Choosing Between New and Used Cell Phones

People purchase new cell phones for a number of reasons - they've broken their old one, lost it, or are purchasing their first cell phone from a particular service provider as a part of a package. Most people buying cell phones assume that purchasing a new cell phone from their provider is the only option, but this is not the case. Refurbished and/or used cell phones can be bought from third party vendors at discounted prices.

Going the used/refurbished route is often a wise decision and, truth be told, there really are not too many cases in which it makes economical sense to buy a new phone. Not only are new phones more expensive, but they often require you to sign a new contract to take advantage of any deals on the phone. If you're not signing a new contract, be prepared to pay full retail for a phone that you could get for much cheaper if you bought it used. For a number of people, purchasing a used cell phone is an excellent way to bridge the gap between a broken phone and the end of a contract.

However, if you are an innovator or early adopter that insists on having the latest and greatest technology at your fingertips the instant that it is available, you'll likely have to buy a new phone. Most phones can be found used shortly after they are released to the market, but sometimes they are difficult to find. If you can manage to wait only a couple of months, you should be able to find a used or refurbished cell phone in the model of your choice at a discounted price.

You may also consider a new phone over a used one if you plan to use it for a long time. A good used phone retailer will offer a warranty on their phones, but they rarely last as long as the manufacturers warranty. In this sense, it is somewhat comparable to purchasing a car. Some people prefer new cars because they know the vehicle's history and get a warranty with the car in case something goes wrong. On the other hand, others are content to deal with these issues if and when they arise to take advantage of purchasing a used car for much cheaper. In the end, it comes down to personal preference, but the truth is that there are not too many reasons why you should pay more for a new phone when you can get the exact same phone for much cheaper when you buy it used.

Lost your Blackberry? You don't have to go to your cellular service provider's store and spend hundreds of dollars on a new one. refurbished cell phones can give you the same features and connections as your old Blackberry, but at a much better price. This is not an option that most people even think about, but it can save money and it is much better for the environment.

Wondering how buying a used cell phone can be a "green" decision? Stop and think for a minute about the number of cell phones that you and your family have used and thrown away over the years. Now take that number and multiply it by your rough estimate of how many similar families around the world have done the exact same thing. That's a lot of cell phones. Although recycling programs are available, most people don't use them and most old phones end up in landfills with the rest of our garbage. While in landfills, cell phones have been know to leak toxic chemicals into the soil and water supply, which is certainly not good for our environment. By purchasing used cell phones, you keep one more phone out of the landfill and still meet your communication needs. It's a win/win.

If you're worried about losing functionality by purchasing a used cell phone, rest assured that this is hardly an issue. Most phones sold by third party vendors as "used" have been refurbished by the manufacturer. This means that they have been cleaned and restored to factory settings, including erasing the memory and reinstalling the most current version of the operating system. In other words, the phone will perform as well as a brand new on that comes straight out of the box. You may have to deal with a couple of surface scratches, but we all know that we'd inevitably end up with scratches on our phone anyway, so it's kind of a moot point.

The great news is that refurbished cell phones are available in the newest models. This can give you the same phone as a friend at a much lower price. Your friends and family members will be jealous when they find out how much you spent on your phone versus their new one.

Finally, most people worry about warranties, and if you're replacing a phone that broke, this is an especially valid concern. The good news is that many used cell phone retailers will offer a warranty on their phones, at no cost, even if the phone is used. These warranties won't last as long as a warranty on a brand new phone, but given the price point of the phones, the warranties are very fair. In fact, some used phones can be found so cheap that you could actually buy a few of them if they continue to break (although I'm not sure why you'd do this) for less than it would cost you to purchase the same phone brand new.

So what's holding you back? If you need to replace a broken or lost phone like a Blackberry, you'll be looking at extremely high retail prices by purchasing the phone new. However, shopping around for a used Blackberry, you'll be able to find the same phone with the same features for much less.