I'm planning to buy a back up phone and I'm considering in getting an old phone rather than new ones. Well not old phones like used phones but new ones but released like 7 or 8 years ago. I saw some on eBay and I'm thinking of getting one. Do you think it's okay to buy an old phone? And if ever I buy one, will it be hard to find accessories for it like extra batteries and chargers?
I won't advise you to buy an old phone. Talking from experience I once bought an old phone because it was very cheap, the price was like one third of its new equivalent from a local store. I could only use it for two months after which it broke down completely, same thing happened with another old phone I got after about two years. Maybe I wasn't lucky but I don't have a good experience with old phones.
You have to comprehend what you're searching for before you begin purchasing. This doesn't really mean you need a correct model selected, however. Begin by choosing the base specs you are searching for, the base Android OS you're willing to live with, what sizes you are searching for, and the most extreme spending you need to spend. This ought to give you a thought of what to search for and ought to help you limit it down to only a little modest bunch of handsets. You may find that your specs objectives are excessively elevated considering your financial plan, thus change if important.
A second hand phone may give you problems in the near future. And even if the purpose is only for a backup phone, I would suggest that you buy a new one. There are brands that are cheaper but brand new. It is much better thañ a used phone.
For a backup phone I think it's much better to buy some older phone. You'll probably going to use it for calls and messaging anyway, so why would you spend too much money for that.
Yeah, saving money on old phones is a great idea. But before you buy it be sure to check out if everything works well and if something doesn't work see if it necessary, because you might get scammed and buy something that doesn't work. And be sure to find a good deal as well. If you are buying on ebay check more offers and see what suits you the most. And also check the shipping price because that might be more expensive than the phone itself.
I don't see any problem in using older version of the phones. If you want to use iPhone 4, there should not be any problem. Since you say you want to have it has a back up phone, I think there should e no problem in using a phone that was released 7-8 years ago. When I got my current phone, it had already been 3 years since it was released.
Old phones are expensive to maintain. Their accessories are hard to find and they don't support most of the recent applications. A Huawei phone with an an OS of android 2.0 can't support subway surfers game and Instagram. The later models of Huawei with android 4.0 and above can support these apps.
I think it's quite economic as it will only cost a fraction of the actual prize. But its reliability is the main concern here as already mentioned by other members.. However, if you can find one from your close friend or relative that would not be a problem. What bothers me more is its security aspects. What if it is infected with something like a key-logger virus which can steal our personal information for the real owner of the handset or the shop. Then it would act as a trap for us. We just can't rule out the possibility in today's world. Moreover, if the mobile you bought was part of a crime scene cops would probably nab you down tracking its IMEI number.
I agree. The phone that I'm using right now was bought 2 years ago and it's 3 years old now since it's first release and up to now I am still in love with it There are absolutely plenty of great phones that were released years ago and having some of them as a back up phone isn't really a bad idea since I can buy them at a lower price instead of buying new ones which are quite expensive.
Right. I can definitely save a lot of money if I'll buy an old phone, but still I need to be sure that what I'll get is worth my money. I'm still thinking about it though and I've checked eBay, found the phone that I want but the shipping fee costs too much. It's actually way more than the item's actual price and I don't think it's a wise move to buy a product online with a very costly shipping fee. That's why I'm still looking for other alternatives and I hope to find one
An old and cheap phone is always a good idea if you're only going to make calls and use it for emergencies. All my old phones still work because most of them are durable. I don't think batteries are difficult to find because some small family stores around my area still carry batteries and chargers for those old phones. They sometimes don't have the best reception, though so that's why it's only good as a back-up or emergency.
Well, those old mobile phones which haven't been sold. They are usually considered as surplus ones. They do actually run as a new one except that they've not been sold until the new model has arrived. I think there is no problem about that. The only worry you may have had is to buy the used or slightly used mobile phones.
You can save good money when you buy used phones. However, you must be aware that used phones could stop functioning soon. When you are buying used phones, always buy from people you know. If you buy from sites like ebay, you don't know whether it works or not.
At first I thought you were talking about used phone, then I won't recommend that unless you know the person who used the phone before. If you are talking about older model phone, I think it's totally fine as a back up phone. When you buy the phone, you can always ask if you will still be able to find the accessories. How about buying a basic phone, instead of older model phone? I think Nokia and perhaps some other brand comes up with new basic phones.
Brand new old models of phones will be nice. I just purchased a brand new Iphone 6 for a cheap price. It is not a second hand phone, it is one of those old stocks that didn't got sold. That is much more better than buying something second hand.
I don't advise this type of purchase, unless you really know the person who is selling you the phone... Otherwise, I'd rather save money for a while and buy a new phone because I think it's the best option where I know I'll be buying something with a correct origin. Trying to save so much money can cause "good" headaches sometimes.
I wouldn't say that it's advisable, but before you decide to buy an old phone, you need to do a lot of research and actually trust the seller or otherwise you'll be scammed.
I came by to read some of your posts. I go to ebay looking for flip phones. I've never had a smartphone, except when the landline one was on the blink because of the weather, so the company gave us a smartphone till the lines got fixed. I just held on to it and returned it when my landline phone came back to normal. I hadn't realized about not having parts or accessories and batteries might be hard to find for a new, but outdated smartphone. Good to know for when I'd get a smartphone. Guess it's good to wait for sales or deals on smartphones.
@Jasmin Cottontail When I read the title I thought you were talking about used phones. Its not always good to have used phones. But yes purchasing old model phone but new one, I don't think there is any problem. But with old model you will get old specifications, so if you are okay with that then there is no problem. Just make sure about warranty and other things before purchasing from ebay. As many sellers used to sale refurbished phones.
