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I was wondering, have you ever bought smartphones as gifts for friends or family?
For my grandparents I have bought phones in new, open box condition on eBay. I previously gave my maternal grandfather my old Samsung Galaxy Note 8, but it was having issues with its microphone and screen, so I bought him a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE on eBay.
For my paternal grandmother, she has historically gotten hand-me-down phones from my uncle. However, I decided to get her something much better. Since my uncle is a loyal Motorola customer and that is what she has historically gotten from him, I bought her a 2022 Motorola Edge due to the fact that she will most likely be familiar with Motorola.
For both my grandparents I bought the same brands as what they had previously since that is what they are most likely to be familiar with. For example, Motorola runs a more stock version of Android while Samsung runs One UI, which has a different look.
Some would argue that I should have got them cheap budget phones, but cheap doesn't necessarily mean easier to use. After all they still generally have the same user interface as a more advanced phone, only with weaker hardware and a less feature-rich camera.
Last edited by Pink Jazz; 04-07-2023 at 08:44 AM..
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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No. We once bought new cell phones for our 3 kids for Christmas, but that was back before there were smart phones. Two of them still have the same numbers, but now with the current Iphones.
For parents, sure. They generally don't care and generally hate change anyway. So just a newer version of what they have.
Never for anyone else unless I KNOW for a fact it is what they want.
For parents, sure. They generally don't care and generally hate change anyway. So just a newer version of what they have.
Never for anyone else unless I KNOW for a fact it is what they want.
For my maternal grandfather, before I gave him my old Samsung Galaxy Note 8, he had a very basic Samsung Galaxy J3. The Note 8 was a huge upgrade from what he had. Unfortunately, the Note 8 was having issues with its screen and microphone, so I upgraded him to a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.
As for my paternal grandmother, she always got hand-me-down Motorola phones from my uncle. The one she had previously was a bit outdated, so I upgraded her to a 2022 Motorola Edge.
I stick with the same brands as what they had previously to keep them comfortable.
A potential issue that I have found is that there are generally 2 types of phone users, Android and Apple and that while you may prefer one OS over the other, the other person may not.
For example, I have been a loyal Android phone user for many years and my mom is loyal to Apple. She refuses to use my phone and vice versa. All in user preference.
A potential issue that I have found is that there are generally 2 types of phone users, Android and Apple and that while you may prefer one OS over the other, the other person may not.
For example, I have been a loyal Android phone user for many years and my mom is loyal to Apple. She refuses to use my phone and vice versa. All in user preference.
I have never owned an iPhone, nor have my grandparents. My maternal grandfather has moved around between various low-cost Android phones, but I gave him a significant upgrade with a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 followed by a Galaxy S21 FE. My paternal grandmother on the other hand has generally gotten hand-me-down phones from my uncle, who is loyal to Motorola, so I bought her another upgraded Motorola (2022 Edge).
I upgrade the smartphone for my spouse when the time comes to upgrade, which is usually every few years. She is a Apple user.
My Mother is an Android user and won’t move to an Apple iPhone, fearing a steep “learning curve.”
I did upgrade my Mother to a recent MacBook Air and iPad Air and she has learned how to effectively use those products quickly and is quite content with them. Not sure why she won’t move to an iPhone.
I "gift" my wife a new phone every few years. Over her objections.
I couldn't convince her to go Apple for longer OS and security support, so she gets a new android when updates stop coming in.
Over her objections.
She thinks a $400-$600+ device should have a longer shelf life. I tend to agree, but my mail comes to an address on Reality Street.
I "gift" my wife a new phone every few years. Over her objections.
I couldn't convince her to go Apple for longer OS and security support, so she gets a new android when updates stop coming in.
Over her objections.
She thinks a $400-$600+ device should have a longer shelf life. I tend to agree, but my mail comes to an address on Reality Street.
FYI, the latest Samsung flagships get 4 years of major updates and 5 years of security updates.
FYI, the latest Samsung flagships get 4 years of major updates and 5 years of security updates.
Yep.
But her Galaxy S10e hasn't had a security update since 6/1/2022.
She now has a new S23 that I will deploy shortly. I expect a longer tenure for that unit.
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