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Teenagers

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

Original poster

Can I ask what type of phone your teen has (for 14 year old) and roughly how much it cost please?

103 replies

Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 14:48

We have a phone battle going on at our house atm.

The old phone that dd has inherited from me and previously from dh has died (it was a Huawei); well apparently it doesn't receive Instagram any more which is tantamount to it dying apparently Confused.

We are looking to buy dd a new phone but don't want something outrageously expensive or something that will attract thieves when she comes home from school on public transport.

I would be so grateful for some ideas about models and price ranges please (and all the ones dd has shown me on-line seem very expensive indeed) because I am clueless about this sort of thing and I don't want to be hoodwinked in to buying something that apparently "all her friends have".

Want to go in to this battle informed. We are not doing pay as you go because we run our own business (and live abroad anyway) and phone will be bought as part of office package ifyswim.

Thanks you very much for your help.

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JamesDelayneysTattoos · 22/04/2017 14:48

iPhone 6, about £35 month.

Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 14:50

Btw, it does legitimately have to be a new enough model to take latest apps and things because dd does a lot of group project work at school and her friends need to be able to contact one another easily (she asked me to write that bit Wink)

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Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 14:53

Thanks James but we are going to be buying it outright and I have just looked them up and they start at 659 Euros over here Shock I'm not prepared to pay that. Is that what most teens have now (genuine question) as this is what dd is telling me?

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Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 14:55

What do everyone else's teens have please?

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JamesDelayneysTattoos · 22/04/2017 14:56

All of his friends have this or the 7. Dd 12 has a 5s

Samsung is a big brand, the other popular one against Apple as far as I know.

Chocolatecake12 · 22/04/2017 14:57

Most teens I know have iPhones. Outrageous I know!! My ds had one before me!
Can I ask why you're buying it outright?
Could you go for a 5c?

31Daisy · 22/04/2017 14:58

Yep my 14 year old has an iPhone 6 and most of his friends have similar. He saved up and bought it outright (2nd hand though) and we just pay for a monthly sim deal.

Zoflorabore · 22/04/2017 15:00

Ds is 14 and has the iPhone 6, he got it when it first came out, I got the iPhone 7 last autumn as I was ready to upgrade and to me they're hardly any different.

Most of his friends have an iPhone of some description from 5-7.

Kids really do have better phones than their parents at times, before I upgraded i had the 4s and he had the 6, to many teens they just want to fit in.

Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 15:00

Thank you James and Chocolate

I see, so what dd has been telling me is correct Shock

I'm an older parent and never had anything of this value in my early teens; I can't believe it is a "normal" thing.

Dh has said we are buying it outright because it can come under office expenses (we run our own business). I had no clue that people pay monthly. I will look in to this thank you.

Still a bit Shock though Smile

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bigchris · 22/04/2017 15:00

Samsung s5, couple of years old, think about 20 a month

Wolfiefan · 22/04/2017 15:00

Mine wants a Samsung. He's getting a reconditioned one so he can get one with better spec. And it'll be PAYG.

TheHobbitMum · 22/04/2017 15:01

My teens have the Samsung s6, no idea what we pay lol

Chewbecca · 22/04/2017 15:03

DS has a Samsung galaxy s7 edge I'm sorry to tell you. It close around £700, he had it for joint birthday / Christmas present from us and both sets of GPs & contributed £200 himself (mostly birthday money from friends). He wanted it that much & adores it.

It only costs £10pm to run on PAYG though for plenty of minutes, texts and data.

Oulavache · 22/04/2017 15:03

My 14 yr old has an iPhone 5s. I got it with Three on a deal for €25.40 per month but 4 months in they upped the deal to €30 which is too much for me so I could opt out (which I did) but keep the phone and have bought a sim from 3 which will cost her €20 a month which is as much as I want to pay.

Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 15:03

Thank you very much Daisy and *Zoflorabore] (love yr nn btw!).

This will be music to dd's ears Grin

Saving up is not an option because (for various reasons to do with living abroad) dd has mahoosive study schedule so she hasn't really time to work.

I am still slightly reeling that this is the norm Confused

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MiltopMighty · 22/04/2017 15:03

All the teens we know have iPhone. Ours have iPhones but they aren't always new - DH gets a new iPhone every year through work so they get the hand downs. They need above iPhone 5s though if they want the latest apps. At least we all have the same chargers!

Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 15:07

Thank you everyone - this is all v good information to have.

Oulavache I am obviously going to have to look closely at deals.

Chewbacca dd does have a birthday coming up in July so it could be part of that and then we could get her to do jobs in the holidays to make up the rest I suppose. I prefer to save up first and buy later though and she needs it urgently.

Thank you also to Hobbitmum Wolfie and BigChris this information is very helpful.

Do any of you worry about putting them at risk of thieves though?

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rollonthesummer · 22/04/2017 15:07

I have a 13 and a 15 year old and both have iPhone 6 bought second hand outright as birthday presents. All of the friends seem to have iPhones-mostly 6, but some 6+ and a handful of 7. A few still have a 5.

Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 15:08

Yes Miltop it's the apps issue that seems to be key here!

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Fairylea · 22/04/2017 15:08

Dd 14 has an iPhone 5 that we bought second hand from cex for £90. She has a giffgaff sim which costs us £10 a month and gives her internet, texts and minutes.

When I upgrade my phone in September she'll be having my iPhone 6 and my mum is getting dds iPhone.

Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 15:09

Gosh rollonsummer and I really thought dd was exaggerating!! Smile

What happens to the kids whose parents can't afford phones I wonder? Do they become social pariahs? Sad

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Fairylea · 22/04/2017 15:10

Personally I don't worry about dd having her phone nicked because everyone out there seems to have iPhones now, and with all the "find my phone" stuff on them and whatever they aren't that attractive to thieves anyway. But I do always tell her to be careful, of course.

MiltopMighty · 22/04/2017 15:10

We have our insured through our bank account.

They use the thumbprint sign in and 6 digit passcode. We keep find my iPhone activated and I have find friends on my phone so I can see where they are!

Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 15:10

Fairylea¨I haven't investigated the second hand market yet - must do so!

(And find out if giff-gaff exists over here).

I am clueless Blush

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Original poster
Sweepingchange · 22/04/2017 15:11

Thanks Fairylea and Miltop that is reassuring actually about the safety aspects.

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