If you’re thinking of buying a used smartphone this festive season, this article is worth your read as you’ll be made aware of the 5 key things to consider when buying a used phone during Christmas or any other festive season.
Before you buy a used smartphone for yourself or as a gift for any of your loved ones, you need to consider these things we’re about to discuss.
Although, there is nothing as cool as unboxing a new phone, but, when your pocket is not too friendly, second hand or “pre-owned” phones usually come to the rescue.
However, things may go wrong as buying used phones can be incriminating.
Also, the phone may begin to malfunction when you begin to operate it and other disappointing things might happen. That’s the fact about buying a used phone.
So, before you head out to the phone store or order anything from an online marketplace, here’re the top five things to consider.
1 Authenticity of the seller.
The first thing to consider before buying a used phone during festive season is the seller’s authority and authenticity as a second-hand phone seller, especially if you’re buying from e-commerce websites.
You should look for reviews, and ask friends and associates who have bought used phones before to direct you to the best used phone plug they know.
If you’ll be purchasing online, there are legit online stores you can make your purchase from at a reasonable price that suits your budget.
Checkout online ecomm marketplaces like Mobitrade, Swappa, Jumia, Verizon, Best Buy, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram. After all, social media is used for selling in this era.
If you’re buying from an offline store, then you should be careful of the store you buy from. Popular phone stores that are legit usually have a section for used phones where you can buy, get a receipt, and be guaranteed that what you are buying isn’t fake, won’t incriminate you, or get you into any kind of trouble.
2 Brand and Operating System
Not all brands and operating systems of smartphones are worth buying second-hand. For instance, nobody would see a used blackberry in the market today and empty his wallet for it. No. Even used Java phones are now almost extinct.
The reigning OS on smartphones are Android and IOS.
Recently, old versions of iPhones are being bought. This is to tell you that iPhones can be a great choice to buy this season for a low price.
Android Phones like Samsung, Tecno, OnePlus, Infinix, or Redmi, are classic android phones you can buy fairly-used without breaking the bank. You’ll need to take into the consideration your preferred brand for purchase.
3 Physical appearance of the phone.
When you get to the phone store where used phones are sold, you should also take into consideration the physical appearance of the phone you intend to buy.
This is to ensure that you’re buying a used phone which has not been used almost to malfunction.
Checking the appearance of the phone you intend to buy includes:
- Checking for scratches,
- Making enquiries about how many drops-on-the-floor the phone has had
- Checking for screen faults like cracks and how the touchpad responds to taps
- Checking for rusts to ensure it has no water damage
- Check the battery (if removable) if it’s swollen or not.
- Check the ports: Check if charging Ports and headphone jack ports are in good condition by testing them.
- Ensure that the phone has been fairly used and still in overall good condition.
A fairly used phone in a good condition shouldn’t lag while operating it and the call quality should be good without background noise.
4 Specs and Features.
The next thing to consider when buying a used phone during festive seasons is the spec and features of your intended phone.
You might think this is only done when you’re buying a new phone, but this isn’t true. Always check for the specs of the phone you would buy even if it is used.
If you care about power, you should probably go for a phone with 5000mAh and above. If you’re a gamer who loves playing games like Call Off Duty, you would consider the RAM, size of the phone screen, GPU, and the speed and number of cores of the processor. If you’re a content creator, or social media person, you should consider the network like the 4G LTE and the pixels of the camera if it’s clear and bright.
5 Price.
The last and the most important of the criteria you should put into consideration when buying a phone during festive season is the price.
As we’re close to the Yuletide and Black Friday period, many sellers on e-commerce websites dealing in gadgets and gizmos will present a slash in prices, which makes it cheaper and easier for you to buy.
That’s okay, but you should also beware of scammers and thieves who must have stolen a phone and come to sell it online.
It is advisable not to buy a phone that is ridiculously cheap.
For instance if you’re buying a Samsung, which is one of the most expensive smartphones at the moment, you wouldn’t want to trust a dealer who is giving it out for a way-too-cheap price. This is why it is recommended to buy from authorized dealers online and offline like Mobitrade.
Bottom Line.
Having mentioned things to look out for when you’re about to dip your hand in your wallet for a used phone during the festive period, you should also consider asking for a receipt. This is to make it evident that you’re the new possessor of the phone. Authorized dealers will have this to keep their integrity and clear your doubt of being scammed.
Interested in ordering a fairly used, 100% working perfectly android/iPhone device? Send us a message on WhatsApp- 8700 172 840 to find out more about the phones currently available.