For people with frugal habits, the question seems pretty obvious: used smartphones are cheaper, so they're the best option.
However, this is not always the case. In recent years, budget and mid-range smartphones have taken over the market with their features, compared to other devices that can cost twice as much. There are even newer companies that specialize only in phones that offer a high-tech experience at the best possible price.
Sometimes you need something specific – something you can only get from a specific brand or style of device. In that case, buying a used smartphone might be the best move.
Let's take a closer look at the topic. First, let's start with the reasons to buy a used phone.
Why you should buy a used phone
Generally speaking, the only real reason to buy a used phone is if you need a specific feature, design style, or brand.
For example, one of the most important smartphone features for many consumers is the camera. If you use your smartphone to take a lot of photos, you'll need something that gives you the best possible output. However, if you're also on a budget, you won't be able to afford the best-in-class Huawei Mate 20 Pro or Google Pixel 3 XL.
This would be a great reason to buy a used phone. You can find these devices for a great price on eBay, Swappa, or similar sites. You could even go back a generation to save even more—the Google Pixel 2 XL, for example, has almost as good a camera as the 3 XL and has many of the same features.
On the other hand, the newest and greatest features may not be what you're looking for, and in that case you might want to take a step back. For example, almost every flagship device since 2018 has a fingerprint scanner mounted on the back or in the display. If you really want a device with a physical scanner on the front, buying an older flagship could be your best bet. In that case, something like the Huawei P20 Pro would be a great option, which is cheaper now than when it launched and still receives support from Huawei.
It should be noted that used phones come with limitations. Some of them have no warranty or are missing some accessories. However, if you desperately need a particular feature and the best (or only) way to get it at a decent price is to buy a used phone, that's exactly what you should do.
Why you shouldn't buy a used smartphone
The smartphone industry has changed a lot in recent years. Previously, if you wanted the newest, coolest features, you had no choice but to buy the latest and greatest smartphone.
However, innovation across the industry has expanded greatly. Today, you can pick up an Android smartphone at random and the chances are good that it will have the same basic features as another. Yes, there will always be things that Company A has that Company B doesn't, but that doesn't mean the average consumer is bothered.
With that in mind, the features of Android and mid-range devices are quickly becoming very similar. As a result, you can buy a brand new smartphone with all the basic features you need for a similar price to buying a flagship.
If you can get everything you want from a new phone for the same price as a used one, why buy a used one?
For example, let's look at the Xiaomi Pocophone F1. The device features a massive battery (4,000mAh), the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, and either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Depending on where you live, you can get this phone for anywhere from $300 to $400, brand new.
The OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T have similar specs to the Pocophone F1, but more premium build materials and greater availability across countries. The starting price for the OnePlus 6 is $530, brand new.
The mid-range market is only growing. The 2019 Honor View 20, for example, is getting rave reviews and has an all-screen display, a headphone jack, an IR blaster, and amazing specs and build quality. Although it's only available in China right now, we expect its global price to start at $500.
Another thing these newer smartphones will have over their older counterparts is software updates. Every device in this section will get Android security updates for at least another year, possibly two. They'll also all likely get an update to Android Q, something not every old used phone will offer you.
A quick search on eBay turned up a lot of new Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG G7 ThinQ, Huawei Mate 10 Pro, etc. Even though these devices are unused and still in the box, they cost a lot less than their newer counterparts. Yes, they may not receive updates for much longer, but they are still viable options.
What to do: If you're in the process of buying a new phone, you should think about what you absolutely need based on the advice above.
