Buying a second hand phone is tricky because you don’t have the help of a carrier salesperson to help you figure out what you want. Do you want a current-gen phone, or do you prefer old-school? Do you need a phone with a powerhouse processor or something more basic? Luckily, it’s not too hard to figure out what kind of phone you want by asking yourself a few key questions before you go shopping. Here’s where to start:
First thing’s first: decide what you’re looking to spend. With used smartphones, a smaller budget goes farther. To some extent, you still get what you pay for, so allocate the largest amount that you’re comfortable spending - you may be happily surprised by what you get.
Android, iOS, and Windows are the three top operating systems for smartphones. Most phone users have a strong allegiance toward one of the three, with Android and iOS being most popular.As a general rule, you might prefer Android if you want more customizability and control over your phone’s interface and home screen. You may choose iOS if you prioritize security and privacy measures (no other OS beats Apple’s level of commitment). And you might choose Windows if you want high quality apps and don’t need a huge selection.
Do you plan to use your phone mostly for Facebook, Snapchat, and texting? You can probably get away with an inexpensive processor if you aren’t planning to do any heavy media use. A budget phone like the OnePlus 3 may be a good option.On the other hand, if you plan to do a lot of video conference calls for work, or play graphically-intensive smartphone games such as Crashlands or Hearthstone, you need to prioritize a good processor within your budget. A modular phone such as the Moto Z Droid is a great choice for this amount of use because you can mod your phone to get the performance you need.
Maybe you have small hands and want a phone you can swipe from corner-to-corner with one thumb. Or maybe you need a big screen to watch Netflix on. Either way, size matters when it comes to buying used smartphones.The iPhone SE is a top-performing smartphone for people who want something compact, measuring just 4 inches from corner to corner. On the other hand, the Galaxy Note 5 by Samsung offers a roomy 5.7-inch screen perfect for media use so you can see every detail up close.
Most basic phone users can get away with 16GB of storage on their phone. But if you’re a heavy media user, you need serious internal storage to go with your quality processor choice. If you’re a smartphone gamer, a single game app can take 1GB by itself, so aim for 32GB at minimum, or choose a phone that supports microSD so you can add internal storage as you need it.There’s no right or wrong answer when choosing a second hand phone: it’s all about your needs as a user. Whether you want a huge powerhouse phone that displays gaming graphics with ease, or a compact, basic phone for work and communications, make sure to look for certified pre-owned options to ensure that you end up with a quality used phone that has plenty of life.
