The best place to buy a used iPhone
iPhones have become an absolute must have accessory in many social circles. Beyond that, the features of the iPhones regularly include the latest technological smartphone marvels, which could be critical in the workplace. From the camera and sound quality to screen clarity, iPhones tells people that you aim for the best, can afford the best, and work with the best.
Unfortunately, buying the best means paying premium prices – and this is not something that everyone can afford. So what’s the solution? Buy a second hand iPhone!
Which used iPhone should I buy?
With the recent arrivals of the iPhone X, XS and XR, as well as the iPhone 7 and 8 released over the previous two years, one model has become the firm favourite among the deal hunting crowd – the iPhone 6s.
Released in September 2015, the iPhone 6s has undergone at least nine major hardware and software updates since, which makes the model very technologically relevant still. The technological gap between the 6s and the new XR range, for instance, are actually very small (less than five percent, probably).
What this means is, you will be buying a current product priced as a three-year-old model. Coupled with the used discount, you could be looking at getting a seriously good deal.
Where to get the iPhone 6s?
Unless you have a friend or colleague who wants to sell iPhone 6s 64GB, you will probably need some good suggestions on where to get one. Here’s a few:
• Online Marketplaces
Online marketplaces such as Amazon and Newegg are always a good place to start owing to the perennially wide selection of products. In addition, the sales and service history of every seller are publicly available, so you can directly see how their customers rate their service. Owing to the stiff competition and wide visibility, the products here are also competitively priced, and the prices are frequently used as a benchmark by other sellers elsewhere online and offline.
However, since most of the sellers are based in the United States, UK buyers will have to pay extra on postage. In addition, they are also locked out of the market for contracted phones.
• Auction Sites
Auction sites like eBay or Bonanza offer great opportunities to buyers who are well-versed in the art of online bidding. The lower seller fees means the prices are usually lower than Amazon. On the flip side, the number of listings is considerably lower and the pricing fluctuates between sellers. Additionally, since payment are credited directly to sellers (instead of being kept on hold like at Amazon), there is a risk of seller fraud, especially for new and first time sellers. Nevertheless, PayPal’s buyer protection offers a recovery options for customers, so be sure to use PayPal when making purchases from these places.
• Classifieds
Gumtree, Preloved and other classified sites rarely have the exact thing we’re looking for, but you will get lucky sometimes. So make an effort to search through the listing to find any hidden gems. It goes without saying that you should exercise extreme caution and good judgement when making online payment or meeting up with people.
• Shops
If you are living in a large city (the larger the better), good deals can be found from shops if you look hard enough. Since competition is high in urban centres, shops tend to operate on very fine profit margins, which is always a good thing for customers. So walk down the street from your home or office and have a look around at the mobile shops around the area – especially independent ones.