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Teenagers

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

Original poster

Does all your teenagers uses iPhone please?

51 replies

Chiamaka1988 · 20/02/2025 11:30

Hello everyone I am new here and I have 4 daughters aged 16, 14 , 12 and 11 years old. We are all using androids phones ( samsung and Huawei) but my second child is not having it. She is currently using a samsung A13 phone but she is not happy saying all her friends at school are using iPhone13 and upwards and she is the only one without iPhone. This has bee. Happening since last year before she went into year 9 snd she is still complaining about wanting an iphone from 13 and upwards. Not 11 or 12 according to her is updated none of her friends has it. Please I want to know from mothers with teenagers similar age to my child does your teenagers have iphone 13 and upwards and should we buy her a iphone or not? Personally I wouldn't buy for her just because she wants it but I want to hear from other parents so that I will have an idea about what to do next. Thanks

OP posts:
Piratejenny99 · 20/02/2025 11:58

My nearly 13 year old has just inherited my old iphone 13. Before that she was using my old iphone 11. It seems most of her friends do have an iphone, 13 seems to be the newest but older versions are also used.

RIPVPROG · 20/02/2025 12:06

Surely a lot of DC get the cast offs from parents, so it will depend what they use. We use android so when DS gets a phone he will too, because initially he is likely to have one of our old handsets and it means we will have better knowledge in terms of parental controls etc by living then to ours. If he doesn't like it he doesn't need to have a phone.

converseandjeans · 20/02/2025 13:54

Mine have iPhone 12s & had been using iPhone 6 for years until they slowed down to the point they stopped working properly. I think iPhone are the most popular from what I see of teenagers.

converseandjeans · 20/02/2025 13:55

But I don't think you should buy anything you can't afford (or don't want to spend money on) just so they can be the same as everyone else.

Poisonwood · 20/02/2025 13:57

Nope, 20, 17, 16 year olds all non-Apple. I’m the only one with an iPhone.

Legger · 20/02/2025 14:02

Mine don't have iphones because we are not an iphone house. They have had a variety of phones over the years I think the last ones were Samsung and now Google Pixels. It shouldn't ever be about what other people have but what you can afford and she should be grateful you are funding her phone. What does the iphone do that her current phone doesn't do?

This all comes down to where does it stop? Does she need to then wear certain brands of clothes so her "friends" accept her? Wear particular shoes or dress a particular way? Yes lots of children will have iphones but it absolutely isn't everyone. Maybe if she wants a certain phone she can find a way to pay for it herself instead of expecting you to fund it. At the end of the day it is a smartphone. They all pretty much do the same thing.

RightOnTheEdge · 20/02/2025 14:04

My teen has a Samsung and has never complained or asked for an apple. She seems happy with what she's got.

I don't know what her friends have she's never mentioned it or any pressure to change her phone.

DaisyChain505 · 20/02/2025 14:10

Be a parent and put your foot down and tell her she’s being entitled and ungrateful.

A smart phone is a smart phone. They all do the same job.

She needs to learn that she doesn’t need to have something just because “everyone else has one” use it as a lesson to teach her not to be such a sheep and think she has to have or do something just because others are.

A smart phone or even a basic phone is a privilege not a right.

skyeisthelimit · 20/02/2025 14:29

My DD is almost 17 and has only just had an iphone 13. She has always had my cast offs before, but after years of ipohne 6 I got her an X when she was about 14. It stopped working and she desperately needed it for college as they can film classes and also has to film things for her course. For the first time she has a newer phone than me as I am still on a 12.

Your DD needs to learn that she gets what she gets and if she wants anything different, then she needs to get a part time job to pay for it.

newhousenewhouse · 20/02/2025 14:33

My DD has an iPhone and my DS android that was their preference.

fatgirlswims · 20/02/2025 17:10

Why won't you just get her the one she wants? I don't understand?

Apple is divisive- teens love it or hate it!

She can have it for birthday / Xmas / save up for it.

ThreeMagicNumber · 20/02/2025 17:12

Mine do but they were bought for bdays/Xmas. It's entirely up to you what you decide to do. I got my sons 13 from giffgaff refurbished to the highest standard you can get and it was really reasonable.

Ddakji · 20/02/2025 17:15

Mine has an iPhone (SE, about 4 years old) because we all have iPhones and it’s easier for everyone to have the same kind. If DH and I have Samsung, that’s what DD would have. She sometimes moans about having an old SE but I am deaf to these complaints, she can get a new phone for her 16th this year.

Just ignore your child’s whingeing.

Vipersgonnavipe · 20/02/2025 17:16

Dh and I always had androids, so the dc have those as they got our cast offs. The second they complain they will be told to save up for anything different. They have smartphones that do all the things they need to do, fairly recent models too.
Thankfully they are decent kids who aren’t shallow and ungrateful. I would work on the attitude of your dd, it’s not a good look.

stealthninjamum · 20/02/2025 17:21

Mine have got Samsungs. It was a conscious decision because they need batteries that don’t die and old iPhones are crap. Also I think the phones weee free with a contract linked to mine. I’m sure their samsungs are about 3 years old and will stay charged all day when they’re at school. I have iPhone 16 but dc now prefer Samsungs.

mitogoshigg · 20/02/2025 17:23

My dc have always had android, I have an iPhone, they can be comparable in terms of functionality but depends on the model, I phone 13 is now quite old

HollyBerryz · 20/02/2025 17:49

One has an iPhone (they paid half) the others have Samsungs.

Sodascreams · 20/02/2025 22:58

DD (15) has an iPhone 14, she got it very nearly 2 years ago- since then she has got the watch, airpod pros and an iPad. She's very much an apple girl. It does seem like all of her friends have iPhones too.
Before that she had androids (normally our old ones).

BansheeOfTheSouth · 20/02/2025 23:01

How would you manage parental controls on an iPhone when you don't have one yourself? She doesn't need an iPhone.

dicdicnurse · 20/02/2025 23:03

We are an apple house and both DDs (15&13) have our cast offs.

Hypercatalectic · 20/02/2025 23:07

DD13 has a Samsung, it's absolutely fine for what she uses it for (WhatsApp and CapCut) and I can control it through Google Family.

TY78910 · 20/02/2025 23:57

BansheeOfTheSouth · 20/02/2025 23:01

How would you manage parental controls on an iPhone when you don't have one yourself? She doesn't need an iPhone.

You don't need one yourself to put on parental controls. It's more convenient if you do, but it's not essential.

TY78910 · 20/02/2025 23:59

I agree with someone upthread who said if they save up for it then why not. I don't think you should be bending backwards to get her one though out of your own pocket.

kittyycatt · 21/02/2025 00:17

DD11 got an iPhone 14 for Christmas. Upgraded from a Samsung A55. She chose to move to Apple because she has an iPad. Told me the other day she wishes she stayed with Samsung! The rest of us are Samsung. I was going to get her a 12 for Christmas but the 14 was only a couple of quid more so I traded in data to get the price the same!

DS13 has an S21 (will upgrade at Christmas) and I have a S25 Ultra. No idea what DH has but he rarely uses it so it is a basic Samsung.

Blueeyedmale · 21/02/2025 00:38

Both me and ds both use Samsung galaxy we have both used iPhones in the past the annoying thing for me was fingerprints or passwords when you want to download an app.

I love my Samsung I find the battery life so much better and generally easier to navigate