New phone release seems like a never-ending story. People around the world are always in anticipation of new products with more sophisticated features. Every year, companies proudly present their products while hundreds of people gather to see what’s new. But what IS new anyway? Bigger screen? Longer battery life? Better camera? More file storage? If so, why should you spend an extra hundred dollars on these when you can purchase old phone with similar features?
If that does not convince you enough, we have 8 more reasons why you should turn your head away from the “New Arrival” isle. Without further ado and pointless anticipation, let’s get to it!
1. The prices have dropped
The most obvious reason is saving money. Compare any old phone with its new price back when it was first released. You will see a huge price drop. Some even half of its price now! The fact is that you will be paying more than you should when you purchase a new phone. It is not necessarily your fault. It is just the work of one of the laws of the economy: supply vs. demand. When a product is first released, the demand is quite high. As time goes by, the demand decreases, and so does the price. All you need to do is to wait for a little and you will end up saving a lot of money. Defeat the system by choosing to purchase old phone!
2. Its accessories are cheaper
Besides the phone itself, all the accessories you need with it are cheaper as well. From phone cases, chargers, headphones, screen protectors, to even replacement parts are now available at cheaper prices. And you don’t have to compete with other buyers as they are too busy eyeing on the next upcoming products. You have all the choices you want (almost) to yourself.
3. It still works
Some people tend to buy new releases after a new release, tossing the old phone they had only for less than a year. One of the reasons is the fear of owning one that will no longer usable for not having the latest features. This cannot be more wrong. New features are usually just an upgrade from the old ones. So, even if you purchase old phone, it would still work even without the latest features. They won’t still be selling it if it’s not working anymore. Besides, did you know that some phone companies allow old phone users to upgrade theirs to the new phone’s features?
4. Easier to fix
As the price of its replacement parts goes down, old phones are cheaper and easier to fix. Besides the price drop, these parts are easier to obtain. And your phone will not be the first one with the same brand and model that the repair shop had to fix. This way, they are more experienced in fixing yours. Better yet, they may do a quicker job compared to what they do with new phones!
5. It has been tested by real customers
Besides the repair shop’s experience, you will get to benefit from the other buyers if you choose to purchase old phone. When a phone is first introduced, it has only been tested by selected customers, not the entire world. Chances are some products from the first marketed batch are dejected or simply need a little more adjustment. The company will take the feedback and create another batch of product that has been improved. When you purchase old phone, you will get your hands on those later batches. Whatever it was lacking from the previous batches have been repaired and adjusted. Quality assured even more.
6. Many reviews available online
As more people buy one particular product, you will find more reviews online. This will help you decide if the old phone you have been eyeing on is as good as you think. The more good reviews, the more trustworthy a product is. You may also have the chance to ask your friends and family who had first bought the same phone, or at least from the same series. This way, you avoid disappointment most customers get when the product does not meet their expectations. You will have more time and resources to do your research before finally making the decision.
7. Familiarity to its features
Many of us cannot resist the sparks of a new phone that comes with new features. But we don’t realize that it takes effort to get used to them. It’s time-consuming and sometimes, it can be frustrating too. Save yourself from this situation by opting to purchase old phone!
Older phones offer a more familiar feature that we’re all used to. The new feature does the same job as the old ones. Thanks to the familiarity, no need to adjust to a new system that might be confusing. This reason alone should be enough to convince you to purchase old phone, especially if you’re planning on buying a gift for your parents or grandparents.
8. It has all you need minus the exclusivity fee
Let’s take a few steps back and ask yourself this question: what are you looking for in a phone? Most of us use a phone to make a phone call, text, take photos, store downloaded files, surfing the internet, and accessing social media. You don’t need the latest product for all of these. Any phone released in the past decade can do these jobs well. What makes a phone great is not really about the year phone is produced, but the specs and quality of production. Guess what, many old phones are even better than the new ones. And the best part is: they are cheaper!