[79adam79]

I'm in the process of buying an unlocked phone to use w/ MetroPCS. The big question is whether I should save a substantial amount of money and buy used, or spend more for new. I don't want to inherit somebody's problems when buying a used phone, especially when buying site unseen. Also, a phone's performance degrades over time. I'd like to own one while it's still in it's prime.

I'd love to hear your opinions on this topic, and what I've written.

Thanks,
-Adam

[Rukbat]

1. Swappa is a good place to buy used. Most of what you see isn't someone else's problems, it's "I had this phone for 6 months, and I'm getting bored with it." Some people are like that. Swappa is pretty tight on vetting what's listed.

2. If the phone is locked to TMobile, it'll work on MetroPCS. Unlocked phones are more expensive. If you're staying with MetroPCS (or going to switch to TMobile some time in the future), an unlocked phone is a waste of money.

3. Phones don't degrade over time. Electronics keep working the same unless they stop working. An older phone will stop getting updates sooner, but it will still work. It may eventually get to the point that you want some of the features the newer phones have, but that will eventually happen if you buy a Note 5. Look at Swappa, then look at the same phones at retail price, and you'll see a huge difference.

[B. Diddy]

Phones don't degrade over time.

Hey Rukbat--I thought memory chips have an increasing chance of failure as years go by? I'm imagine it depends on the quality of chips that the manufacturer used. Also, if the phone has a non-removable battery and the previous owner didn't take care of it that well, the battery life might deteriorate more quickly than expected.

[79adam79]

Hey Rukbat--I thought memory chips have an increasing chance of failure as years go by? I'm imagine it depends on the quality of chips that the manufacturer used. Also, if the phone has a non-removable battery and the previous owner didn't take care of it that well, the battery life might deteriorate more quickly than expected.

That's exactly what I read, and considering that I'm going w/ a HTC One M7 (non-removable battery), the probability of problems down the road increases.

Thanks,
-Adam

[79adam79]

My other question involves vendors. While browsing Amazon for pricing options, I noticed that you're never buying directly from Amazon. They list a price from a website that is then selling the item from yet another vendor. BAH! It can get confusing!
Any recommendations on quality, trustworthy vendors? Based on personal experience or second hand knowledge from trusted friends/associates.

Thanks,
-Adam