better phone for my mom (iphone vs nexus)

[Nvidiaguy07]

Debating which phone to get/give to my mom for her first smartphone.

I use android, and we both use gmail and google services. Ideally, I'd like her to use android, since I already use it, and will be easier for me. This way i could always just give her my year old android, and upgrade my own (in this case shed get my galaxy nexus, or S2 running an AOSP rom, and i would probably get myself a nexus 4).

Shes in her late fiftys, and isnt the most tech saavy, so im not entirely sure which would be easier to her. I think shell probably eventually be fine with either, but i think ios might be a littler easier for someone who has never used a smartphone before.

I think the newest version of android is great, but i think for a person who has never used it before, it might be a little more confusing than previous versions. (icons instead of text was a little tough for some people ive noticed)

Right now if i want, my friend said he would sell me his brand new 4s for 250, which made me consider doing this in the first place. But still in the long run, if my mom is constantly using ios, its gonna cost me more than if she were to always get my handed down android.

Has anyone else been in this situation? How has your choice turned out?

 

[bearxor]

If I were in your situation, I'd hand down the Android and see if she complains too much about it. Then I'd worry about looking at iOS.

 

[jpeyton]

Get her an iPhone. Most of my friends use Android but their parents are on iPhones. http://bit.ly/Y9VmAw

 

[jpeyton]

Also forgot to mention iOS is locked down enough to where parents can't do much damage to it.

 

[Yuriman]

Also forgot to mention iOS is locked down enough to where parents can't do much damage to it.

^ I wasn't aware of how badly you can gunk up a phone until I was asked to "speed up" an older coworker's Android phone (some older HTC model). He had several anti-spyware programs and an antivirus running, automated task killers and at least one automated "tune up" program installed... and suspected that there was spyware or a virus that was the cause.

Uninstalling all of the junk helped but I think I'd feel better with an iPhone in his pocket.

 

[bearxor]

Yep, that's right. Android phones are for cool, hip people and iPhones are for old people who don't know what they're doing. Hit the nail right in the head.

 

[ponyo]

Buy the 4S and give that to your mom. I like Android but I know it's not for everyone. For most moms, dads, and kids I recommend going with iOS and iPhone unless you know they're somewhat tech savvy. Ease of use is the major strength of iOS. I've recommended iOS to most of my family and friends and they love it. My wife uses iPhone and my daughter uses iPod Touch and they both love it. I doubt it's going to cost you more in the long run to go with the iPhone. You're buying the iPhone used at a good price and it should be good for couple of years.

 

[dagamer34]

I recommend iPhones to less tech savvy people simply because I don't have to play "tech support" anymore. My favorite line is "take it to the Apple store" I'd love to recommend Windows Phone, but it's probably a year away because of apps (I don't want to hear about how XYZ app is missing and have them bitch at me because of the recommendation of the platform).

To me, Android has a different problem because it's just like a PC. Very capable and customizable in the right hands, but it's possible to screw things up as well. And since there isn't a place like the Apple Store to take things and have them fixed, you personally have to be involved.

 

[vi edit]

Only thing that the iPhone is lacking for older people is screen size. Reading stuff on a 4.5" or larger screen is much better than the dainty dimensions of the iphone screen.

 

[Bman123]

If she is in her late fifties honestly the nexus or iphone will last a long time. The battery will probably be shot long before she really needs a new phone anyways.

I got my non tech savvy 71 year old grandmother using a nexus 7 tablet so i think the iphone vs android argument means nothing. Just set the phone up simple. Messages, phone, internet and email apps at the bottom of the screen. Everything that will be used the most will be right there.

Tell her if she gets lost in the phone anywhere just hit the home button, it's so simple you don't really have a chance of getting into a setting not knowing how to get out and accidentally changing something because you dont need to button mash just hit the home button.

Put the contacts app right there too and if she plays any games make a game folder and put that right on the main homescreen too.

 

[zerocool84]

Let them play with both and see what they like. No matter what anyone says here, they could change their mind when playing with them like my 60 year old mom did. Last year's she of course automatically was going to go with an iPhone but when she got to the store, she saw a Galaxy S II and liked that better because of the larger screen which made everything easier to see and text on.

 

[Capt Caveman]

If she's fine with the screen size, I'd recommend the iPhone. As someone who has just converted from the iPhone to Nexus 4. iOS is simple and intuitive. With Andrioid, I find that I need to ask folks or research how to do stuff.

 

[Taepa]

My mom use an iPhone 4S. She like it.

 

[s44]

My mom loves, loves, LOVES her Note 2. It's literally the first tech device she anticipated and played the release wait game for.

She did get her feet wet on an Atrix though. The fingerprint unlock was surprisingly popular.

Just make sure you're running the same launcher.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

i would definitely get iphone for a geezer. i got my father a iphone 4 and he got water on it and ruined it and i thought of getting android as a replacement since they were cheaper and had bigger screens but ended up getting iphone 5. the back, search and option buttons and the quirks/bug just would have confused/frustrated him. you just cant go wrong with iphone for the old foegees

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

My mom loves, loves, LOVES her Note 2. It's literally the first tech device she anticipated and played the release wait game for.

She did get her feet wet on an Atrix though. The fingerprint unlock was surprisingly popular.

Just make sure you're running the same launcher.

I would be running an AOSP rom no matter what phone she is using. I think im gonna let her try out the nexus, and see how well she does with it before giving up and using ios.

I think shell be ok with it. I dont think shell be installing a ton of apps, and once she gets down how to make a phone call and how to text the rest will come as she needs it.

I have an ATT SGS2 that i could give her, or sell that, give her my nexus, and buy myself something new. The only problem i have with the sgs2, is even when its running an AOSP rom, its still not as smooth and has some problems compared to my nexus.

For one sometimes it takes a while to wake up - after pressing the side button. Long enough that sometimes you press it again, and by the time the phone comes on, it turns back off from your second press. I also have experienced random crazy battery drain for no apparent reason (no apps installed). Im just afraid that if she has a bad experience with android at first shell want to bail on it - which is what i think many android users who previously had a bad experience end up converting to ios.

 

[bigrash]

I'd go with an iphone. Much easier to use, specially for older people.

 

[ponyo]

If you're thinking of giving her the SGS2, I would stick with the stock Touchwiz. AOSP might be slightly faster but it's not as friendly and likely less stable since it's a port.

 

[Eug]

I got my non tech savvy 71 year old grandmother using a nexus 7 tablet so i think the iphone vs android argument means nothing. Just set the phone up simple. Messages, phone, internet and email apps at the bottom of the screen. Everything that will be used the most will be right there.

I'm surprised, because the Nexus 7's speaker is poor, and very low volume. I personally wouldn't recommend it unless they were prepared to use headphones a lot. Maybe she has better hearing than most 71 year olds though.

 

[trmiv]

My parents (72 and 63) both have Android phones (HTC Rezound). They picked them specifically because the iPhone 4S screen was far too small for them. They don't have many issues using them.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I'm personally leaning towards a Nexus 4 for my mom as the large screen and AOSP should be nice. But not completely sure yet. I'm worried about her squinting at her 3GS. Yes it'll improve with retina on the 5, but who knows

 

[Red Storm]

If you use Google services, get an Android.

 

[Eug]

Well, my wife is anxiously awaiting my iPhone 4. I suggested a Razr HD because it's inexpensive for her (essentially free, but she'd have to sign on for 2-years instead of staying month-to-month, on the exact same $35 plan), but she's not keen on it because of the huge size. We'll see though after I get mine if she's changes her mind about the Razr HD though.

Actually, if they ever get stock of the think I may suggest to her to get it anyway, and if she doesn't like it, she can just sell it on Craigslist/Kijiji.

I'm not pushing the Nexus 4 on her, because of the poor battery life and the poorly rated speaker, and she already said she doesn't really want a phone that big.

 

[BenSkywalker]

I was in a comparable situation and got my mother an iPhone 4, it was a rather large mistake on my part.

While iOS is more basic in terms of if she had to set it up herself, the difference between an iPhone set up as close as I could to how she wanted it an Android device set up ideally for her was *huge*. All of the things she likes to do the most have widgets set up for her, any news she might be interested in, all of her weather reports, deals from her favorite shopping sites- all delivered to her without her having to do anything. My mom is older then yours, I have kids in college, and for her the GSII was *much* better then the iPhone 4(some of the things that sent her into a frenzy have been fixed, getting an app off of iTunes was painful for her as a generic example).