Why Buying a Used Phone Could Be Your Best Option

Buying a phone already involves tons of choices: Apple vs. Samsung, black vs. gray, 16GB vs. 32GB. But there’s another category you might also want to consider: Used vs. new.

Most people buy used phones to replace broken devices or upgrade to newer models. But a good chunk of consumers are purchasing used phones to save money in other ways, according to data from Gazelle.com, a site for trading in and buying pre-owned phones.

According to Gazelle, 17% of the site’s used phone buyers this year purchased the devices for their children, who might not need the latest and greatest devices. If your kids only need a phone for emergencies, for instance, it could be far cheaper to get them a used phone on a month-to-month plan rather than a shiny new device on an expensive two-year contract.

PHOTOS: The Rise of Mobile Phones from 1916 to Today

1916 A German field telephone station in the Aisne department of northern France during World War I.

Paul Thompson—FPG/Getty Images

1970 French singer and actor Johnny Hallyday in a scene from the film 'Point de Chute' (aka 'Falling Point').

Keystone/Holton/Getty Images

1980 An early mobile phone during the Iranian Embassy siege at Princes Gate in South Kensington, London.

Kypros/Getty Images

1983 Bob Maxwell, general manager of Englewood-based Mobile Telephone of Colorado, places a call on an FCC-approved radio frequency while driving to work.

Lyn Alweis—Denver Post/Getty Images

1986 THE A-TEAM "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" Episode 5. (l-r) Eddie Velez as Frankie Santana, Robert Vaughn as General Hunt Stockwell, George Peppard as John 'Hannibal' Smith.

Bill Dow—NBC/Getty Images

1992 Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton talks on a cell phone while meeting with Boston Mayor Ray Flynn in a New York hotel on Sept. 25.

Mark Lennihan—AP

1993 Whoopi Goldberg during ShoWest in Las Vegas.

Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images

1997 A farmer with his family sitting on a Bullock Cart and talking on a mobile Phone, in Delhi.

India Today Group/Getty Images

2001 A woman watches smoke pour out of the World Trade Center Towers in New York on September 11.

Nicholas Goldberg—Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

2011 A rebel militiaman speaks on his mobile phone after capturing territory from government troops on March 25 in Ben Jawat, Libya.

John Moore—Getty Images

2011 A youth films the aftermath of tear gas police fired at protestors in Muhammed Mahmoud Street near Tahrir Square on November 23 in Cairo.

Peter Macdiarmid—Getty Images

2012 Audience members take pictures of President Barack Obama at Florida Atlantic University on April 10 in Boca Raton, Florida.

Marc Serota—Getty Images

2014 A teenager takes a selfie in front of Queen Elizabeth II during a walk around St. Georges Market in Belfast. The Queen has apparently voiced her dismay that when she carries out engagements she is greeted by a sea of mobile phones.

Peter Macdiarmid—PA Wire/Press Association Images/AP

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Meanwhile, about one-fifth of Gazelle’s used phone customers were buying their first-ever smartphone often to avoid two-year contracts that they don’t need or can’t afford, the company says. Another one-third of used phone customers were upgrading to a better model — though not always the latest model.

If you’re thinking about buying a used phone, here’s a look at just how much you can save on some of the most popular smartphones around:

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