Teen daughter wants iPhone, I want to get her a Windows Phone.

[smoledman]

Here's my personal experience I am going to share (even it is a bit off topic, but nevermind)

My current phone is HTC Radar running WP 7.8 (was 7.5) and often when I whipped out my phone to check the time during meetings with friends and things (I'm from Malaysia by the way) and they often intrigued by the strange Windows operating system on a phone and often nagging me to lend my phone to them to play around the interface. I do have a few female friends who is not that tech savvy also very intrigued by it (she's an Android user).

However, most of the time, my friends and sometimes my dad would often ask me why I didn't use a Samsung phone or any phone that uses Android (since almost 8 out of 10 of my friends use Samsung now, based on my amazing statistical skills), I often say I would like to "Think Different" beyond iOS and Android.

So, as a father, you should ask her which phone she really wants (The same goes to myself when my dad who asked me the same thing about my next Windows Phone phone) or let her get a hands on a Windows Phone and an iPhone before making the decision.

One can objectively find pros & cons in the 3 respective mobile OSes, however there is the social teen thing which has nothing to do with looking at feature lists.

 

[BrandonTeoh]

Teens (from my understanding, I don't know about you) most likely focusing on Facebook messaging (something WP is being praised for building it right in), Instagram (6Tag will do the trick I suppose), YouTube (or Metrotube), Internet and games , but girls will stick around Facebook and Instragram.

 

[Huime]

Whatever she deserves. A present or a necessity should make her happy.

 

[ericsonbernabe20]

In my own experience as a teen, having a Lumia 520 rocks!! Because some of my classmates seeing my phone keeps on saying "what phone is that?", then others say "Cool Phone", and someone says "is it an android?,. The coolest part is when they are intriguing my phone which caught some attention XD lol and I say no its not an iPhone or Android it's a Windowsphone

 

[jomarr]

Psh. I got my first smartphone at 21. (Just this year)

Get her WHAT YOU WANT. That's still your money. If she wants an iPhone then she should pay for all of it. Anything would be a better phone against the one she has now

 

[alaskanjackson]

I was right where you are one year ago. My 13 year old daughter reluctantly excepted an HTC 8X. Within a month she had convinced a friend to get the 920 and now has friends with 1020 and 520. There can be issues like "facetime" for IOS vs Skype on Windows phone. My daughter uses Kik messenger for texting, 6tag for Instagram. She can stream music via Xbox music and shares a pass for unlimited offline and streaming of music. We set her phone up with a shared email account so we can monitor what she sends and receives. If she downloads apps we receive notification. Let me know if you have other questions? Joel J

 

[nube_android]

As a teenager, I understand you not wanting her to make stupid desicisions based on ignorance or "What my friends have"
So tell her to give you 3 logical reasons why she should get an iPhone, and then make her keep a jacked up otter box case on it.
If her reasons are illogical, wrong, and flat out stupid, then tell her how lucky she is to be getting a smartphone in the first place and get her a Windows Phone.
When I got my first smartphone, a god Awful HTC Inspire 4G, I had to do so much proposal work to my parents, and that was when I was 13 I got it and my parents blocked the internet. Now, kids get iPhone 5s at age 10.

 

[jefbeard911]

Yeah, the 520 is a no go cuz you can't take selfies. A must at her ago. The 920 it's a great phone but very heavy. I live overseas where phones are not Subsidized so most of my recommendations are based on the total cost of the phone having to buy it outright. Its too bad the States don't have the 720. Its the best of all world's IMO.

I wouldn't worry about the fallout of not getting her an iPhone, like out things at her age it will be quickly forgotten. Not to mention her friends might actually like it. Don't worry about app selection. IIts all there. You should be able to get an 820 pretty cheap and it has the same inards as the 920, sans the camera. But the 820 cam is great too. She'll like the FB integration with People Hub too.

 

[cckgz4]

Only you know how to parent your child.

 

[jomarr]

make her choose between an iPhone 3GS or a Lumia 920. Guess what she'll pick..

 

[broar94]

If I were you, I'd give her the iPhone. All her friends are on it, so she should be too. Plus there's free iMessage and FaceTime. Plus there are no horrible battery drain issues. If she's on whatsapp and fb, it's better to go with iPhone. All notifications arrive in lock screen, I mean a list of recent msgs will be there which's quite useful. I'm sure she will be better off with iPhone. It's your choice now.

 

[jomarr]

tmobile is not the cheapest network. They always get the money no matter what. And even carriers count towards your status. T mobile means your poor. Sprint means you don't realize you have no coverage and verizon and at&t are the i have money for nice things carriers. Being a teen in one of new york state's biggest high school, if you don't have an iphone, your a loser. So i carry 2. My 822 and iphone 4. I'm a freshmen and 14 years old. And yes both of them are active and it's bleeding me dry. But i'd rather die than be labeled as a loser.

omg

 

[iAdrian23]

If she wants to play all damn apps (Candy Crush, Subway Surfers, New Hot ones) then you should get her an iPhone because the WP for sure will not fulfill her needs.

If she is down for Instagram / Facebook (which is utterly bad) / Twitter and doesn't really care for hot games then she should get one.

Take some time and have a chat with her. Ask what she really wants. Does she need the iPhone because everyone is having and obviously so should she? Does she want the iPhone because she is the only OS she knows? Have you given her the opportunity to try out a WP? Give your phone to her, say 1 day, and ask her how does it feel.

ATM I'm really upset with WPs. I just wish there were all hot games. I'm fed up with my friends who make fun of my inferior phone (WP are for **** people. No apps HAHA)

 

[Mike Marvel]

Anyone have any thoughts? I would also appreciate any general advice about having a teenager with a smartphone.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on having this opportunity for you and your daughter to KNOW one another better.
My advice: Understand her and let her understand you.
Take as much time as needed. She will be more than willing to talk and listen since there is something she cares about at stake.

Explain to her about your preference for WP.
About peer influence, independence, money management, responsibilities, differences between needs and wants and any issues which influence your decision.
And very very importantly, to convey to her that as a father, you have her best interests.
If WP is chosen, it's not because it's cheaper and you like it.
It's because you think she needs to know the important of money and that you think she will grow to like it, more than an iPhone.
If iPhone is chosen, it's not because her friends have it and she have all the apps.
It's because you trust that she can manage her budget and she is responsible enough to own an expensive device.

And just as important, if not more, understand her.
Not just her superficial reasons, like her peers using iPhone and her existing apps.
Make an effort to know her, to be in her shoes.
Ask the WHY and HOW questions.
To understand why it is so important for her to use the same phone as her friends.
To know her friends.
Ask her if she will reject her friends if they are not using iPhone.
If she will, why?
If she will not, why does she think that her friends will reject her?
Etc. etc.
To understand her apps need and how she is using these apps.
How much time does she plan to spend on her phone?
Why?
I hope sincerely for you that a happy outcome for both of you.
If not, at least both of you will know one another more.

I am guessing that if you spend less than 2 hours conversing, then that's not enough.
And I would like to emphasis again the importance of listening.

 

[nishant786]

I can't really volunteer any parenting advice, but as a guy in his 20s using both an iPhone and a WP, here's what i have to say.

1. For a teenager an iPhone is the better choice if you want her happy. It will have the newest apps and games and widest "girly" accessories. It however is a delicate device and usually made to last 2 years. But i assure you that you get to be daddy of the month after.

2. But let her try the WP8 at least for a week. I have seen many young ladies fall in love with the simplicity and customising. Also nokia music and xbox don't hurt. But in the end i have always felt that windows phone/mobile have been platforms more for mature people. The whole platform feels that way being built around cloud services and office and ofcourse made my Microsoft.

Anyway whatever you choose in the end will not make her a better person. Its just a phone and she already seems to be a great kid.

All it will do is get a huge smile on her face which you can then share with us using your great WP camera

 

[Zippier]

Hi frett,

Sorry you're getting so much criticism from so many (unqualified?) people about parenting when you simply asked a question about which phone. I haven't been on this forum long and have already found out people are harsh.

I too was in a similar situation and gave my daughter my HTC 8x to try. Before that she used an old Samsung with a slide out keyboard and an iPod touch. I have to say she LOVES it. She likes the bigger screen, the live tiles, the fact she can arrange the tiles so uniquely and change the whole color scheme. Plus, she's not lacking in the majority of the required teen apps. She's even pointed out one jealous friend.

To answer your question I say have her try it (maybe you pay for it during the trial to help ease the transition - haha) and see how she likes it. I think she might be surprised as my own 13 year old was.

Keep everyone updated though. I'm really interested in seeing if she "converts".

Good Luck!

 

[jasqid]

My daughter had an iPhone 4. The power button quit working so I got 928 for myself and gave her my 8x. It took her a while but she really likes the WP now. She's telling me all her friends approach her in school and ask to see and play with it. It is a lot easier to put music on a WP than it is an apple device.

 

[pappy53]

@nishant786

"It however is a delicate device and usually made to last 2 years."
What? LOL!

 

[boovish]

When I was in high school if you had have a Yomega Roller Baring Yo-Yo and not some off brand in order to not be called a loser but the jocks still called us losers because we played with Yo-Yo's.

Basically what I am saying is you might not be a LOSER by having an iphone but I am sure there are other groups that will call iphone users LOSERS. Like hipsters who think iphone is too mainstream.

No all the hipsters in my school all think no one uses iPhones. I think they may be blind

 

[xandros9]

@nishant786

"It however is a delicate device and usually made to last 2 years."
What? LOL!

two years? you're giving it too much credit. I see a lot of Galaxies and iPhones, and I've noticed a huge chunk of the iPhone/iPod 4 series are cracked, some not even cracked, they're missing chunks of the display and ew. its not pretty. I had a friend who's white iTouch 4 was literally swathed in band-aids.
unless she's good with not screwing things up, get her a case.
For the 521 they're built decently, but i recommended my older sister a cheapo case for her 521 and what do you know, its pretty beat up now

Well I own a yellow 920 and get made fun of, even with my cyan cover, and the size of it too. **** them, I like it, and they can't say **** about it.

heh, i've gone the reverse, with a cyan 920 and yellow cover. A lot of people were confused. "didn't you have a blue phone?" I recently took off the cover to clean and be cyan for a bit and even though the cover doesn't add much bulk, it makes the naked 920 feel so much slicker.