Should you buy a used phone? My results were mixed

With the iPhone 11 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Coming to over $ 1,000 and even the “affordable” OnePlus 8 Pro that costs $ 899, I wanted to see what level of phone I could get without spending a fortune. So I went hunting with $ 650 of CNET money (thanks guys!) To see what quality of phone you can get when you buy used.

I’m based in the UK, so I mainly used eBay and a service called MusicMagpie, which buys old and unwanted phones, restores them and sells them. There are similar services in the United States, like Gazelle. It also means the phones were paid for in pounds, but I’ve given currency conversions at all times for reference.

Without further ado, this is what I got.

Amount paid: £ 120 ($ 150, AU $ 230)

Originally released: April 2015

Bought from: eBay from the catering company

Condition announced: Grade A, “excellent”

Real condition: Almost like new. No scratches on the front or back of the glass, no noticeable scratches on the metal edges, slight cosmetic wear on the metal edge around the camera unit. Screen and headphone jack in perfect order. The micro USB socket may be loose and sometimes requires the cable to be moved before charging.

I trust that?
Despite the small problem with the charging cable, this phone works fine and everything else works perfectly. I have not had any unexpected crashes or other technical issues that suggest faulty hardware. I would have no problem using this as my primary phone.

Amount paid: £ 56 ($ 70, AU $ 110)

Originally released: March 2014

Bought from: eBay, private seller

Condition announced: “Used”

Real condition: In addition to a couple of small marks on the upper right and lower left corners, very few noticeable signs of wear on the phone case. The display, charging port and headphone jack are in perfect working order.

I trust that?
Absolutely. I had no glitches or restarts, and the phone seems as easy to use as I remember when I reviewed another model in 2014.

Amount paid: £ 50 ($ 60, AU $ 95)

Originally released: September 2015

Bought from: eBay, private seller

Condition announced: “Used – condition is excellent”

Real condition: Less wear and tear on the phone’s rubber backing material, but otherwise no major brands to speak of. The screen is scratch-free and works well.

The battery, however, appears to be in serious trouble. Several times the phone has been turned off without warning, despite the fact that the battery level exceeds 50%. The phone will display a low battery symbol and will not turn on until it is plugged into a power source. At that time, it would show the same battery level (over 50%) and allow me to restart the phone. At other times, it would turn on only to immediately turn off again.

I trust that?
No. It’s difficult to determine if the problems I’ve seen so far have to do with an old battery (which you would expect to some degree on a six-year-old phone) or another problem entirely. Still, having the phone turned off in this way is a major problem, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable using it, not knowing if it will shut down without warning.

It’s a shame as the Moto X Android “Pure Edition”, a reduced version of the operating system, works extremely smoothly for such an old device, without noticeable delay in sliding your finger. This phone does not qualify as an “excellent” condition and I will try to return it for a refund. Look at this space.

Amount paid: £ 75 ($ 95, AU $ 145)

Originally released: September 2014

Bought from: eBay, a catering company

Condition announced: “Grade B: good condition: the case may have slight scratches and nicks; there may be signs of scratches on the screen that may have been detected in everyday use.”

Real condition: There are almost no noticeable signs of wear on the phone’s body or screen. It came with a pre-applied screen protector. However, the battery has aged. The phone was turned off without warning and upon restart it displayed the message:

“This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery was unable to deliver the maximum power required. Performance management has been applied to help prevent this from happening again.”

I trust that?
Not really. The warning message is a sign of low battery, and the result is that performance will speed up on the phone to prevent further crashes. Or, in the configuration, you could choose to support more crashes, without reducing performance. It is also not an ideal option.

The “battery status” section in the phone settings says that the battery has a maximum capacity of 91% compared to when it was new, which doesn’t seem so bad. However, the “unexpected shutdown” message is repeated in the same configuration menu.

My options would be simply to endure the problem and continue on a fast phone, or try to get Apple or a third party company to replace the battery. Apple quotes a price of £ 49 ($ 49, AU $ 79) for the battery replacement, which is a lot to spend, given that the phone had only £ 75 to start.

Amount paid: £ 215 ($ 270, AU $ 415)

Originally released: April 2017

Bought from: MusicMagpie

Condition announced: “Good: This product has signs of wear, but it has been fully tested and works perfectly.”

Real condition: Very small scratches on the screen and a couple of small chips at the corners of the metal edge. The screen itself is fully operational, as are the camera, USB-C charging port, and headphone jack.

I trust that?
In my first few hours on the phone I did not encounter any problems with the phone. I would feel perfectly comfortable using this as my primary phone.

I’ve learned

As with anything, you get what you pay for. The Galaxy S8 performs extremely well and comes with the peace of mind of a MusicMagpie 12-month warranty. But at £ 215 ($ 270), it was the most expensive in the group by far.

The Moto X was a major disappointment, despite its low price of £ 50. It doesn’t work properly and I couldn’t use this phone as my primary device. The iPhone’s battery problem is in line with what is expected from an older battery, and the phone will at least be perfectly usable, albeit with limited performance, for some time. Not bad for £ 75.

Both the HTC One M8 and Galaxy S6 have so far shown zero problems and I am eager to subject them to further testing to see what you can get from used phones at these prices.

If you are buying used phones yourself, it is worth remembering that there are advantages and disadvantages no matter how much you spend. An older phone will cost you less, but old batteries and other possible hardware failures may mean you’re not really getting the deal you hoped for.

It’s also important to remember that those older phones won’t have recent Android versions on board. That not only means that some new apps will not be compatible with your phone, but the phones may not have important security updates that could leave you vulnerable.