No smartphone, but do have an Android tablet. I’m with HardlySanguine and Macca26 with respect to microSDHC cards; pretty much unlimited storage.
If you go with that, keep an eye on Radio Shack’s sales – they’ve been in the buck-a-Gig range.
I’d have gone with the cheaper phone and a better data plan
(actually, I’d have gone with a HTC One X or the last Nexus, but that might be too much for a tween)
She’s a tweener kid. The answer is ridiculously obvious.
You buy her the phone that will be most socially accepted within her peer group. If all her friends have iphones, get her an iphone.
Not to mention: music (etc.) in the cloud means more data usage. To the best of my knowledge there’s no way to get unlimited data any more with any provider, so you’d want to maximize the amount of stuff that could be done locally vs. requiring use of the data plan.
Sounds like the OP is decided on an iPhone. I have an Android but would agree that the iPhone is better all around for a teenager’s usage. It’s cooler, and less to mess with, and a lot of her friends have (or will get) them, and there are a lot more fun case options.
In fact I still use my iPod Touch (64 gig!!) from 3+ years ago, for music. It holds everything.
You can also really limit the data usage if you make sure the iPhone is pointed out your home wifi network. Then it’ll only use the cell data plan when she’s out of the house. My daughter has an iPhone which she uses extensively for cloud stored music and her share of our family data plan is pretty small.
Streaming services don’t take up too much bandwith. It’s uploading videos and downloading apps that really soaks up bandwidth. As long as the heavy downloading is kept on wifi, the data usage for cloud access shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Plus I wasn’t advocating total dependence on the cloud. Just using the cloud as a repository and the on-phone memory limited to select playlists. A couple hundred songs vs thousands.
As for MsWhatsits, you’re right. I know that parents who “share” the phone with their kids, or people who like to keep 10+ games on hand would probably have higher memory usage. I was thinking more along my personal use and what I understand teenage girl usage to be. Different strokes.
One other thing to keep in mind: Android apps are available from a large variety of sources, while iPhone apps come only from the App Store. This might sound like I’m advocating Android, but the fact that there’s no/little vetting on many Android apps can make them more vulnerable to viruses and malware. Apple might be a walled garden, but their apps are vetted before they’re allowed to be sold, and there are still a lot of them out there on the App Store. Also, when considering it’s a tweener kid: you can’t (or at least it’s much harder to) get any sort of porn or X-rated apps on the iPhone.
Disclosure: Spouse works at Apple, and we both love our iPhones (though I wish they’d make a bigger one like some of the big Samsungs).
I’m not arguing against an Android–if that’s better for her/your needs, then that’s the one you want. Just adding another data point. And I agree that for a tweener, the best choice to make her happy is the one that her friends all think is the “coolest,” not just for the status factor but because then they can compare notes, recommend apps to each other, etc.
Right now is a terrible time to buy a new iPhone. They’re about to release a new model in a few weeks, and prices on the 5 are going to go down. Not having a phone encased in a block of glass might be better suited for a tween.