Would it be inappropriate to buy my grandma a cellphone for her birthday?

My grandma is gonna turn 96 on April 6th and I was thinking about buying her an iPhone, possibly the newest one. She has never had a cellphone before but I told my sister about the idea and she thinks it's inappropriate and a waste of money for a 96 year old. What do you think?

Yes very inappropriate. Listen to your sisters.

At 96 she can die any day now… She is way past the average life expectancy age, don't waste all that money on something that is only gonna be used for a short amount of time.

Get her a jitterbug phone.

An IPhone would be too much… Why not consider a Jitterbug or another cellphone for seniors? I'm over 65, pretty computer literate and have an Android. All I need.

Waste of money, she won't be able to learn

That would depend on how technologically adept your grandmother is, and her own feelings on cell phones. Quite obviously, she's been alive for the entire history of cell phones and hasn't made the decision to get one for herself yet, so she might not care for them. Also consider that you'd be putting the burden of a monthly cell phone payment on her.

Personally, I wouldn't. It's a very nice gift, don't get me wrong. Your grandmother probably will never figure out how to use it, nor will she use it if she does figure it out.

Some 96-year-olds would be thrilled to get an iPhone, others wouldn't have a clue about how to use it and wouldn't care to learn.
You're the one who knows how your grandmother would react.
Does she have a computer? Has she expressed interest in having such a phone?
People who don't know her or her situation can't judge if it would be wast of money or not.

It's a nice thought but i doubt your grandma would know how to use a cellphone. She would appreciate some old fashioned gift like a framed photo of her grandkids far more.

She does not want a smart phone or need the features on it. Buy her a phone that is age-appropriate. You might consider one of those medic-alert type devices. Where she pushes a button and the device calls for help.