We live in a sea of gadgets. International corporations churn out crafts almost every week. Chips are constantly updated, bring power and global problems. Remember overheating 888 dragon, Xiaomi’s proximity sensor. Yes, and Samsung has not recovered from explosive phones.
I want to buy a smartphone – and not think about how buggy its firmware will be. A logical question: buy a new gadget or take a flagship 2-3 years ago.
I bought my first modern smartphone. This is Sony Xperia P. If not for 1 GB of RAM, I would still be walking with it.
But with the order of new equipment, they were not lucky: Philips’ battery swelled after the warranty period expired, Doogee died exactly a year later due to a short circuit, although IP68.
My experience with used gadgets is only positive.
Let’s see if it’s worth buying a used flagship. Every medal has 2 sides.
Pros of buying a used flagship
What are the advantages of such a purchase:
1) Stable phone. If the owner is an adequate user, regularly updated, then the manufacturer solved possible smartphone glitches that got out during operation with the help of updates.
2) Price compared to buying a new phone with the same specifications. New smartphones immediately after purchase lose up to 30% of their value. A scratch or chip on the body drops the price by 50-60%.
3) Flagships are made from quality materials and pay attention to build quality. For this reason, used flagships will last longer than new mid-range and state employees.
How not to take a pig in a poke. Checking the hardware
Let’s stop on the list of pluses. But the disadvantages of such a purchase directly depend on the conscientiousness of the seller. As they say, there are 2 fools in the market: one sells, the other buys. I still remember being in a multi-story showroom of tuned used cars. A Hummer stood in the center of the exposition, it shone with chrome, the body was polished, there were not even stains on the windows. But! Swamp water in the fog lights! Green swamp water, Carl!
Here is the main disadvantage. Externally, the phone is in perfect condition. But what is inside him – only the Chinese god knows.
So, here more advice is needed on how to avoid buying a pig in a poke. What we check physically:
1) The work of the mobile Internet. Take a SIM card with mobile internet. At the same time, check the integrity of the SIM card slot.
2) The work of each camera module: the width, the telephoto, and the macro (if any). Take a different photo with each module.
3) Wi-Fi work. Distribute the Internet on your old smartphone and catch it with the help of the purchased smartphone. Take your laptop and connect to your smartphone like a router.
4) Proximity sensors, illumination.
5) The work of the speakers and microphone. Call someone, let them evaluate the sound quality when communicating.
6) If the smartphone is non-separable, then you can’t check the battery here. Keep in mind: 2-3 years of service – and the battery needs to be replaced. Be prepared that the smartphone will be quickly discharged. Run a demanding game for 10 minutes. If you ate less than 5% – very lucky, the battery is alive!
7) Carefully inspect the display. Reboot your phone. On the black loading screen, all artifacts will come out, whether they are broken or faded pixels. Here, check the touchscreen: launch a text editor and drive around the keyboard.
8) Take wired and wireless headphones. So check the 3.5mm audio jack and Bluetooth stability.
Legal purity of the purchase
The technical part was dismantled, now the legal part:
1) Pay attention to the receipt and original box. The IMEI on the box will match the IMEI of the device (code *#06#).
2) If there is no box and receipt, I recommend that IMEI be broken through the database of stolen and lost:
3) Make sure your phone is factory reset. Otherwise, in the future you will face the inability to use the phone. For example, Xiaomi phones are blocked by account linking. And resetting to factory settings, reflashing such a device is not possible if there is no Mi-account login and password, and you get a brick at your disposal. This is how the flagships of famous brands are protected.
4) Suspicion is caused by brand new iPhones with a fresh check and a box. New scam scheme. A person bought a phone, insured it in case of theft, sold it for 70% of the price, motivating that money is badly needed. Contacts the store with a claim that the phone is lost. He receives a new device, and the one that he sold is automatically blocked the first time he connects to the Internet.
Checking the scammer
If you buy a phone from an ad from the Internet, then immediately dismiss:
1) If there are no real photos of the phone, but taken from the Internet on a white background. Such an ad goes in the description with the phrase: “Details at the meeting” or “Details by phone”.
2) Low seller rating. Banal filter, but it works.
3) The seller has a lot of similar ads with phones. This means that this is a repurchase, and not the owner of the phone
Purchase options
In conclusion, if you decide to buy a flagship from the past, I suggest considering the following options from the already distant 2019:
1) Google Pixel 4 XL – pure android without shells.
2) OnePlus 7 Pro – top-end hardware combined with frosted glass and a better display
3) Huawei P30 Pro – who likes to shoot in difficult conditions and is ready to put up with the lack of Google services
4) Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is a reliable smart phone with a stylus
5) Oppo Reno 10x Zoom Edition – pop-up front camera
6) Vivo NEX 3 – waterfall display and lack of physical buttons.
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