 this year), it is an android they we got free as well (they do not have standard phones any more), but we did not get her any data, just calls and messaging. My 10 years old does not have a phone and will not until she is a highschooler too.
BTW, my son owns an IPhone now, he got it last year, but paid it with his own money (he works one day a week) but we are paying for the service that does include data as well.

[specialsubject]

doesn't matter what Everyone Else has. Giving a child an expensive, desirable, fragile item is asking for trouble. If she wants it she can earn and save.

cheap payg dumb-phone for contact is fine.

[Purpleflamingos]

16 yr olds - yes
11 yr olds - probably no since all dnephews friends have got iPhones around the pre/post gcse's time. Dnephew has one because he lives with us and it was easy to get another one on a contract. However, it's only this year he and his friends have had iPhones.

[rmwseptember]

My DD is desperate for an iPhone. Most of the girls in her year seem to have them although she has said that many got them when Mum upgraded. I don't think its just wanting to fit in with others (she has just moved to a new school in year 8), its to do with apps and features being compatible - she has an iPod & we have a Mac and an iPad. I can get an upgrade in March by which time she'll be 13 and I'm going to let her have my iPhone 5. BTW my DS who is now 16 isn't bothered on having what others have and chose an HTC which seems to be a better phone - it certainly wasn't a cheaper option :(
I do think it very much depends on the area - my kids previously went to schools where there were more 'free spirit' families and hence DS not being bothered and DD only being bothered now. There seems to be bit more of the keeping up with the Joneses at her new (all girls) school.

[eatyourveg]

ds 1,2, and 3 (16 18 and 20) all on nokia 99p types - just not worth the hassle if it is broken stolen lost etc. if they want something more snazzy they'll have to save up and buy it themselves, so far they don't seem particularly inclined. pc and laptop at home for internetting. the only advantage I can see is the mobile email

[IHaveBrilloHair]

My dd has one, the 5c, she was 12 when she got it, I bought it for her outright, no contract.
Most of her friends have similar, they all do have good phones, and usually laptops/tablets too.
It's just the way things are here.

[Ludways]

A few of Ds's friends have one but certainly not all, it's a fairly well off school.

Ds has one but I work for one of the networks so get discount for family, a perk of the job.

[Choccydoodle]

In London here and most of the kids in my ds YR 10 class have smart phones either a Samsung galaxy or iPhone, having. Nokia brick is seen as a punishment if you have lost of dropped your phone. Most are on contracts so there is no upfront charge or parents phones when they've upgraded. Seems different outside of London but then everything seems less ahead outside of London which is nice and I wish it were like that In the city ! London kids seem to get "street" and grow up much quicker !

[worl]

DD 14 Has an IPhone 8
DS 16 Has an IPhone XR
DD 11 Has a Iphone 7
DS14 Has an IPhone 7S

[Luckything50]

They’re almost adults now so probably irrelevant! OP was 2014.

[SuperMommy63]

I am American so sorry this doesn't apply to the UK. 90% of teenagers here have iPhones, 8% have some other smartphone, and the other 2% are the "weird sheltered kids who nobody likes." I gave in and gave my DS13 a phone but I regret it because he isn't mommy's boy anymore.

[Rath1978]

I have a 15 year old daughter. And she has had an iPhone for quite a few years now.

I do think it's a completely different generation and as much as I would like to keep her away from the social media world I also know that it's the thing they do.

I try and educate her as much as I can about being sensible and the consequences of seeing or doing the wrong thing and just hope that she makes the right choices as she grows and learns

[GillianUsedToLiveHere]

ZOMBIE THREAD FROM 2014

Probably resurrected by an apple employee. The answer is no, not every child has an iphone. Mine don't.

[Aragog]

Dd has always had an iPhone. Many of her friends have too. Some have parents older one, some new. More and more have switched to iPhone over the years as they've got older. But not all had/have iPhones - some do have android based phones too.

We went with an iPhone as we have a lot of other Apple products at home, so it made sense to have the same make and they all work with one another more succinctly.

[Lara53]

My 16 yr old DS started with a very basic smart phone for two years age 11-13. At 13-15 he had my old 5s and age 16 now has my old 6. DS12 started with my old 5s, but it died after 3 months and he wanted a 7 so we put up half and he used his own money for the rest

[mamaduckbone]

Ds13 has an iPhone and has had since starting secondary school but it's a hand me down from me or his dad - he had my 5c then his dad's 5s...now I'm due an upgrade so he'll get mine. We literally pay £3 a month for a Sim only contract, and until he can stop smashing screens that's absolutely all he'll be getting!

[mamaduckbone]

Oops, just realised this is a zombie thread