Looking to save yourself some cash? Let’s face it, who isn’t nowadays? We’re all on tight budgets and looking for ways to make savings. And there’s no reason that you shouldn’t make savings on your mobile phone. There are plenty of great tips for getting cheap mobile phones, and today we’re going to tell you what those tips are. So, if you need a new phone and you don’t have much cash, here are a few ways that you can still get the phone that you want…
Get a Cheap iPhone 4
Lots of people want to own an iPhone, but unfortunately these are expensive devices. If you want an iPhone, then the most cost effective way of getting one is going to be getting a cheap iPhone 4. You’ll have to sacrifice a little performance with this option, a cheap iPhone 4 doesn’t have the same screen size or processing power as a top of the range iPhone 5. However, you’ll get the iPhone that you want for the cheapest price. A new iPhone 4 from Apple is going to cost you a little over three hundred pounds. That might seem expensive, but compared to the more than five hundred pound price tag on the iPhone 5, it’s a bargain.
Or Get an Instalment Plan
An instalment plan isn’t actually going to save you money on the total price of a phone. In fact, with most instalment options you eventually end up paying a little more than retail price for your phone. What it will do for you however, is get you the phone you want without you having to pay the full cost up front, so you’ll have more time to find the cash to pay for your mobile. You have a couple of options. If you can sign a new mobile contract, then sign an incentive contract with an operator which will give you the phone that you’re looking for. Many operators give phones for free with no down payment at all. On the other hand, if you can’t sign a contract, you might want to look at instalment plans with high street retailers. These do have the disadvantage of usually requiring a down payment though.
Shop Online
Shopping online is nearly always going to get you the cheapest price on the model that you’re looking for. Partially this is because comparison shopping is just so easy online. Find a price comparison web site, put in the phone you’re looking for, and in less than a second you can find out who’s offering your phone for the cheapest price. But online shopping is also beneficial because most sellers, even mobile operators and major electronics chains, offer discounts to internet shoppers that they don’t offer to physical shoppers. This is simply because overhead costs on online selling are so low that retailers can afford to offer cheaper prices.
Go Refurbished
Another option for getting discounts is to buy a refurbished phone. These are models that have been bought and then returned, usually unused, within a few days of being sold. Phones go back to the factory to get a complete technical inspection and be cleaned and rebooted before being resold. You really won’t be able to tell the difference between a brand new phone and a refurbished one, in look and functionality they will be absolutely identical. You’ll even get a warranty. And you’ll also get a healthy discount. You can find refurbished models online and through some mobile operators.
Or Maybe Reconditioned
Reconditioned phones are different from refurbished ones in that they have been
used. These are generally business phones that have been rented by a company and then returned at the end of their lease period. However, like refurbished models they are sent back to the factory for a technical inspection and cleaning and rebooting. They may also get a software update and have any worn or broken parts replaced. There will probably be cosmetic issues with reconditioned phones since they have been used, scratches on the casing are common. But they should function absolutely perfectly. And, of course, they’re an even cheaper option than refurbished phones. You can also find reconditioned phones online and through mobile operators.
Buy Budget
You don’t have to spend a fortune on top end phones with lots of features. There are plenty of budget smart phones on the market. You can get a decent phone for less than a hundred and fifty pounds these days. You will be looking for some minimum specs on a budget phone though, because you’re not going to want to give up too much performance just to get a low price tag. Your screen should be around three and a half inches, otherwise you’re going to have problems typing on a touch screen keyboard. You’ll want at least 800 MHz of processing power to get the speeds that you need for new programmes, games and apps. There should be a minimum of 512 MB of RAM to stop your phone from lagging, crashing or freezing. And finally, you’ll want at least 2 GB of memory, to stop your phone filling up with data too quickly and slowing down. If you want a great budget smart phone take a look at the Huawei Ascend G330, it’s one of the best on the market right now.
Or Buy Second Hand
Finally, you can always buy a second hand phone for a good deal. You’ll need to be a little careful here, since there’s going to be no guarantee that the phone you’re getting is in good working condition. Try not to buy from person to person sites like eBay or Craig’s list, go for a reputable second hand web site instead. Take the time to search for customer reviews of the site you want to use to see what experience other people have had. And if at all possible, find a site that has a return policy just in case things go wrong.
Finding a cheap iPhone 4 was something that Sam Jones helped a lot of people with. It didn’t take him a lot of time as uSwitch and similar sites were designed to save time as well as money
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