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For my kid: iPhone 5 hand-me-down or iPod Touch 5th gen?

For my kid: iPhone 5 hand-me-down or iPod Touch 5th gen?

  • iPhone 5 hand-me-down 64 GB

    Votes: 21 55.3%

  • iPod Touch (5th gen) 64 GB

    Votes: 17 44.7%
  • Total voters
    38
dmk1974

dmk1974

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 16, 2008
2,491
540
***Important note: my son will NOT be using the device as a phone, just over WiFi***

When the iPhone 5S comes out, I'll upgrade to it from my current 64 GB iPhone 5.

I was wondering, what would be better for my 10-year old?
My hand-me-down iPhone 5 64 GB
or
iPod Touch 64 GB (5th gen)

Per the Apple website, they have the refurb iPod Touch for $329. If that is close to what I might fetch by selling my iPhone 5, I was thinking I'd just pass him the iPhone 5. Unless you think I'd get quite a bit more for the iPhone 5.

iPod Touch is thinner, but I think the iPhone 5 is faster. Screens are the same. Anyhow, just wanted to get your folks take on my potential upgrade/recycle path...sell my iPhone 5 and get him this iPod or just pass him the iPod. Thanks!
 
I would just give him the iPhone and keep it simple. My daughter has the iPhone touch and while its thinner that's about the only thing "better." It's in a otter box which is a great feel for me. Wish the iPhone case was the same. But for a kid I would go with what is easiest for you. Clear money isn't the biggest deal to the kid wouldn't be getting either. Oh other than having a fresh battery of you sell the iPhone and buy a touch. That would be the only thing that would make me consider going new for the kiddo.
 
Simple solution. If you're on att unlock the phone for $1.99 on swiftunlocks.com. Restore your phone in iTunes and sell for well over $500. Use that money to buy iPod touch 5th gen!
 
tworth23 said:
Simple solution. If you're on att unlock the phone for $1.99 on swiftunlocks.com. Restore your phone in iTunes and sell for well over $500. Use that money to buy iPod touch 5th gen!
Click to expand...

Is unlocking still legal? My iPhone is in fact on AT&T and I bought it on launch day in September 2012. But the button had a problem and the Apple Genius Bar replaced it in March 2013.
 
IPhone 5 and activate tracking so you know where your kid is. While you're at it, put on the parental protection and also monitor your kid's activity. There was also a pre-specified children's 16 rule list for having an iPhone that I would read to the kid. At least, this is what I would do as a parent.
 
dmk1974 said:
Is unlocking still legal? My iPhone is in fact on AT&T and I bought it on launch day in September 2012. But the button had a problem and the Apple Genius Bar replaced it in March 2013.
Click to expand...

I believe you can get AT&T to unlock it for you, that would be your best bet if you want to sell it. But I'm thinking it may not be worth the hassle and would be better to just give it to your kid with no sim in it to use as a touch.
 
dmk1974 said:
Is unlocking still legal? My iPhone is in fact on AT&T and I bought it on launch day in September 2012. But the button had a problem and the Apple Genius Bar replaced it in March 2013.
Click to expand...

It's still legal to unlock any phone that was manufactured before January 26th, 2013.

However, almost all of the unlock offers on eBay and such will still unlock newer phones because they have a disclaimer saying it's your responsibility to determine when it was manufactured before buying and giving them your imei.
 
does he need 64 gb? its quite a lot, just thinking u could sell ur iphone 5 , and get a refurb ipod touch (being even cheaper after a possible refresh) at 32 gb or 16, saving quite a bit of money.
 
Last edited:
Yeah just unlock the iPhone for $2 and sell it for over $500. Then buy him the iPod touch.

If you don't care about money then just give him the iPhone.
 
dmk1974 said:
Is unlocking still legal?
Click to expand...

If the carrier does it, yes it is legal.

Anyone else is grey to nope.

Since you would be updating your phone at least in theory you paid off your contract by not getting that amount in subsidy for the next iphone and thus the carrier should be willing to do it
 
Sell the iPhone, get a new iPod with a fresh battery (which is the device better suited for his uses anyway), and pocket some cash. Personally I would probably go with a 32 GB, can't see a reason a 10 year old needs 64 GB, but you may see differently.

Everyone wins.
 
My 12 year old currently has a gen 4 iPod touch. I have an iPhone 5 and wife the 4s ... I will be getting the 5S ... Wife my 5 and daughter the 4S and I guess my 6 year old will get an iPod touch!
 
My 12 year old has a 16GB 4S, the 13 year old has a 32GB 5, I have a 64GB 5, and wife has a 32GB 4S. I'll grab a 5S once it comes out and my 5 will go to my wife. We basically play phone merry-go-round with the upgrades through AT&T.
 
I may just have to see what the going price is for my iPhone 5 once the 5S comes out. If I can get ~$450 or so for it, then I'd likely be better off selling it and then getting him the iPod Touch.

I also failed to mention that I do have AppleCare+ on it so the coverage is until Sept 2014 (both good for a potential buyer...or my son I suppose in case he drops it).
 
OP any chance of him having it long enough to where you want him to have a phone and can then just activate it? He can certainly iMessage and Facetime with an iPod, but is there value in him being able to make an emergency call?

My kids are going to be old enough soon for me to face the same decisions. A co-worker gave his 11 year old an iPhone and the first week the cable service went out at their house (no wifi) and the kid blew through over half of their family shared data. Wheeeeeeee!
 
PNutts said:
OP any chance of him having it long enough to where you want him to have a phone and can then just activate it? He can certainly iMessage and Facetime with an iPod, but is there value in him being able to make an emergency call?
Click to expand...

I have a "dumb-phone" that he can use in the very rare instances that he is out at a birthday party or something. It's just a $10/mo add-on to my family plan. From what I understand, there is no way to add any vintage of iPhone to your plan and not have them automatically add the data plan. At his age and for his needs, a data plan is not needed.

And as you also pointed out, he'd probably run well over the data limit as well. I wish they let you add an out-of-contract phone without the data plan so it's just one device and then WiFi can be used. For now, it's dumb-phone + iPod/iPhone on WiFi.
 
e²Studios said:
My 12 year old has a 16GB 4S, the 13 year old has a 32GB 5, I have a 64GB 5, and wife has a 32GB 4S. I'll grab a 5S once it comes out and my 5 will go to my wife. We basically play phone merry-go-round with the upgrades through AT&T.
Click to expand...

I wish I was that that 12 or 13 year old :p
 
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