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dj1891

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 16, 2015
641
343
Northern Ireland
I'm getting my daughter one of these for her birthday, Both are around the same price well the 6 slightly more expensive, Now for teenage daughters I am thinking the more space the better, I have a 16gb iPhone 6 and to be honest it is a pain in the behind.
 
You should ask your daughter what's more important for her - screen size or storage space (for her future selfies)... but at this point i would get SE 64GB, unless you can get the 5s for dirt cheap.
 
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You didn't tell us how old she is. If she is 8 we might answer differently than if she is 18. But I like the thought of telling her your budget and letting her help decide. She'll learn a valuable life lesson about making rational decisions.
 
If you don't ask her to decide, I'd say the 5s. There isn't a huge difference in performance between the 5s and 6, but the extra storage of the 5s will really come in handy when she starts downloading apps and taking pictures/videos.
 
I'd take her to an Apple Store also so as to try them both out.

Help her to formulate good consumer habits for the future...
 
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As others have mentioned, the 64GB SE is worth a look...more storage, faster CPU, better camera than both of your options and probably the same price range.

Otherwise, I'd ask her if she has a preference because her tradeoffs may not be anywhere near ours.
 
As others have pointed out, young girls may have very different preferences compared to ours. Best thing to do is bring her to a store and see which one she's drawn to.

My girlfriend really dislikes the iPhone 6-series, for example. She much prefers her broken iPhone 5S and refuses to part with it. We'll see what the iPhone 7 ends up looking like, but I think she will go for the SE whenever she upgrades.

I think the SE is somewhat of a bargain in the iPhone lineup right now. I think it could be the perfect phone for your daughter, unless she's keen on having the latest iPhone-design. Wouldn't consider the 5S. As for as storage goes, I guess it depends on what she's used to. If she likes to shoot video with her phone you should probably forget a 16GB device right away, otherwise it could work.
 
I could get the SE but again its the storage thing, I'd only be able to afford the 16GB version. I'm not a big user and even with storing my photos etc online 16GB is a struggle, I know a teenage girl taking photos etc and with loads of music she would struggle. At the moment she is using my old Galaxy S4, That has 16gb storage and also has a 16gb SD card.
 
I always think it's a good thing to let them give input on the purchase. I'm an adult with medium apps installed, but with minimal photos and music loaded. My phone is a 16G 5s and I'm doing ok, but I will never purchase a phone again with less than 32G memory.
 
5S has been discontinued, isn't it? Just give her the latest. Else it would be outdated faster than we think.
 
I could get the SE but again its the storage thing, I'd only be able to afford the 16GB version. I'm not a big user and even with storing my photos etc online 16GB is a struggle, I know a teenage girl taking photos etc and with loads of music she would struggle. At the moment she is using my old Galaxy S4, That has 16gb storage and also has a 16gb SD card.

In that case, if you can't afford 64GB SE, i would go for the 32GB 5s over the 16GB 6 & SE.
 
64GB SE. She's your daughter. Take care of her.
Why does not getting something that is absolutely the latest somehow not taking care of someone? How many good used cars are out here that people have bought or got for decades decades now and have had great experiences?
 
Your definition of spoiling and others' can be very different. My parents would never have bought us a $500 birthday present.
You're right. Our definitions vary. It's 2016, $500 is not as much money as it used to be in your day. Also, a phone being an item you usually buy once and use for years, it's OK to spend a little more to get something she will enjoy for YEARS.
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Why does not getting something that is absolutely the latest somehow not taking care of someone? How many good used cars are out here that people have bought or got for decades decades now and have had great experiences?
Did I tell OP to get a 128gb 6+? No. A 64gb SE is not the latest and greatest.
 
You're right. Our definitions vary. It's 2016, $500 is not as much money as it used to be in your day. Also, a phone being an item you usually buy once and use for years, it's OK to spend a little more to get something she will enjoy for YEARS.
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Did I tell OP to get a 128gb 6+? No. A 64gb SE is not the latest and greatest.
It's not far from it really in the sense of speed, power, ability, although not in price. Certainly would be pricier than a 32 GB 5s and likely a 16 GB 6 too. Can't really see how providing a 5s would somehow be not taking care of someone.
 
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If you get her the iPhone 6 make sure you get her a good case for it. I think it's the most fragile iPhone ever made. If you can squeeze enough for even a nice used 6s you'd be better off.
 
You're right. Our definitions vary. It's 2016, $500 is not as much money as it used to be in your day. Also, a phone being an item you usually buy once and use for years, it's OK to spend a little more to get something she will enjoy for YEARS.

In OP's case it's €599 for 64GB SE & €499 for 16GB SE, that's a lot for a phone (spacial when most kids dont care much...) no matter how you look on it.
Also "a phone being an item you usually buy once and use for years", if you look around here - many people switching phones every single year...
 
You're right. Our definitions vary. It's 2016, $500 is not as much money as it used to be in your day. Also, a phone being an item you usually buy once and use for years, it's OK to spend a little more to get something she will enjoy for YEARS.
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Did I tell OP to get a 128gb 6+? No. A 64gb SE is not the latest and greatest.

$500 is a fair chunk of money (more outside the US) by most standards.
 
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