What would be the best and cheapest iPhone i could get for my dad that doesn't really know anything about the web? He is already using an iPad thats why i want to get an iphone so he isn't gonna have a big learning curve (he already has an Android phone)... unless there's something else around.
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Other the best iphone for aged people
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Apple refurbished iPhone 7 Plus. The bigger display will be useful for those with reduced vision.
Hard to give any of the iPhones a terrible rap where usefulness is concerned. But the important thing will be whether your father can adapt to the iPhone easily and not lose anything he has/had on the Android.
I went through this recently when I bought a new iPhone, I put my Mother In law in the iPhone 6 I was replacing. She's always felt like she was a lesser person since she wasn't;t one of the cool kids with the iPhone products... She's all about "aires" and wants everyone to think she is cool... Weird for an 80 year old woman huh?. She WANTED an iPhone so bad she could taste it but no matter what she has there will always be something she hates about it... so I put the iPhone 6 in her hands and told her to try using it around the house as a mini tablet for a few weeks, and see if she thinks she'd like to have it as her daily use phone. She all but ignored it until I told her she didn't;t have to use it, no one will have their feelings hurt if she doesn't like it... within a few hours she decided she would become an iPhone user, and we got a SIM card for it that matched her plan and set it up for her. She only complains about reception in remote areas (where her other daughter and youngest son live the reception is CRAP on the ATT towers, and marginally better on Verizon towers...) so that gave her something to complain about. After their first trip to the Son's house, She came home bitchin' about the reception and I told her we'd be glad to swap it back to her old (6 year old used android) phone... upon which she started back pedaling to avoid losing her affluenza with the Apple product. I also offered to help her find a Verizon version of the phone but she'd have to buy it and I'd help her set it up... when we started looking at prices she quickly learned she had a 700 dollar phone (when new, as I always buy phones with extra capacity as well) and she'd be glad to live with it's shortcomings since she only visits her son's area a few times a year... At home (living with us) she has fine reception and never misses a call or has a dropped call. I also gave her a Mophie Batter case for it that gives her ALL DAY talk capacity and she probably talks more than 3 hours a day or more to her children and siblings. I paid 29 bucks for that on a deal a day website.
She now actually uses the camera in the iPhone, where previously she had a hard time working out the process for photo capture and saving them to her files/photo albums and the concept of having a digital photo album at all. The iPhone Photo system is very friendly and she has it mastered in just a couple of months. I bought my new iPhone in November so she was connected about Christmas time and all is well.
So... That's the long. The short is... If he's good with it... go for it. If he's not... go with a good replacement Android if he already knows the systems and uses them all. If he's not even using any of the features... it really doesn't;t matter and the cheapest iPhones out there are now 5 and 5c and 5S and of course the 6 and 6+ . None of them are what I call cheap for a phone I am not using... for a gift it's pricey, but I loved my normal iPhone 6 and am loving the new phone (iPhone 8) as well... MIL may end up getting a new phone this year when my wife gets a new iPhone around Christmas. Like we always do every 3 years now... so The Bitchy old woman can get an upgrade for the price of a sim card (99c) and a few minutes of processing the phone to set it up. Then the 6 can go to a Grand Kid if they're interested.
I went through this recently when I bought a new iPhone, I put my Mother In law in the iPhone 6 I was replacing. She's always felt like she was a lesser person since she wasn't;t one of the cool kids with the iPhone products... She's all about "aires" and wants everyone to think she is cool... Weird for an 80 year old woman huh?. She WANTED an iPhone so bad she could taste it but no matter what she has there will always be something she hates about it... so I put the iPhone 6 in her hands and told her to try using it around the house as a mini tablet for a few weeks, and see if she thinks she'd like to have it as her daily use phone. She all but ignored it until I told her she didn't;t have to use it, no one will have their feelings hurt if she doesn't like it... within a few hours she decided she would become an iPhone user, and we got a SIM card for it that matched her plan and set it up for her. She only complains about reception in remote areas (where her other daughter and youngest son live the reception is CRAP on the ATT towers, and marginally better on Verizon towers...) so that gave her something to complain about. After their first trip to the Son's house, She came home bitchin' about the reception and I told her we'd be glad to swap it back to her old (6 year old used android) phone... upon which she started back pedaling to avoid losing her affluenza with the Apple product. I also offered to help her find a Verizon version of the phone but she'd have to buy it and I'd help her set it up... when we started looking at prices she quickly learned she had a 700 dollar phone (when new, as I always buy phones with extra capacity as well) and she'd be glad to live with it's shortcomings since she only visits her son's area a few times a year... At home (living with us) she has fine reception and never misses a call or has a dropped call. I also gave her a Mophie Batter case for it that gives her ALL DAY talk capacity and she probably talks more than 3 hours a day or more to her children and siblings. I paid 29 bucks for that on a deal a day website.
She now actually uses the camera in the iPhone, where previously she had a hard time working out the process for photo capture and saving them to her files/photo albums and the concept of having a digital photo album at all. The iPhone Photo system is very friendly and she has it mastered in just a couple of months. I bought my new iPhone in November so she was connected about Christmas time and all is well.
So... That's the long. The short is... If he's good with it... go for it. If he's not... go with a good replacement Android if he already knows the systems and uses them all. If he's not even using any of the features... it really doesn't;t matter and the cheapest iPhones out there are now 5 and 5c and 5S and of course the 6 and 6+ . None of them are what I call cheap for a phone I am not using... for a gift it's pricey, but I loved my normal iPhone 6 and am loving the new phone (iPhone 8) as well... MIL may end up getting a new phone this year when my wife gets a new iPhone around Christmas. Like we always do every 3 years now... so The Bitchy old woman can get an upgrade for the price of a sim card (99c) and a few minutes of processing the phone to set it up. Then the 6 can go to a Grand Kid if they're interested.
Especially with zoomed view turned on and the font increased.
My 94 year old relative (who also uses an iPad) has an Apple 7Plus, a hand-me-down. The larger size is a real benefit for aging eyes. He also really likes the fact that he can navigate both in exactly the same way. So if his iPad is in another room charging, he can get iMessages on his phone and vice versa. His 86 year old girlfriend, a lovely lady who is an artist, gets his hand-me-down phones and iPad. She uses both her iPad and phone a great deal as she is always taking photos to paint. Both phone plans are $15/month ea. + taxes on the family plan, which I think is a good deal.
If your Dad just wants a phone....a pure and simple phone......then there are options like Jitterbug which I tried for my family in the early days of cell phones. It ended up costing me more for the phone and basic plan than the used iPhones did added onto my plan.
IMO, it is easier to keep the phone and iPad with the same software and on my plan. Since I live quite a distance away, it is also easier for me to troubleshoot/provide instructions/answer questions for them on the same platform.....and less confusing for them.
Just as an example, my Dad called yesterday and said that GF was having a problem.......some words would come up on the screen when someone was trying to call her. She wasn't sure if the caller was sending something or what was causing it. Well, of course, it was the text message option. She was holding up the phone (smaller size) to see caller ID with her left hand; her hand was wrapped around the phone; and she was accidentally hitting "message" sometimes where her middle finger wraps around when she answered....:0)) I had to teach them both how to use the option or just cancel
. You have to admire folks that age that are still enjoying new technology and still learning.
My 75 year old Aunty is grabbing an SE on Friday. She currently uses a moto E3 and finds it too big (she’s only tiny). The SE is the only small form factor phone I could find.
Of eye sight is an issue then a 6s+ or a 7+.
Of eye sight is an issue then a 6s+ or a 7+.
I'd agree with others who have said a 6S Plus or 7 Plus. The 4.7" models in the same families would probably be fine too. Really you just want a phone that offers a zoom mode for those whose eyesight is not the best. That's either a 4.7" or 5.5" model. The Plus size is obviously preferable due to the extra screen real-estate. But, your dad may not find the physical size of the phone comfortable to hold. If that's the case, grab the 4.7" instead. If money is not a serious constraint, I'd go for the 7, as the 6S is starting to get rather long in the tooth and will likely be discontinued in a few months. The 7 series will keep getting software updates for longer. Refurbished is a great way to save money if you go this route.
Did he say he wanted an iPhone? Does he have an issue with Android? If he didn't or doesn't I would just go with a big android phone no?
No he hasn't said that he want an iphone, i just believe that it will be easier for him to adapt to it since he is already using nan ipad. What freaks me out is that i will be paying a ton load of money to get him a phone that he will not use its extra high end characteristics whereas i could get him a cheap android phone.
My dad who is going to be 91 this May 22 has an Apple 7 iPhone and he likes it. He just increases the font size in order to see it better. It's a little annoying for me when I have to add something or fix something when he manage to mangle it up a little. However, for the most part I can go months without that happening and it when it does happen it's usually something trivial.
$599 for an Apple refurbished iPhone 7 Plus isn't a ton of money nor does it have high-end characteristics.
Pair it with a rugged case and you have device that will last the next 3 years.
My vote:
If he's an iPad user, you can't go wrong with any of the plus phones. The 7 Plus will be a less laggy experience so it will last longer. If you get him a Plus- gotta get him a Loopy case too. "Required equipment" for the plus phones. Simply awesome.
If he's an iPad user, you can't go wrong with any of the plus phones. The 7 Plus will be a less laggy experience so it will last longer. If you get him a Plus- gotta get him a Loopy case too. "Required equipment" for the plus phones. Simply awesome.
I dunno... 599 for a phone for someone who already has an iPad is pretty steep. Refurb 6 and 6S are pretty reasonable compared to that... But if you have the bucks, Just get an iPhone 8 or better still just get th X model... 600 ... 1000.... what's the difference right? I am sure the OP was asking for a good priced phone... I have seen 6 and 6S for 154-249 respectively... - try Woot.com for deals. It's an Amazon owned company, but pretty cool to work with
The X does not have the zoomed view that aging eyes might need.
I am not assuming anything about the end user as a few are... The OP never said anything about the Aged person needing a large screen or large font... but hey... If he needs it you guys have certainly offered up some great options. Sounds to me like the iPad he has will do for the big screen and large font items... They're looking for a phone to compliment it... Best deals are still on older phones and all are very capable phones as well. With no Age or disability requirements... I still say go cheaper if it works for you. If not and money is no object... Sky's the limit. I know If I asked for a good deal on a phone 599 wouldn't fall into my budget...
ZORAN - Fill us. In On Budget and Age and Possible specific needs so we can offer "best case" advice. Seems everyone has a different idea of "What would be the best and cheapest iPhone" for the situation. Still your call anyway, so all of these options offered are great input. I'm just curious what best fit your needs without knowing what those needs came down to.
ZORAN - Fill us. In On Budget and Age and Possible specific needs so we can offer "best case" advice. Seems everyone has a different idea of "What would be the best and cheapest iPhone" for the situation. Still your call anyway, so all of these options offered are great input. I'm just curious what best fit your needs without knowing what those needs came down to.
This kind of thinking needs to die. Non-tech people are the ones who benefit MOST from the nice ecosystem and user experience of Apple. They are the ones who NEED these kinds of devices to make it work for them. You might be able to deal with the crappiness and issues that come up with a cheap device, but he can't. If you want him to be successful in any way with new technology, pay the money for the product that is most positioned to do that.
I think the iPhone 7 is probably a good one to get. Still not too old and there's very little difference with the 8, except for the glass back that can easily break on the 8. You can still set the view mode, bold fonts, etc... on the 7.
As in no longer sold direct from Apple when they announce their new iPhones in Five months, but it still will see the iOS support. I would still opt for the iPhone 7 Plus with the A10 Fusion.
True. I gave my parents Android smartphones initially but it wasn't easy for them to use (granted, Froyo/Gingerbread era). They took to the iPhone much better. They even have their own iPads now.
Actually, being a tech person for over 40 years and being fed-up of all the problems with other devices, particularly cheap PCs and Windows, my personal equipment is completely Apple so I don't have to keep fiddling with things to make them work. I know "It just works" is a hackneyed phrase but it's true for me
I think the most important thing is to keep it simple. EXTREMELY simple. Set it up for him, moving ALL the apps out of the home screen except the phone, iMessage, and MAYBE email or camera or two or three at the most. Let him get used to a few things first, and then one by one give him an app that does what he's missing. Too much at once gets overwhelming, but if it's extremely simple, they get used to things quick because they are able to use them, and can more easily handle new features (apps) as you add them over time.
Don't even BEGIN to try to explain iCloud and syncing and stuff like that, at least not at first. Phone, iMessages, Camera, and FB Messenger and they will be THRILLED. After a week or so then add a little at a time.
Remember, features that would impress you are more likely to overwhelm them.
Don't even BEGIN to try to explain iCloud and syncing and stuff like that, at least not at first. Phone, iMessages, Camera, and FB Messenger and they will be THRILLED. After a week or so then add a little at a time.
Remember, features that would impress you are more likely to overwhelm them.