iPod touch iPod Touch or iPhone 5 for daughter?

[dmk1974]

I do not yet have my daughter with a smartphone on my AT&T plan (she has a "dumb phone") and am thinking of flexibility if I decide to add her on.

EDIT: She's 10 1/2 going on 21

Disregarding the cell plan monthly fee, if I had her use one of the two devices below for the time being (via WiFi), which is a better choice?

A.) iPod Touch 5th gen 32 GB

B.) iPhone 5 16 GB

Kinda a trade-off of speed vs storage. Plus the additional potential phone capability of the iPhone of course. I can get the iPod new for $219 from Apple Refurb site and the iPhone (used for 7 months and in mint condition) for $250. Thanks!

 

[Techwriter]

I have both and would not want to be without my iPhone 5. It's simply not a contest.

I was using the iPod Touch 5 and a dumb phone for several years but the hassle of carrying two separate devices, along with all the apps I couldn't use when WiFi wasn't easily available, became too much of a disadvantage. I can now carry just the iPhone.

You're right. She will definitely need to manage her storage more carefully with 16GB.

However, the benefits of owning an iPhone largely outweigh the storage issue and minor initial cost difference if you're discounting the cell plan fees.

Get her the iPhone if you're debating. I doubt you'll regret it.

 

[rui no onna]

Kinda a trade-off of speed vs storage. Plus the additional potential phone capability of the iPhone of course. I can get the iPod new for $219 from Apple Refurb site and the iPhone (used for 7 months and in mint condition) for $250. Thanks!

Given the minor price difference, I'd definitely go for the iPhone 5.

 

[Aspasia]

How old is your daughter?

 

[dmk1974]

How old is your daughter?

She's 10 1/2 going on 21

She's well versed with the tech and so on (computers, game systems, tablets, Mindstorms). Figure it won't be too long until I'm paying for a smart phone for her anyway.

 

[Shift Option K]

iPhone can not activate without a SIM and they're expensive off plan. Besides, they're discontiuned and impossible to get unlocked, so an iPod Touch is the best choice. Later on, you can upgrade her to a 5c when she's ready for phone.

 

[Jessica Lares]

Get her the iPod Touch. She won't need the iPhone until she's 12 or 13 and in middle school. At that point, the 5 will be three generations behind and on the way out. And even with good care, it doesn't mean that the hardware won't break. They are not future proof.

 

[mofunk]

Buy her the iPod and when you upgrade your iPhone give her the old one. Too many kids are on iPhones. imo its more of a distraction. Yes she has a phone already to make calls. Atleast the iPod is more reliant on wifi vs the iPhone that's not.

 

[iamvogue]

I do not yet have my daughter with a smartphone on my AT&T plan (she has a "dumb phone") and am thinking of flexibility if I decide to add her on.

Disregarding the cell plan monthly fee, if I had her use one of the two devices below for the time being (via WiFi), which is a better choice?

A.) iPod Touch 5th gen 32 GB

B.) iPhone 5 16 GB

Kinda a trade-off of speed vs storage. Plus the additional potential phone capability of the iPhone of course. I can get the iPod new for $219 from Apple Refurb site and the iPhone (used for 7 months and in mint condition) for $250. Thanks!

Personally I would actually ask you to go for the iPhone instead. It's true that the iPhone has no much big difference compared to the iPod, the only downside is that it cannot make calls and you cannot use a simcard with it. If she's old enough to take care of her stuffs, why not just get her an iPhone And if you get her an iPod, she gotta need to take her 'dumb phone' and iPod out together which is more of an hassle when you can get the iPhone that can do both things, you know what I mean?

 

[gpspad]

Going through this with my sisters kids. Have my sister get an iphone; and her two kids ipod touches vs an expensive monthly data plan and their own phones.

Setup with their own apple id's they can face time voice call and txt her when they have wireless w/o a monthly charge. But they do like taking pictures, so would need the minimum of a $200 32gig ipod touch 5th gen.

It would be ~$400 for two years or so of phone use.

 

[DFZD]

It's funny you didn't even think about posting her age. Anyway I think if she's content with an iPod touch, that's good enough.

 

[davydavy]

Hi ... have you considered an iPad Mini? For the same price as the Touch I got a first-gen 16GB iPad Mini for my daughter (age 10) and she just loves it! She says it's WAY better than an iPod Touch!

 

[dmk1974]

Another option that I am trying with her at the moment, since we just switched from AT&T to T-Mobile, is to have her use the cheapie $50 Alcatel android phone I got her in addition to the iPod Touch. Still two devices, and the iPod way better of course, but but may be a decent choice since her in-house usage is much greater than out-of-the-house.

I've even looked into trying to find a cheap unlocked 3G or 3GS, but those may suck more than the $50 android and may even cost a little more. At that point, then I may get her an unlocked iPhone 5.

 

[Firearm2112]

I personally think 10 years old is way to young to have any phone, but your the parent. Your call.

 

[rui no onna]

I personally think 10 years old is way to young to have any phone, but your the parent. Your call.

That depends on what the phone is used for. My niece has had a phone for calling mom or her grandparents to pick her up by the time she was old enough for school. It's just a basic phone on prepaid service, though.

 

[Robster3]

She's 10 1/2 going on 21

She's well versed with the tech and so on (computers, game systems, tablets, Mindstorms). Figure it won't be too long until I'm paying for a smart phone for her anyway.

I have one of those Her brother didn't get a iPhone 5, my old one till he was 15. She has a iPod touch and mini for FaceTime iMessage which works well with her friends. She uses her mothers phone if she needs to ring we only have mobiles. Sure she would have a iPhone but we don't let her go anywhere without us or a parent with a phone, so no need yet.
If i was getting her one now it would be a 5c.

These threads pop up every few weeks you are going to cop the too young for a phone goofs, every family is different.
Our kids school has a no phone policy they are supposed to hand them in at the office which no one does. Both my kids are at the same high school get the same bus and my son takes his phone so we don't see it necessary for our 11 year old daughter to have one.

 

[$M.H$]

I do not yet have my daughter with a smartphone on my AT&T plan (she has a "dumb phone") and am thinking of flexibility if I decide to add her on.

EDIT: She's 10 1/2 going on 21

Disregarding the cell plan monthly fee, if I had her use one of the two devices below for the time being (via WiFi), which is a better choice?

A.) iPod Touch 5th gen 32 GB

B.) iPhone 5 16 GB

Kinda a trade-off of speed vs storage. Plus the additional potential phone capability of the iPhone of course. I can get the iPod new for $219 from Apple Refurb site and the iPhone (used for 7 months and in mint condition) for $250. Thanks!

-----------------------------
iPhone 5 [16GB] is better
She is 21 ,, she needs a PHONE

 

[gpspad]

The kicker will be your data plan.....

When I ended up going with boost mobile, I needed a spread sheet to see what the monthly plan really added to the initial cost of the phone. I was deciding between a reasonable Verizon phone and a really expensive Boost phone. The $100+ monthly Verizon fee made the boost phone seem cheap over two years. Virgin Mobile may be better for a 21 year old if adding her to your plan really jacks up your costs.

Don't forget to consider the monthly fee in all this, but a 21 year old needs a phone. With luck she will be within free wireless a lot.

 

[dmk1974]

Sorry if misunderstood, but she's only 10 1/2. She acts like she's going on 21.

We recently switched to T-Mobile so I currently have an extra "dumb" phone for her. It's only $10/mo (plus taxes) and includes 1 GB/mo data regardless of if it's a dumb phone or a smart phone.

 

[theapplefanboyj]

Why don't you get a cheap android phone to use for texting and the iPod Touch (upgrade her to the newest each year!). You can use the android phone as a hotspot for the iPod as well

 

[dmk1974]

Why don't you get a cheap android phone to use for texting and the iPod Touch (upgrade her to the newest each year!). You can use the android phone as a hotspot for the iPod as well

Funny you say that, it's actually the exact route my son chose instead. Got him a cheapie $50 Alcatel Android phone from Target to go along side his iPod Touch.

 

[theapplefanboyj]

I've been using the same set up till I got an iPhone OP in my opinion you should go this route if you don't want her to have an iPhone (hopefully you do )

 

[dmk1974]

I've been using the same set up till I got an iPhone OP in my opinion you should go this route if you don't want her to have an iPhone (hopefully you do )

Since price-wise, the combo of the $50 android + iPod Touch is about the same as the used iPhone 5, I'd just assume she use an iPhone. Even if I were to cancel the phone line at some point, the iPhone 5 is faster and more valuable.

 

[gpspad]

The iOS devices clearly have the advantage of clean I-messaging and face time to wireless only devices.

Is there any third party apps out there that allow free communications across android, iOS, and PC via txt and voice calls?

 

[Pheebers]

I'm wondering what you decided, and/or if you asked your daughter her opinion? I have twin daughters (age 16 now) and they had very different wants, even years ago. A lot had to do with their activities, what their peers had, etc, etc.

To people who think the poster's daughter is too young -- different circumstances call for different things. In many areas of the country (I've heard the coasts, mostly) most middle schoolers have iPhones. In more rural areas it's less common.