Android on a budget? Cheap PAYG/Used phone/Chinese knockoff?

[AC Question]

Hi,

I woke up this morning to find my trusty LG G2 doesn't want to work any more. I've tried everything - it seems to be completely kaput.

At the minute I have a dumbphone to make & answer calls, but I'm keen to get back into the 21st century as quickly as possible!

I can only afford to spend around £50 at the most at the minute - partly because I don't have a tonne of cash, and partly because my contract is not too far away from expiring, so I just need a device to "wait it out" as it were.

So, the way I see it, I have 3 options:

• buy a cheap PAYG handset from my service provider (O2) and chuck my contract SIM in it
• buy a second hand handset from eBay or a similar place
• take my chances with the multitude of cheap Chinese handsets on eBay

I've heard some good things about some of the Chinese handsets floating around on eBay (such as the Elephone S2+ and the Xiaomi Mii4) but I've struggled to find much info about the cheaper handsets.

These phones also appeal to me because of the dual SIM function - it would be great to only carry one phone for work and personal use. I would obviously like to avoid buying a dud if possible though!

The other options - a new PAYG or a second hand phone - are probably more rational - but I'm a bit lost as to what handsets are going to be any good? Obviously I'm not expecting something blazingly fast, but I'd like to get as much "bang for my buck" as possible. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Tom

 

[the tall guy]

Hi Tom,

Have a look for used Moto phones, they are reasonably priced brand new so I would imagine a 2nd hand Moto X or Moto G would go for fairly cheap. You can buy a Moto E brand new for about £60 these days. I wouldn't risk buying a cheaper Chinese model from Ebay, just because the device won't be that well known back home and you might struggle to find helpful hints and tips on that device.

A friend of mine bought a cheap phone from Ebay last year, within a week the phone had fallen to pieces!

Just had a quick look on Gumtree, Nexus 4 and HTC One M7 sell for cheap as well

 

[Tommie Haze]

Hi, OP here!

Thanks for the advice - I think I might try and pick up a HTC One M7 then, as I've had great experiences with HTC handsets in the past!

Thanks again

 

[the tall guy]

Hi, OP here!

Thanks for the advice - I think I might try and pick up a HTC One M7 then, as I've had great experiences with HTC handsets in the past!

Thanks again

Hey - thanks for registering and welcome to AC forums yeah the M7 was a brilliant phone, still one of the best looking ones I've ever owned. If you can get one on the cheap I would recommend it.

 

[anon8380037]

Have a look in CEX stores, and now Game as well. CEX stores site is WeBuy. com, look for Grade A or Grade B and O2 locked phones will be a little cheaper than unlocked versions. Not always the best prices on some models at times, they know what will sell, but I recommend them.

I also agree even a Moto G 2013 is very good compared to shop phones, though I'm trying to update mine and it isn't worth much.