What would you do?

[plod]

My son's birthday in 8 days

Last year I bought him a stereo for his bedroom with an ipod dock on it just in case he got one

This year he wants an Ipod
His phone is playing up a bit also

I've got a budget of £100 max

I've already pre-ordered ages ago SSX for his Xbox 360 which is £38 so "would" leave me with £62 left to spend on him

I've got till tonight to cancel the pre-order from Amazon

My options are thus:

1. I can buy him the SSX, and have the option on a Iphone 3G for £60, but it's on O2 so would either need unlocking or an O2 sim to suit

2. I also have the option on a Iphone 3GS 8GB refurbished with new screen, new back, new front, new chrome bezel, new battery, new camera, new on button, new volume buttons for £120, so I now he's having cash off some people so could ask him for £20

3. I buy the SSX, and keep looking for an Ipod touch

Thing is, I've been looking and bidding recently and you can end up paying good money for an Ipod touch, so seems relatively small step to go up to a Iphone

He's 13 and I know there is a chance of him dropping it, so was going to suggest to him to invest in the same Otterbox case I use - my Iphone is 20months old, but take the cover off and aprt from couple of very minor pitts on the back, looks like new still

Personally i'm leaning towards option 2 and get him the refurbished Iphone, and maybe he can use some of the cash he's getting off others to buy the SSX himself

[lozz]

have you not seen the alternative iphones ?

got one a few months back , no diffence to to the real thing, under £50 off amazon,

[Welly]

I bought my 15 year old lad a second-hand guaranteed HP Lap Top for Christmas. It was £250.00 and I didn't have the money, I put it on the credit card.

This might sound crazy but he's been doing fantastically at school (A-stars, A's.......right the way through) he took a mock A-level in Maths as a example and passed it and his German and IT work is exemplary.

I'm so proud of the lad I just bought him the present and told him it was a fair reward for his work. He love's it and is extremely grateful. Best bit is he still gives me a hug on a regular basis and he's not your typical grumpy-arsed teenager.

Sometimes the cost is irrelevant, in the scheme of things.

[highlander]

have you not seen the alternative iphones ?

got one a few months back , no diffence to to the real thing, under £50 off amazon,

I'd be exceedingly wary of these. Do they actually run Apple's iOS, or is it a fake look-alike based on something like Android or Symbian, just running a customized GUI? Do you get access to the apps on the Apple Store? How about iTunes compatibility?

If it's not real Apple iOS, and/or the connector on the bottom of the phone isn't a real Apple dock connector, then it almost certainly won't work with the speaker dock he got on his stereo last year. If there's no access to the Apple Store or iTunes, then it's not really of very much use.

I'd go for option 2, personally - get a refurbed iPhone 3GS; they're a good handset, maybe not the latest & greatest, but definitely more than good enough for a 13-year-old.

My stepson turned 18 just last month (I'm only 14 years older than he is; his mother's 6 years older than I am) and we bought him an HP Pavilion G5 laptop to make his college/Uni life a bit easier.

[waue1978]

1. I can buy him the SSX, and have the option on a Iphone 3G for £60, but it's on O2 so would either need unlocking or an O2 sim to suit

To be honest Dave, I'm not a big fan of Iphones & smart phones in general, but the most sensible option that you've given I think is option 1. Don't know what network you guys are on at the mo, but I've been on 02 for years now & so is the Mrs. We put £15 a month credit on our pay-as-you-go "o2 unlimited" & pay nothing for our phone calls & texts to each other (it gives unlimited free calls & texts to o2 mobiles) & still have that £15 a month credit to use on anything else. Don't get internet though, but they only charge £1 a day for unlimited access.

[lozz]

have you not seen the alternative iphones ?

got one a few months back , no diffence to to the real thing, under £50 off amazon,

I'd be exceedingly wary of these. Do they actually run Apple's iOS, or is it a fake look-alike based on something like Android or Symbian, just running a customized GUI? Do you get access to the apps on the Apple Store? How about iTunes compatibility?

If it's not real Apple iOS, and/or the connector on the bottom of the phone isn't a real Apple dock connector, then it almost certainly won't work with the speaker dock he got on his stereo last year. If there's no access to the Apple Store or iTunes, then it's not really of very much use.

I'd go for option 2, personally - get a refurbed iPhone 3GS; they're a good handset, maybe not the latest & greatest, but definitely more than good enough for a 13-year-old.

My stepson turned 18 just last month (I'm only 14 years older than he is; his mother's 6 years older than I am) and we bought him an HP Pavilion G5 laptop to make his college/Uni life a bit easier.

no mate they dont go on the itunes ect,

wary ?
they do what every other normal phone does plays music etc
there ideal for kids ,but aspose many people dont mind paying £250 for them to come in and say theyve lost it can ihave another one ?

[highlander]

I never pay as much as that for smart phones - I go on a mobile phone contract and for a fixed monthly fee I get an ace shiny new phone with loads of internet access and a whole heap of free cross-network minutes and texts.

Then, when it's time to renew my contract, I get another ace shiny new phone, and I give my old one to my step-son. He's currently using the HTC Desire that I got on my last contract - really nice handset, still works brilliantly. Last year he was using the Blackberry Storm that I had a few years back. When we give him a "new" phone, we take his old phone and give it to one of my in-laws in Indonesia.

Some people I know will come off a contract, go on to a new contract, and then sell their old phone for a hundred quid or more on eBay.

Some contracts even give you free stuff like laptops, tablet PCs, PS3/Xbox360, etc. Brilliant!

[lozz]

Ive had contract phones before,
not worth the while for me,

Tbh, ihate phones but there ok in an Emergency,
imake around 3 calls amonth, so a contract is a waste, ijust top up when needed,

my last contract bill was £175, wife rang all her mates, aunts uncles etc etc, never again

[highlander]

my last contract bill was £175, wife rang all her mates, aunts uncles etc etc, never again

Youch

Sounds like you need a less chatty wife I heard Tesco Mobile will let you put a cap on your contract so you can have a maximum monthly expenditure. No idea how good Tesco Mobile's coverage is though.

[plod]

I looked and read what you've put without logging on earlier

I lost the option on the refurbished iphone for £120, plus I had an email to say the SSX had been dispatched already !

So, I went to have a butchers at the Iphone for £60 - back was well scuffed, and front has a couple of minor scratches but not very noticeable but appeared to work fine
Bought it, and called in at the local shop and bought an O2 PAYG sim card for 99p

Just updating now, and putting a few apps on it ready for him
Luckily for me, as he wanted Angry Birds, and i've already bought it for my phone, I get them free for his phone

[sirwiggum]

If its on O2, put a GiffGaff PAYG sim on it.
I can get you one for free.
Works out a bit cheaper, £10 a month for 250 mins, unlimited texts, unlimited internets.

[omega]

i would also buy him a case for it as it will hide the scratches an protect it a bit in daily use,also get a screen protecter our £1 shop sells them for a .............pound.

[lozz]

@ Plod.

ask if there doing Smartwater in your area:
we have marked all our kids phones with it, in the event of there phones being stolen, the police know who owns it straight away,
even if the serial numbers are removed

its invisable so wont damage anything,
well worth looking into, its a free service and the kit is totaly free too,

its well worth doing if kids take the phones etc to school or out with them

[plod]

@ Plod.

ask if there doing Smartwater in your area:
we have marked all our kids phones with it, in the event of there phones being stolen, the police know who owns it straight away,
even if the serial numbers are removed

its invisable so wont damage anything,
well worth looking into, its a free service and the kit is totaly free too,

its well worth doing if kids take the phones etc to school or out with them

Sound advice mate

[sirwiggum]

I heard Apple will let you track and block iPhones now if stolen?
Havent really looked into it, any iPhoners know?