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Kids and Iphones (no offense to the younger folks)

T

TheFam

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2008
53
0
First off, let me say that I'm not totally shallow, wanting to buy phones only for their aesthetic appeal and status. I am getting one for the progressive technical aspects of the Iphone 3G, and being that I'm about to graduate college, will need most of its features...:)


With that being said, I wanted to ask the semi-older crowd (20+) if the Iphone 3G will lose some of its appeal with you, being that the 199/299 price will draw the younger crowd (ALOT, NOT ALL) that thinks having the Iphone makes you cool, so to speak. They don't know crap about the device and its features, they just know it has a touchscreen and its a cool device. Does this devalue the Iphone in your eyes, not wanting to be associated in your graduate school classes or business meetings as having a "kiddie phone"?


Again, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE YOUNGER PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY USE THINGS FOR THEIR FUNCTIONALITY. Only those that buy things for the cool factor ALONE.
 
A phone period does not define who am I so with that said, if they wanna cop an iPhone then let them. It doesn't affect me in any sort.
 
The more people have the iphone the better IMO. I'm sick of being the only one around here with one!

It's the older people in general that don't know about functionality.. younger ones are all over it pushing buttons and trying new stuff out. They'll be onto things like AIM in a flash.
 
Well.....

I am a 16 year old, that is just about to enter the 11th grade. Although I'm 16, I buy technology for the function and "power" the piece of technology has. I am a "techno-geek" and buy technology for their function, and a small percentage of what they look like. I research every piece of technology and find out what it possesses before I buy it. I know what many acronyms mean. I know their functions and how to use them on my first try. So I don't really know what you are trying to say about young people only buy it to look "cool," because I am a young person that knows all this information. Please, don't repeat to me that you said," no offense to the younger crowd," because I did read that part.
 
well get ready because everybody and their mother and her mother, too, will be walking around with one. The elementary schools will be full of 'em.
 
crazychris3992 said:
Well.....

I am a 16 year old, that is just about to enter the 11th grade. Although I'm 16, I buy technology for the function and "power" the piece of technology has. I am a "techno-geek" and buy technology for their function, and a small percentage of what they look like. I research every piece of technology and find out what it possesses before I buy it. I know what many acronyms mean. I know their functions and how to use them on my first try. So I don't really know what you are trying to say about young people only buy it to look "cool," because I am a young person that knows all this information. Please, don't repeat to me that you said," no offense to the younger crowd," because I did read that part.
Click to expand...


Completely understood, thats why I said not all of the younger crowd is like that. Props to you though.
 
jecapaga said:
well get ready because everybody and their mother and her mother, too, will be walking around with one. The elementary schools will be full of 'em.
Click to expand...

not so sure about that...the monthly fees are gonna scare away alot of the parents that would need to buy it.
 
A lot of people (mostly BB users) called the original iPhone a kiddie phone. If the user is happy with it, why should he/she care what other people think of it? I think you are old enough to handle peer pressure...
 
yes, the monthly fee scared my dad away. :( He was so close to letting me get one, too.
I am 15, but I researched the iPhone and I know everything it can do. I don't want it just to look 'cool'. I want it becuase it is THE BEST phone out there.
 
14 and getting an iPhone on the 11th.:D I too have researched every feature and have wanted one not only because it's cool, but because it is functional and has so many easy to use and technologically advanced features. I do agree with you that many younger people just want it cause "it's like, kool and stuff" without knowing anyhting about. So no offense taken. :)
 
No, it doesn't bother me. I do miss the days of having a 500 mhz iBook G3 at college and in airports and it being so unique and showing people how I could edit digital movies on it and wow them with the Ken Burns screensavers.......because now everybody has a MacBook! When I graduated high school was when I first bought a laptop and it was kind of a prestigious feeling thing. It wasn't something everyone had. There was only one guy in my high school who had a laptop and it was a PowerBook G3 and there was some mad jealousy over that.

So I guess ubiquity does make Apple products feel a little less special at times, but for me at least, it's not due to age. Just that they're everywhere. The iPhone has been more like the MacBook Air though in that I haven't seen it everywhere. Seems like that may be changing, but I still think you won't see them as commonly as you see iPods and MacBooks. An iPhone still requires about a $2,000 commitment over two years plus credit checks etc.

And honey you don't "NEED" all the features of the newest iPhone, you WANT them ;)
 
Doesn't bother me. As cheap as the iphone is, I still think it wont be as hot as people think it will be. Kids will argue to the their parents about the cheap cost, but when the parents find out about the new plans plus the additional $$$ they have to shell out for the text messages [which are a must teenagers] they'll put their foot down. Also I look at this way:

No MMS
No Video Recording

Two things that teenagers are addicted to. If you got the money and the credit to buy, start, and maintain a contract with the iphone, props and the more power to you.

For those powered by mom and dad. Well....
 
I'm 21, and I was at a party last weekend playing beer pong. The kid I was playing against was a year younger than me, is employed at Abercrombie & Fitch, and owns both a Mercedes Benz and an iPhone (guess who bought it). I don't know how the conversation got brought up, but he started making fun of the new iPhone 3G; saying that it was only going to be 3 GIGABYTES and some other nonsense. I instantly began to berate his ignorance; telling him that 3G is actually the third generation of mobile phone technology, and it's network will run twice as fast as the "2G" iPhone he is holding. Of course he didn't want to accept his idiocy and continued to deny that.

Then I have a girl who works with me, and thought that she would be able to install any software or hardware updates when a new iPhone comes out.

Those are the kind of people I would rather not be lumped in with.

However, I do agree that this phone might be less appealing to these types, because a decent plan is going to cost around $100 (with tax)/month unless you can get a discount.
 
I am a 25 year old grad. student and while I don't have iPhone I have the Touch and I try to hide it from the view of everyone around me, I imagine I'll do the same with the iPhone 3G after I get it. I'm not ashamed of having the technology, but I work with a lot of windows people so having Apple stuff draws a lot of attention, questions and possibly theft so I prefer to lay low. I really don't care who else has one.
 
I'm a high school teacher and also a mom of two teens, and I feel that a huge percentage of the teens who will be getting the iPhone are doing it for the functionality, not just the cool factor. The fact some of my students and my kids' friends will have the same phone as me does not bother me. It doesn't bother me that I have the exact same iPod as my son, you know? ;)
 
impact_blue said:
...
No MMS
No Video Recording

Two things that teenagers are addicted to...
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that. I have received probably five MMS in my life, sent only one. Most of my friends never use MMS or video recording. Just the people who record their friends drunk are the only ones I know... haha.

EDIT: Addicted to texting is right, though. Pretty much everyone I know texts often. I'm 19, by the way.
 
crazychris3992 said:
Well.....

I am a 16 year old, that is just about to enter the 11th grade. Although I'm 16, I buy technology for the function and "power" the piece of technology has. I am a "techno-geek" and buy technology for their function, and a small percentage of what they look like. I research every piece of technology and find out what it possesses before I buy it. I know what many acronyms mean. I know their functions and how to use them on my first try. So I don't really know what you are trying to say about young people only buy it to look "cool," because I am a young person that knows all this information. Please, don't repeat to me that you said," no offense to the younger crowd," because I did read that part.
Click to expand...

oh, and I forgot to add.

The best, but worst part about me being 16 and with an iPhone, is that I pay my own bill. Not my parents, but me. I work and get paid just like everyone else and I pay my phone bill. (with my moms checking account of course)
 
Maturity, rather than age, should define your judgements. I'm sure there will be those within the 27 - 40 crowd who will also feel that having an iPhone makes them feel cool among their coworkers/friends. The show off factor is not limited to the age of the owner.

That said, there will undoubtably be those who feel that a certain person "does not deserve" an iPhone. In the end, our own opinions will not change the average age of an iPhone owner.

I am an 18 year old student who will be attending college this fall. I plan on purchasing the upcoming 3G iPhone. I will be buying it for its features, but will not deny the fact that it will get attention among friends. Will I show it off? No. Will I have a mature conversation about its abilities (as opposed to "omg touchscreen, etc)? Yes.
 
Doesn't impact my view of the phone at all.

As a high school teacher, I've confiscated more than my share of iPhones. You can imagine how happy some parents were when their kid's phone was confiscated. Though the kids were usually the target of their unhappiness.
 
I have never understood when people won't buy something because everybody else has one. I buy what I like period. If I am the only person with it, or 10 million people already have it, who cares.
 
Sure, I can see a lot of parents being perfectly happy to fork out £35 a month for their kids' phone bill.

Or not.
 
TheFam said:
First off, let me say that I'm not totally shallow, wanting to buy phones only for their aesthetic appeal and status. I am getting one for the progressive technical aspects of the Iphone 3G, and being that I'm about to graduate college, will need most of its features...:)


With that being said, I wanted to ask the semi-older crowd (20+) if the Iphone 3G will lose some of its appeal with you, being that the 199/299 price will draw the younger crowd (most, not all) that thinks having the Iphone makes you cool, so to speak. They don't know crap about the device and its features, they just know it has a touchscreen and its a cool device. Does this devalue the Iphone in your eyes, not wanting to be associated in your graduate school classes or business meetings as having a "kiddie phone"?


Again, no offense to the younger folks that actually buy things for their functionality.......
Click to expand...

:cool: I think everyone (young & old) wants one because it looks cool.
Even though the 1st gen looks cooler... :D
 
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