[FobiddenRiceman]

Wow, such a brilliant solution. Just buy a 13-year-old a $700 phone, I wonder why one else thought of that?

Try $100, used. Okay. No need to get dramatic. This girl doesn't need a brand new Mercedes for her first car
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ol/B004Z...UvbUpU11612240

"Correct me grammar fascists! I'm ready!"

[pdizzle27]

This reminds me of when I had a PC Jr., while everyone else had the Commodore 64. I know this is a BlackBerry forum, but realistically IOS is better in that situation.

Posted via CB10

[jmr1015]

Pick up a decent used iPhone. No need to get a new $600-$700 iPhone if the primary goal is iMessage.

[FobiddenRiceman]

I know this is a BlackBerry forum
Posted via CB10

Welcome! Don't worry we won't bite, come share stories and comments about technology freely over coffee and donuts (Crackberry has a BYOC&D policy, you can find it in the user agreement). Just be careful about your context, 'cause things could get's ugly 'cause we don't take too kindly to dem tree fruit types. You see....around here we believe in your fruit should come from a bush. Now stay a while and share freely.

realistically IOS is better in that situation.
Posted via CB10

Hmmmmm.......I hope your not going to be the troublesome type

*hmmm that's not the picture I wanted. This http://giphy.com/gifs/cool-hand-luke-3p8m2K0qXaoHm is what I ment to post "Correct me grammar fascists! I'm ready!"

[katiepea]

At 13 years old all the kids have iphones?
Seriously bbm or whatsapp should do the trick. If her friends don't want to well... must be one hell of a group

Nearly the entire 4th grade class my son is in has iPhones, all but maybe 2 or 3 don't, and they have regular cell phones.

[BGRS]

At 13 years old all the kids have iphones?
Seriously bbm or whatsapp should do the trick. If her friends don't want to well... must be one hell of a group

Yes, that's exactly what happens here. Or their parents give them their old iphones..

[ALToronto]

I'm surprised that so many tech fans here are surprised that kids in grade 7 have phones. This is about the age when kids start developing their own social life, without parental supervision, and cellphones are an essential part of their social interactions.

I'm very happy that in my daughter's circle of friends, there is no tech pecking order, nobody is going to deride an old BlackBerry, and even if they did, she'd give them a 'deal with it' reply. This is strictly a practical issue, and if she is able to participate as a text-only member, everyone will be happy.

Posted via CB10 from my awesome Passport

[anon(6038817)]

I'd definitely try to get her friends on BBM. The fact that it's cross platform means it doesn't matter whether her friends have iPhones, Androids, or even Windows phones. And it's much more secure than Whatsapp.

[ubizmo]

I'd definitely try to get her friends on BBM. The fact that it's cross platform means it doesn't matter whether her friends have iPhones, Androids, or even Windows phones. And it's much more secure than Whatsapp.

This would work as long as BBM performance issues on iOS have been ironed out. There used to be serious problems with delays of hours for BBM messages to arrive. I don't know if these problems have been solved, because the iPhone users I knew who tried BBM soon gave up on it. I also don't know if WhatsApp performs any better on iOS.

It's ironic, I suppose, that iMessage is now the "exclusive" messaging medium in much the same way that BBM once was.

[dguy123]

Do you understand that the friends already have their mode of communication? What do you think are the odds of all the friends switching their chat forum to accommodate the daughter?

Posted via CB10

Well, they're friends for one.
and it's not like asking them to carry a hundred pound sack of potatoes up a flight of stairs.

perspective ppl.
It shouldn't be a big deal.

Posted via CB10

[Yatezy]

I actually think if a user isn't on iMessage and they are part of the group then it gets sent to them in the form of MMS. I could be wrong on this but I know here in the UK they've stopped adding MMS as part of SMS deals so usually you pay for them.

[anon(9188202)]

There are bigger problems in life to worry about. Buy your daughter a used iPhone. Maybe you can sell your extra BlackBerry to offset the cost.

[anon(6038817)]

This would work as long as BBM performance issues on iOS have been ironed out. There used to be serious problems with delays of hours for BBM messages to arrive. I don't know if these problems have been solved, because the iPhone users I knew who tried BBM soon gave up on it. I also don't know if WhatsApp performs any better on iOS.

It's ironic, I suppose, that iMessage is now the "exclusive" messaging medium in much the same way that BBM once was.

BBM works great on my iPhone. The issues have been ironed out.

[bb10adopter111]

The only problem with teenagers using text vs iMessage, Whatsapp or BBM is that some families may have plans with text message limits that could run up very substantial charges in the hands of a social teenager.

I would consider getting her and a couple of her closest friends to experiment with BBM before pushing it to the larger group. You could also appeal to parents by telling them BBM allows kids to chat without giving out their phone numbers to new acquaintances.

Posted via CB10

[DigitalMadness]

Nearly the entire 4th grade class my son is in has iPhones, all but maybe 2 or 3 don't, and they have regular cell phones.

Wow really!! Why would any 9 year old need a phone?
Are you from the US?

Posted via CB10

[blackburberry]

@AlToronto

Since you're asking for input I'll suggest that you do buy her an iPhone. I have both daughters and sons, and I can say that at 13 it is very important to her what her friends think, wether or not she lets that on to you.

It's also a statement from you that you're willing to support her independence within her group of friends. I think someone posted earlier this is no time to let your preferences guide you, it's not about you.

Get her a nice new iPhone and if her birthday is close, tell her it's an early present for her as you are very proud of all she does at school and the good decisions she makes in life.

[boltz82]

The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the one.

...or the few

[pantlesspenguin]

Wow really!! Why would any 9 year old need a phone?
Are you from the US?

Posted via CB10

I could have used a cell phone when I was 9. There were countless times when my parents would pick me up from school only for me to say "I'm going over to Audrey's to play. Her mom will drop me off for dinner." As an adult now, I feel really bad I did that since they left early from work to come get me and wrestle traffic all for a needless trip. I don't think they necessarily need a smartphone at that age, though. I think middle school and high school would be a good age for a smartphone, or a feature phone with a decent calendar. I would have loved to keep all of my assignment due dates organized with a phone instead of a large paper planner.

[DigitalMadness]

I could have used a cell phone when I was 9. There were countless times when my parents would pick me up from school only for me to say "I'm going over to Audrey's to play. Her mom will drop me off for dinner." As an adult now, I feel really bad I did that since they left early from work to come get me and wrestle traffic all for a needless trip. I don't think they necessarily need a smartphone at that age, though. I think middle school and high school would be a good age for a smartphone, or a feature phone with a decent calendar. I would have loved to keep all of my assignment due dates organized with a phone instead of a large paper planner.

As a parent, I totally get the need to stay connected when plans change. I guess lucky for me, all my kids have easy access to school phones for this purpose. And the school is pretty good at passing on a message to my kids.

[keithhackneysmullet]

We took my oldest daughters iPhone from her many times in high school for disciplinary reasons . When this happened she had to use my old 90's flip phone. One month while using the flip phone she sent 1200 texts during the billing cycle. Luckily we had unlimited texting. I wasn't even mad more in awe of her typing on a t9 keypad. The moral is teenagers are very resourceful your daughter will find a way to communicate with her friends blackberry, iphone, or whatever.

Posted via CB10

[anon9133023]

Simple fix...Get an iphone lol

As we've discussed on other threads, this will ultimately be the way the problem is resolved. Right now it's a problem with iMessage. Next it will be Snapchat. Next it will be [insert name of app here] that your daughter will be unable to run unless she's on iOS or Android.

This is how Blackberry erodes... eroding... erooooooooooooodddddddddddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg. Find a nice cheap iPhone 5 online for her. No need to buy new. She will respect you for understanding what it means to be a youth in this technological world, and she will always remember that you got her what *she* needed, not what you, as an old fogey parent, *forced* on her.

[Tre Lawrence]

Wow really!! Why would any 9 year old need a phone?
Are you from the US?

Posted via CB10

I work with kids, and have charge of them for long stretches. There are a myriad of reasons I prefer them to have phones.

[DigitalMadness]

I work with kids, and have charge I'd them for long stretches. There are a myriad of reasons I prefer them to have phones.

Are these the same kids that don't know what to do with themselves if there is no devices around? ;-)

[Tre Lawrence]

Are these the same kids that don't know what to do with themselves if there is no devices around? ;-)

I do have to agree with that. These tech-savvy kids generally are clueless with regards to situations when smartphone isn't available LOL.

My daughter did a double take when I suggested she use the -- wait for it -- library to do research when her phone was out of commission.

[TGR1]

I do have to agree with that. These tech-savvy kids generally are clueless with regards to situations when smartphone isn't available LOL.

My daughter did a double take when I suggested she use the -- wait for it -- library to do research when her phone was out of commission.

Well, be fair - how many remember how to manually calculate the square root or long division? And eventually, who will know how to drive a car?

Tech is relentless.