Some tech-lovers feel the need to buy the latest iPhone or Android smartphone as soon as it is released to gaze at its shiny newness, but if you are more interested in the functionality then choosing to buy a pre-owned phone can save you a fair amount of cash.
Some people worry that pre-owned phones have been used and abused by their previous owners, but buying a certified pre-owned phone is not the same a picking up a second-hand device off eBay.
If the phone has been “certified pre-owned” by the manufacturer, a carrier, or retailer like Mybullfrog or Amazon, then the phone has gone through a variety of technical tests, with any problem parts replaced, and has been checked for cosmetic damage.
Most importantly, certified pre-owned phones will not have any scratches or blemishes on their screens and the battery will have been thoroughly tested, which are the two most common problems with phones. They may have a couple of scratches on the sides or back, but they will work as new and will often have been updated to the latest version of iOS or Android.
Most pre-owned devices tend to be the previous year’s models, but when you can pick up and iPhone 5S for $280 working as new, when a brand new device would cost $560 then it can be well worth putting up with a couple of cosmetic scratches on the back of the phone.
Photograph by Kārlis Dambrāns