I am totally against my son having an iPhone until the teenage, sweet, straight A student in our neighborhood showed me the Dictionary and Thesaurus apps - also there are some really great research tools she said she will show him how to use for writing papers.

Do not tell me he can just use the physical dictionary and thesaurus like we did as kids - I don't even do that.

I would not get an iPhone to be cool but I am almost sold. He does not have his own computer.

Also the DSi cost almost the same and his little brother has that.

I am waivering. Have not made the final decision. Still researching.

PP again. I meant to add, OP, that we have ATT just because that is what I bought before Verizon was available, and I added my kids to my plan (DH's is a business write off, I think). I started out with the minimum data plan, but they kept exceeding it because of dowloading videos, so I bumped up to the standard plan. You might not need that if you disable the internet and just use the phone for texting, email, apps, and music (which is what I probably should have done, but that train has already left the station!).

Anonymous wrote:My kid has an iphone. When the iphone 5 comes out, he will get the upgrade. He is in high school, 4+ weighted GPA, 4 AP's this year. If a phone makes him happy, I say let him have the phone. Work hard, play hard. Don't work hard, don't get diddly crap.

I also have two 4+ GPA high schoolers who got Iphones at 15. They spend a LOT of time on their phones surfing the internet -- mostly listening to music and looking at websites and youtube for current events and sports and other things that interest them (I do check the history). It relaxes them on the long car rides to and from school. One has also downloaded some books (we don't have e-readers). I am not thrilled about their attachment to the phones and sometimes take it away when I am mad at them. They rarely text (they are boys) but do communicate with friends through Facebook on their phones. As for the expense ... DH and I both have Iphones, and when I told my kids they didn't "need" such an expensive phone, they pointed out that we don't "need" a big house, private school, nice vacations, and other luxuries to which we able to treat our family. Viewed in that context, the phones don't seem like that big a deal to me, and certainly not relative to the amount of pleasure they get from them. I agree that if they were not doing what is expected of them in school or at home, I would probably come to a different conclusion, and if texting became a distraction, we would put the phones away.

16 y/o daughter has the "LG Optimus V Smartphone w/Android2.2" from Virgin Mobile. I pay $37.50 for unlimited talk, text and web. She's pretty forgetful and loses things (she's lost 3 iPods.), so she won't be getting an iPhone.

My 12 y/o daughter is on our family plan through T-Mobile. She has the Samsung Gravity T - Steel, but she's not allowed on the web. She mainly uses the phone for texts...she rarely uses her minutes.

I have a younger child at this point but I am going with the work hard play hard scenario like PP. That's what my parents did, if I kept up my grades I could get perks like this.

For those whose kids have iphones, what carrier do you use and what do you recommend in terms of the data package? Thanks in advance.

Anonymous wrote:

I look at it from another angle. IPhones are easy targets. They are more easily "lost", "stolen", etc. I guess I don't see why a child needs a fancier phone than one I had last year. (Or even have NOW.) I think it's begging for trouble. I also think the "because everyone else does and DS wants to look cool" is perhaps THE SINGLE MOST DANGEROUS argument and if that's your yardstick for doing anythig you're in for a world of hurt in more ways than you can count.

Yeesh, dial back the drama. It's a phone. We get it. You don't want your kids to have better gear than you.

I don't think the PP quoted is being unreasonably dramatic. Theft and muggings are a real problem where I live. A guy was shot in front of my neigbor's house a few years ago. We don't flash our cash or gear where we live out of concern for our safety.

I look at it from another angle. IPhones are easy targets. They are more easily "lost", "stolen", etc. I guess I don't see why a child needs a fancier phone than one I had last year. (Or even have NOW.) I think it's begging for trouble. I also think the "because everyone else does and DS wants to look cool" is perhaps THE SINGLE MOST DANGEROUS argument and if that's your yardstick for doing anythig you're in for a world of hurt in more ways than you can count.

Yeesh, dial back the drama. It's a phone. We get it. You don't want your kids to have better gear than you.

Frankly if you are in HS texting is a primary means of communication with friends. They don't talk on the phone. They do use facebook chat. I think what is appropriate for a young teen and a HS age teen can be very different.

Yep. My kids almost never talk. But they text constantly.

Our oldest four have iphones. Our youngest has a regular cell phone with a keyboard for texting. I have two in college, two in high school, and one in elementary (3rd grade).

13 yo has a QWERTY keyboard phone with talk and text. Not basic, but not a smartphone either. He will not be getting an iPhone or Droid or any smartphone for that matter until he pays for it himself. It is completely unnecessary and if I manage just fine without a smartphone, I imagine he can as well.

Frankly if you are in HS texting is a primary means of communication with friends. They don't talk on the phone. They do use facebook chat. I think what is approriate for a young teen and a HS age teen can be very different.