Why I should buy iPhone to my teenager?

[Alberto]

My cheap Android smartphone was slowly dying, after not even 2yr of use, so I just bought a new one for 109 eur.
The cheap Android of my 14yo daughter is also dying. She's trying to convince me this time around I should buy her an iPhone instead. The lowest priced iPhone we found was 290 eur (used, refurbished), no idea a new one.

What adult reason is there, if any, to buy the higher priced product?

[Franklan]

I should buy her

Lawn mowing? Helping elderly neighbours shopping? Helper in a supermarket? Helper in a restaurant kitchen? Babysitting? Private tutoring? Delivering newspapers?

[kiplette]

She's trying to convince me this time around I should buy her an iPhone instead

We have never bought iphones for the kids. We got smartphones at 16 but more basic models.

Kids#1 and#2 have bought themselves second hand/refurbished iphones as young adults. Kid#1 likes hers, kid#2 has said he'll not get one again - the extra expense is not justified by the features it offers.

Perhaps Franklan's idea is good, and might be good for her in other ways - that she earns money to buy a phone of her choice - you can always seed the purchase with whatever you would have spent.

I now have kid#4's old Huwawei which is the phone he got at 16, doing exactly as above - we put in the 100 or so like you spent on yours, and he put in the extra to get the actual phone he wanted. He and kid#3 upgraded to Samsungs of some kind, bought on a Black Friday deal a couple of years ago.

[Krieg]

If you already do not like iPhones then it will be difficult and probably useless trying to explain you their advantages over Android, specially if you have other Apple devices.

But I agree it is a big decision because they are expensive.

[yesterday]

Interesting question

I think there is no right answer, it depends on you and daughter.

Try make a list up to see if the android will will do those things or similar, if yes, maybe get the Android.

Of course the cool kids will have the right phone to impress their friends, which is worth a lot to a teenager. This must be important

Think of what you do in other situations, ie do you buy your kids Adidas trainers ??? or some cheap no name product ?, I would follow the same principle.

[Robinson100]

If you already do not like iPhones then it will be difficult and probably useless trying to explain you their advantages over Android, specially if you have other Apple devices.

I actually got the impression that the OP just has never had an i-phone, so simply does not know what they can do that an android phone cannot, rather than actually not liking them.

Personally, I have only had two android phones so far, and would also struggle to know why anybody would or should buy an i-phone for a lot more money.

Maybe some of those who have used both over the years can enlighten us?

[Fraufruit]

I was also wondering exactly what she needs to do with an iPhone that she can't do with an Android.

I don't consider more bells and whistles as needs.

[LeonG]

Personally I don't see why you should spend more on her phone than you do on yours. Maybe ask her why you should. As others have said, offer her the 100 towards the purchase and she can fund the rest.

I suspect the reason she wants an iphone is because some of her friends do and if that is why, she will not be happy with an older refurb for very long.

Check https://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich/Pr ... y=minPrice too. You can find refurb older phones even for under 100

[Alberto]

OP here.
Right, I never had an iPhone and I do not dislike them.
As a consumer the question is not whether the 900eur iPhone has more value than the 109eur Android (no idea if it does, but let's pretend yes it does), but rather if the extra value justifies the extra cost.

She has no way to fund it herself because, like many 14yo, she has no income other than peanuts Taschengeld she receives from us parents. Earning activities are not there yet (and I don't see them coming up in the immediate future, not yet gut for it).

Thanks everyone for the contributions.

[Fraufruit]

If she isn't doing well in school, perhaps you could use it as a carrot for her to do better. That's if you are entertaining the idea of buying one for her.

I was babysitting at her age for pocket money.

[dstanners]

I would, and do, push back on that sort of request from my 13 year old son.
As you rightly suggest, there is no compelling reason why an iphone is better for a teenager from an adult's perspective. The kids think it is cool, but even then there is a flaw.

The least popular boy in my son's class was convinced that all that stood between him and popularity was an iphone 13 (which was at the time, and may still be, newest/most popular). He used all his savings and spent over a grand on the thing last Christmas, only to find out that when he returned to school, no-one was interested and he remained unpopular. It was never about the lack of an iphone.
The reality is that thinking buying something will make them cool encourages kids to spend money they can't afford, on things they don't need in an attempt to impress people who won't care (typical comment from my son, "[kid's name] is just so boring, he keeps trying to show off with his new phone. He's a complete Mitlaeufer [current popular derogatory term for unpopular classmates]."

We have a similar issue with computers. When the kids started Gynmasium, I bought them laptops, which were decent for school stuff, but barely good enough for gaming (just "ok" for Fortnight). Kid 1 wants a gaming PC which costs a few grand, but he has to buy that himself. He's been saving up for almost a year now. Also, teenagers can work! My kids deliver leaflets/ads for the various clubs here in the village, and the local Stadt Anzeiger offers paper rounds to 13 year olds. Whilst I expect them to do some share of general chores as part of family life, I also pay them when they do things which genuinely save me time. For example, kid 1 is far happier stripping wallpaper than me, and can do a perfectly good job. Likewise, weeding in the garden or washing cars.

[LeonG]

She has no way to fund it herself because, like many 14yo, she has no income other than peanuts Taschengeld she receives from us parents. Earning activities are not there yet (and I don't see them coming up in the immediate future, not yet gut for it).

Legally she could work like babysitting or delivering flyers but if you don't think she can juggle that along with school, then I guess not. You could set whatever price you are willing to pay and leave it up to her whether to get a new android or a used whatever. I definitely would not be forking out 900 for a phone for a kid. It's going to be uncool anyway as soon as the next model is out.

[Krieg]

If you already do not like iPhones then it will be difficult and probably useless trying to explain you their advantages over Android, specially if you have other Apple devices.

I actually got the impression that the OP just has never had an i-phone, so simply does not know what they can do that an android phone cannot, rather than actually not liking them.

Personally, I have only had two android phones so far, and would also struggle to know why anybody would or should buy an i-phone for a lot more money.

Maybe some of those who have used both over the years can enlighten us?

Trying to convince someone about iPhone vs Android is wasting time, but I can tell you why I ended up in the Apple ecosystem even if I am at the core a Linux user.

- Backup system. Out of the box Apple devices can be backed up and if you lose or replace a device it will be as easy as "This device is a replacement of that other device" and you will have ALL YOUR DATA there, exactly like it was in the other device.

- If you have their stupid AirPods they will integrate with all your devices seamlessly. i.e. you are doing something in your Macbook and listening to music there. A phone call rings, the phone call FROM YOUR PHONE rings in your Macbook as well, you can take the phone call from the Macbook without going to your phone, the music will stop from the Macbook. Or you can take the phone call from the phone itself and the Airpods will move automagically to the phone, once you finish the Airpods will move to the Macbook and you can continue from there.

- Copy/paste between devices. The clipboard is shared between all your devices if you want it like that. So copy in your iPhone and paste in your Macbook.

- Same basic apps in all devices. Apps like Notes (for taking notes) and the basic "Office" suit that comes FOR FREE has the same apps in all devices. Because everything is saved in the iCloud, I can start a document in the phone and move later to the Macbook and continue working there.

- I am a heavy user of "Homekit" with is the Home Automation functionality from Apple. So our alarm system and cameras are in my "Home" app. The good thing is I can just share my Home with the family and now everyone has access to the home automation.

- Airdrop is the Apple ability to send files between devices. It is very handy for sharing files peer-to-peer without having to go through the Internet.

- Find My is the ability to trace locations from devices, people and objects. I can see where my family members are all the time, this is very handy with kids, not because I want to disturb their privacy but more from a safety point of view. This has been discussed and everyone is happy about it. We have AirTags in our cars, bicycles and motorbikes, so we know where they are all the time.

- Support for e-SIM, which is very useful when you travel to other countries, you can just buy an e-SIM and have Internet data without having to give up your main SIM. This is supported by high end Android devices as well. And some cheap Android phones have double SIM card support.

- Apple supports their devices for very long time. The wife is still in her iPhone 12 which is a device from 2020 and she is still very happy with it. The battery life is still at 90%.

And there are much more, and of course there are plenty of things I do not like from iPhones and Macbooks as well.

Now if any of that is useful for a teenager, I am not sure. They will value the high quality camera (a 100-200 EUR phones take shit pictures, it has been always like that, we have as well cheap Android phones as backup or as traveling devices). Maybe Airdropping as well. But I assume the brand image plays the biggest role.

[Franklan]

My situation:

My private phone is Android based, it is a Samsung. That is my personal decission as I consider Apple products way too expensive for what the deliver.

My company phone is Apple, because it is a company policy that all company phones are Apple.


Here is a current test report for mobile phones <250€, very informative:
https://www.techstage.de/bestenliste/to ... ser.teaser

[bethannbitt]

I have a 13” MacBook, a smaller iPad Pro, and an iPhone 13, which is not their latest greatest. I never buy the latest greatest of anything, and I buy in the US cuz it’s at least 25% cheaper. I splurged and bought myself an iPad Mini ( ) when visiting last December. I make no apologies for being a “bona fide slut”. The devices I have suit my various needs.

I find the products easy to use right out if the box and I can easily sync the things I wanna sync. The cameras are great and all of my products have lasted 7+ years with good battery life. I’ve purchased iPads for my mother and my DIl as gifts and we all enjoy iMessaging and FaceTime together. That’s how I communicate with most other US friends and family too.

Not telling anybody what to do. Hubby uses a Samsung and a 15” MacBook and that works for him. I tried using an Android phone before and found it more challenging than using across the board. Not going back that route. Of course, I’m an adult who lives within her means and can choose how to spend my .

[kiplette]

Yes, I think that's the crucial point. If you can personally afford to choose to spend the money, then it's all fair game, and if you are a happy inhabitant in the Apple world, then why not.

Kid#1 has made that choice, and fair enough.

For a 14 year old who wouldn't be stumping up the cash, I wouldn't do it, partly because I think it's a stress for them to be responsible for an expensive item and partly because of what dstanners said above - the brand is unlikely to make a difference socially. I am also super careful about branding with the kids, not wanting them to start down a slippery slope of requiring a specific material thing in order to be 'accepted' or 'their true selves' or whatever.

It is proper tricky when 'everyone' has something. Almost always not true, but still awkward.

[LeonG]

It is proper tricky when 'everyone' has something. Almost always not true, but still awkward.

You can always check with the other parents. Probably 2 or 3 kids in the class have all the stuff and the rest trying to convince their parents that everybody does

[Krieg]

I honestly do not think the current generation of kids live in a world where you need brands to be accepted, at least that's what I see from my teenagers at home. It is totally the opposite, they live in a world where no one will shame you if you wear Primark clothes and no one will care if you wear Gucci accessories. You guys are probably projecting on them how it was in our days, and maybe trying to teach lessons they do not really need. When they want something expensive it is more about really wanting it and/or because they honestly think it is cool and not really about acceptance.

The particular Android vs Apple situation is more or less balanced in the same way as with adults. Actually the boys tend to prefer Android because of some advantages for gaming and maybe the spirit of been a sigma (alpha) and not a follower.

[Emkay]

I’ve really no idea of the differences between Apple and android. We’ve always had iPhones. I only did as I won one in a Vodafone competition ages ago. Kiddo got my husband’s old one when she was around 14. My husband got convinced to change to a Samsung a few years ago. I’ve no idea of the specifics though he didn’t like it and soon changed back to an IPhone. I think maybe having different types isn’t convenient within the family. iMessage, airdrop etc is great for us.

Over the last few years, we’ve only bought from rebuy.de. We used to buy ‘Wie Neu’ though, with screen protectors and cases that’s not really necessary. They offer a 3 year guarantee though beware that despite newer models supposedly being water resistant, their guarantee doesn’t cover anything that’s water related. We were told by them that the water resistance diminishes after purchase hence they are unable to cover as they dint know about previous ownership. Very annoying as there’s nowhere this is clearly stated prior to purchase. Even in model specifications, water resistance is listed. I guess other sellers of used iPhones etc might say the same. Worth checking before purchase. Thankfully, the water damage in my daughter’s iPhone is minimal and has just slightly discoloured a small corner of the display.

[Eric7]

I wouldn't buy a €900 iPhone for a 14 year old kid.

Firstly, it won't be appreciated as it's not their cash being spent.
Secondly, the differences to a budget Android are really negligible. Sure, you have the things that Krieg mentioned but they are mostly niche functions and most kids won't care about them or use them. From my experiences, most German kids seem to have Android anyway.

Also, phones get dropped... and stolen or sometimes just lost. I once put my iPhone 4s down on a park bench where I was sitting, walked 10m away before remembering it and by the time I turned around it was gone. I'd be gutted if it had cost €900.

Having said all that, an older refub model would be totally acceptable. €200-€300 is in the region of a basic Android phone anyway. I really wouldn't bother about getting the latest model, the smartphone industry has been pretty stale lately.
I moved from an iPhone to a Samsung Note 9 in 2019 (I use the S-pen for easily signing and returning pdfs) and am still waiting for a new version that would justify the cost of upgrading. I have started considering an iPhone again, mainly for the niche functions mentioned before (MacBook Pro & Mac Studio to use them with) but still balk at the cost.