If you’re eager for a brand-new phone, but don’t have the necessary readies, then we have some good news.
There are two ways you can get the phone that you want - and save yourself a pretty penny into the bargain.
If you’re after a top quality smartphone from big-name brands such as Apple, Samsung, Sony or HTC your first port of call should be the eBay Refurbished Technology hub.
It’s packed with nearly-new smartphones that have been returned by customers – usually because the device had a hardware or software fault, had damaged packaging or the customer simply changed their mind. What happens next is that the device is rigorously checked over by either the original manufacturer or an approved retailer, restored and repaired as necessary, and then put up for sale through eBay.
Because these devices are no longer new, you can typically save 15-30% over the cost of buying a factory-fresh model – and you’re covered by a 12-month eBay warranty. That’s one way. The other way is to bypass the household names and look for something a little more left-field.
Often you’ll get the same kind of features and specs as you would do on a so-called premium model, you just won’t be paying premium prices to get your hands on them. Here are five fantastic examples…
1. Oppo F1
Oppo is a Chinese phone brand that you’ve probably never heard of, even though it’s the fourth biggest phone maker in the entire world. The company has been making some impressive handsets in recent years too, and the latest Oppo F1 is no exception.
It features a 720p 5-inch display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 612 processor, 3GB of RAM and a 13MP rear camera but only costs around £200 at the time of writing.
One of the real highlights comes with the selfie camera that features an 8MP sensor making your selfie shots as high-res as you’re ever going to need.
Paired with a beauty mode as well, your selfies are going to look better than those taken on some of the most popular flagship phones.
2. Huawei G8
Need a full metal phone on a budget? There’s something that feels better about a phone being encased in the shiny stuff and the Huawei G8 is a phone that does it for a nicer price than its bigger sibling, the P9.
The Huawei G8 comes with a fingerprint scanner – something none of the other phones on this list boast – as well as a 5.5-inch Full HD screen and a 13MP rear camera. That rear camera does especially well in low-light and has a lot of features such as “personalisation” to help you make photos feel special.
With color options of gold, grey and silver you’ll need to spend a little extra than other phones on the list at almost £300, but it’s still a great choice for your next phone.
3. OnePlus X
You may have already heard of OnePlus, but did you know the company does even cheaper phones than its flagship line? OnePlus released the X last year and it comes with some top end spec, but only costs around £240.
It comes with a 5-inch Full HD display, a premium feel design with metal edges and powerful innards that rival a lot of last year’s flagship phones.
The OnePlus X doesn’t support Android Marshmallow software yet and it only has 16GB of onboard storage, but it’s sure to get the upgrade in future and there’s also microSD support meaning this phone will even suit you well if you need lots of space.
5. Xiaomi Redmi 3S
Xiaomi is yet another Chinese manufacturer making great phones on the cheap with the new Redmi 3S only costing just a little over £100.
With a 5-inch 720p display, Android 6 Marshmallow software, 2GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 420 processor and 16GB of storage you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a much more expensive phone from Xiaomi.
It also comes with a huge 4100mAh battery to give you a long lasting life after only a single charge and there’s a 13MP rear-facing camera so you can always get the perfect snap.
