When it’s time to buy a new smartphone, many of us will turn to our savings because let’s face it, some of these will cost you an arm and a leg. It’s not hard to understand the urge as nowadays there are such cool mobile phones on the market that it’s hard to resist the temptation.
However, modern smartphones definitely aren’t cheap. They are a good investment, but it wouldn’t hurt to save some money along the way. Here are a few useful tips to help you get the best value for your money.
Don’t go for the latest model
It’s wonderful to have the newest technology, but the latest smartphone models have skyrocketing prices and are often unattainable for common people. By going for a somewhat older model, you’ll still get a cool gadget with good performance but for less money. Also, in order to avoid overspending on a phone, be clever to consider your needs first.
For example, if you don’t normally take a lot of photos or use a lot of apps, you won’t need the best camera features or extra storage space. Smartphones do cost more when they are bigger and have more storage. By choosing the basic model over a more powerful option, you can save a lot of money.
Hunt for sales
Waiting for the right time to purchase would be a smart thing to do and you might be able to get a better deal on a phone by waiting a little bit. So, don’t rush, but take time to look at different stores and what they have to offer unless your old phone has broken and you have to purchase a new one urgently. Many stores offer different kinds of discounts over the year, and so does Apple, usually after they have launched a new phone model so keep yourself updated.
Also, don’t forget to check what your mobile phone carrier has. It may have interesting promotions too, especially during the holidays. They will sometimes give you a discount if you bring your old smartphone for recycling or a good payment plan.
Buy a like-new mobile phone
If purchasing a brand-new smartphone is out of your price range, you may consider buying a refurbished or a used phone. Refurbished and second-hand phones are, of course, used and not brand-new but can be almost as good as new. However, refurbished items are tested in the same way new phones are, and repaired by a professional.
These work just as well but are cheaper because of their used status. The downside of refurbished phones is that we often do not get the same warranty on these devices as we do for brand-new ones. On the other hand, if you’re buying a used phone from a reliable source, i.e. your friend or a family member, it can be a good deal.
Sell your old phone
Why not get some extra cash and use it to buy a new phone? You don’t have to have any trading skills to do this. Just announce you’re selling in your circle of friends or place an ad on an announcement board at your school or work.
By selling, you will get an amount of money to start with. The simplest way is to sell your phone to Apple directly if you already have a smartphone. They will also take in some Android models and other Apple devices.
Shop online and look for discounts and perks
If having a new phone is very important to you and you really dig the trends, you can rent a phone, own it for a few months, and then exchange it for another model. You can rent the latest models from popular phone manufacturers and get a lot of benefits.
This smart money-saving service is available at digiDirect – Buy Samsung Galaxy Phones, iPhones, and other brands, or if not, simply rent one for a day, week, or month at great prices. These can be switched, upgraded, downgraded, or returned.
Use the right credit card
Various bank cards frequently come with attractive incentives such as cashback for each smartphone purchase. Find out which banks give these exciting offers and if you can make the most of them. If not, ask a friend or a family member to borrow theirs, which you will take back, of course, after the purchase.
Know someone abroad? Great!
Why don’t you give a call to friends or family abroad and ask about the prices there? Some of these high-tech gadgets are cheaper when bought elsewhere, possibly where they are manufactured or where they actually originate from. In that way, you can save some money by paying less. You can save even more if you have them bring it to you the next time they are visiting.
Conclusion
The bottom line is – buying a new phone is never cheap but these tips can definitely save you some bucks if you don’t run far ahead of yourself and don’t rush into buying it.