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Teenagers

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

Original poster

Do most 11 year olds really have iPhone 14s?

126 replies

MaxwellCat · 05/07/2023 15:35

My son is starting secondary school in September. I was looking at getting him an iPhone but unsure of which one. I want something that is acceptable to not be made fun of (sorry but being realistic here) but not the latest as he is only 11. I asked on a Facebook group and a lot people were saying their 11 year olds had iPhone 14s and “all their friends do” the others were ranging from iPhone 11 and above which is still around £300 so would be on top of all his uniform and shoes etc. I wasn’t expecting to spend that much. Do most 11 year olds really have iPhone 14s? What phone does your 11/12 year old have for starting secondary school (only these ages please)

OP posts:
Thatboymum · 05/07/2023 21:23

My dd is 13 now with an iPhone 14 on contract and most of her friends have the 13 or 14, when she started school she had the iPhone 13 as that was the top model then and we just upgrade hers every year that’s the norm where we are. She has the “in” shoes bags designer jumpers etc too because like op said I never want her to be a target for bully’s but I do feel it’s ridiculous and a lot of pressure for me as a parent

stargirl1701 · 05/07/2023 21:24

No. I teach in a two form primary school. One child out of over 60 Primary 7s had an iPhone 14. The rest had hand-me-down phones.

YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 05/07/2023 21:52

Mine has a 12 mini. My 16 year old has just got a 14, as she is paying for half the contract herself

XelaM · 05/07/2023 22:13

Thatboymum · 05/07/2023 21:23

My dd is 13 now with an iPhone 14 on contract and most of her friends have the 13 or 14, when she started school she had the iPhone 13 as that was the top model then and we just upgrade hers every year that’s the norm where we are. She has the “in” shoes bags designer jumpers etc too because like op said I never want her to be a target for bully’s but I do feel it’s ridiculous and a lot of pressure for me as a parent

That's my 13-year-old exactly. She has to have whatever is "in" at the moment. Funnily enough it's crocs at the money apparently 😂

I got her black school Air Force 1s on ebay, her white Air Force 1s she got for free (also second hand) from someone at her sports club who didn't want them, her real Jordans were a Christmas present from my parents and we recently we t to Spain and bought knock off Jordans on the beach in a different colour for €25. 😃 So it has to be the right label, but doesn't have to be new or expensive.

XelaM · 05/07/2023 22:13

at the moment*

GameofStrife · 05/07/2023 22:14

11 for eldest and XR for youngest (12)

Yellowdays · 05/07/2023 22:41

I must be mean. Mine always had my old out of contract phone, or DHs'.

Yellowdays · 05/07/2023 22:41

With a cheap SIM card!

Makegoodchoices · 05/07/2023 22:47

Old hand-me-down iPhone for the first year to prove they can look after it. Then a contract but no, not for the newest one, a basic model.

Thewindsofchange · 05/07/2023 23:04

DS11 has an old iPhone 8. We will need to upgrade him when Apple stop supporting the 8. We have an unused iPhone 11 which he will use, wherever that is.

Cece92 · 05/07/2023 23:04

My DD10 has a Samsung galaxy a03s it cost me £70 brand new and she loves it, however it is running slow and does this thing where it says PIN incorrect (when it's right) so she has to reset it when it does it. She also popped her bag down with the phone in it down at the park to do a hand stand and her friends were running around daft never noticed her wee bag and stood on it tripped over the strap went flying and the bag went flying. Queue a cracked screen and tempered glass screen. Got a quote for the screen...... £80!!!!! Her dads going to get the screen and do it himself hopefully. I will get her a new phone for high school possibly. Maybe like an iPhone 11 not the newest one but still decent enough to be able to get all apps and features on it. She does like her Samsung but I think it may be on the way out. X

ballsdeep · 05/07/2023 23:10

XelaM · 05/07/2023 18:38

Sorry but Nike Airforce 1s and Jordans are pretty standard among that age group. My daughter's school has black Air Force 1s as school shoes (obviously not compulsory but everyone has them).

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Why on earth are you horrified?! Most have them here as school shoes and then. Pair to wear causally.

my 12 yo has an iPhone 14 op.

Thatboymum · 05/07/2023 23:16

XelaM · 05/07/2023 22:13

That's my 13-year-old exactly. She has to have whatever is "in" at the moment. Funnily enough it's crocs at the money apparently 😂

I got her black school Air Force 1s on ebay, her white Air Force 1s she got for free (also second hand) from someone at her sports club who didn't want them, her real Jordans were a Christmas present from my parents and we recently we t to Spain and bought knock off Jordans on the beach in a different colour for €25. 😃 So it has to be the right label, but doesn't have to be new or expensive.

Show quote history

This is so funny because I could have wrote it myself @XelaM my dd is also living in crocs atm because it’s the new thing and we funnily enough just came back from salou with knock offs for her too haha. Also there’s an app called SaraMart which is bloody amazing at cheap cheap good quality replicas I highly recommend it x

XelaM · 05/07/2023 23:28

Thatboymum · 05/07/2023 23:16

This is so funny because I could have wrote it myself @XelaM my dd is also living in crocs atm because it’s the new thing and we funnily enough just came back from salou with knock offs for her too haha. Also there’s an app called SaraMart which is bloody amazing at cheap cheap good quality replicas I highly recommend it x

Show quote history

Haha, yes the crocs trend is so funny 😆 I've always loved my crocs and now for the first time in my life am in trend 😂

Thank you for the app recommendation!! Will definitely check it out!

OrderOfTheKookaburra · 06/07/2023 00:08

I got my DSs Samsungs for Christmas. New ones but def not top of the range. Large memory for the million and one apps was the most important feature, and a solid shell (some of them are quite plasticky).

They're both happy with that.

HerRoyalNotness · 06/07/2023 00:12

Mine didn’t get the 14 until he was 16. 12yo has an SE

Bloodyleaverspartybollocks · 06/07/2023 06:12

DD 11 has an IPhone 13
It's contract though I didn't buy it

CoffeeWithCheese · 06/07/2023 09:06

Mine have iPhone 11s just as they’re what me and DH had been upgrading from with a giffgaff sim goody bag set up on them. It’s not caused DD1 to be a social outcast and ruined her life as of yet.

Sunflowering · 06/07/2023 09:09

My kids (older teens) have XRs, I think. Independent school so their friends all have reasonably rich parents but 14s aren't the norm at all- most kids have older phones handed down by parents.

starlight36 · 06/07/2023 09:10

Refurbished iPhone SE for us. Seems to be similar to most friends and will probably get similar for our DS when hr is 11.

EnyaMayMacexx · 14/03/2024 04:28

Hello, My daughter (Who is 11) Has an iPhone 14. I know it seems very shocking as I’ve seen other reply’s but my daughter is very responsible(unlike my Daughters twin). So my daughter’s sibling has an iPhone 13 Mini. I hope this helps x

Hye000 · 14/03/2024 11:44

My 12 year old had a iPhone 13 when she started secondary school last year. Pretty mixed around where we live. Same as school shoes at her secondary allow black Nike air force 1s so she has them, lots of kids have them and lots of kids don’t. It just varies, you buy what you can afford. Your kids won’t thank you if you are missing your mortgage payments to buy them the latest phone or bag when they end up on the streets.

thesugarbumfairy · 14/03/2024 12:16

Honestly I doubt it. DS1 started out with an iphone in Y7 - purely because my SIL gave him my nieces old one ( I think 5S or something). He proved he could look after it, but never nagged for a newer model. He finally asked two years ago (Year 10) but was happy with an SE. Because he started with an iphone he won't have anything else though (I'm an android person)
DS2 got a £100 motorola in Y7. Just before he started Y9 I let him get an iphone13. He is more naggy than his brother! He loves taking photos and family circumstances were rough at the time, so I caved. It was cheaper for me to take out a 24 month contract than buying a refurbished, so that's what I did. He does do what he said and takes loads of lovely photos with it and he is on it constantly (listening to music) so I feel like it was worth it. However he has been told that if anything happens to it, it wont be replaced by another.

PurpleHiker · 14/03/2024 17:38

My 11 year old got a cheap Samsung Galaxy just before he started year 7 in Sept. He never gets made fun of for it. He has already lost it once and smashed the screen, which I got repaired. In our area there is also a common problem of older teens mugging younger kids for their phones, and they are usually only interested in iPhones, so my son was happy to not have an iPhone.

stargirl1701 · 14/03/2024 17:39

Mine doesn't! No phone at all yet.