Pexels/Reddit
Technology offers countless opportunities for teens to explore, but not every shortcut comes without consequences
After one teen’s iPhone was permanently disabled due to an unauthorized update, his dad decided he was done with expensive phones and would have to settle for a cheaper off-brand version.
But that verdict didn’t go over well.
You’ll want to read on for this one.
A while back, when my son had his previous iPhone, he went over to a friend’s house.
The friend showed him his iPhone, which had a bunch of cool features on it that you normally couldn’t get on the phone, and my son asked him how.
The friend said he downloaded a really cool version of the phone operating system and could even put it on my son’s phone.
But soon tech disaster struck.
Afterwards, my son showed me his phone. I was a bit concerned that it had these new features and a different layout on it, but just said, “Oh, that’s neat.”
Well, the next day it stopped working, and we weren’t even able to restore it to work again.
We ended up going to the Apple Store, where we were told that the phone had an unauthorized version of the next iOS beta installed on it.
The Apple employees confirmed the teen’s worst fear.
The beta had been released only for app developers to fine-tune their apps for the new version and was not approved for normal use.
Installing it not only voided the warranty, it rendered it ineligible for paid out-of-warranty replacement, like if the screen had been cracked.
The only option was to pay it off entirely and set up a new one, or buy a new phone outright.
Needless to say, my son did not get a new iPhone.
So his father decided to opt for a more practical alternative.
We ended up buying him a cheap prepaid phone from one of those shady corner shops and set it up on his account.
It’s still a smartphone and actually has most features and runs Android, but my son was unhappy because he didn’t want anything except Apple.
Now that phone is paid off, and he’s eligible for an upgrade.
He tells his son that if he wants another iPhone, he’ll have to pay for it himself.
I’ve flat-out told my son, though, that I will not get him an iPhone unless he agrees to pay the monthly payment for it.
His son is immediately argumentative and claims he’s playing favorites.
He freaked out as to why—especially as his sister got a new iPhone last year—and I told him it’s because she didn’t ever render her only-a-few-month-old phone into a paperweight with unauthorized modifications.
I’m still offering Android phones because those can be restored more easily and are less likely to end up bricked.
Even the best Androids don’t come close to the iPhone in the teen’s eyes.
I even offered some fairly fancy (and expensive) Android phones, but he doesn’t want anything besides the Apple brand.
He says that was his friend’s fault and that it’s ridiculous I’m treating his younger sister like that with a double standard.
So AITA?
Sounds like his son was just facing the consequences of his actions.
Redditors chime in with their two cents.
There’s an important lesson in here for his son.
This fellow tech-enthusiast has picked up a few tricks over the years.
Maybe he could get his son a new iPhone eventually, but after he learns his lesson.
This user thinks he would be unlikely to be this irresponsible with the next phone.
His son may not be thrilled with the outcome of his dad’s decision, but a lesson learned the hard way tends to stick — and his son will be better off for it.
If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.
Categories: STORIES
Tags: · aita, apple, apple phones, broken phone, ENTITY, iOS, ios betas, iphone, jailbreaking, New Phone, parenting, phone warranty, picture, reddit, software updates, technology, top