How to Get a Cheap Mobile Phone

If you're a little low on cash but need a new mobile, then you might be wondering how on earth you're going to get the phone that you need. Everybody these days is trying to save money, and that often means cutting down on luxury items. But a good mobile phone isn't really a luxury item to most of us. The fact that more and more people are giving up their land line phones, and more jobs are requiring constant contact, means that mobiles are very much necessities to a lot of people. So, if you need a new phone but you're on a tight budget, today we're going to tell you how you can get what you need. Read on for some of the cheapest ways to get yourself a new phone...

Get a Free Mobile Phone on a Contract             

Okay, it's not really going to be a free mobile phone. But if you've got zero cash, signing a mobile incentive contract will give you a new mobile phone for absolutely no money down. You'll have to pay for the phone in instalments, which will be added to your monthly mobile bill. You'll also end up paying a little more than retail price for the phone over the course of your contract. However, you'll get the phone that you need immediately without having to pay anything for it. Many people choose to get a free mobile phone by signing a mobile contract, and it is quite a convenient option. You do need to be in a position where you can sign a contract though. That means if you're currently under contract elsewhere you won't be able to take advantage of this option. In that case, you might want to check out instalment plans with major electronics retailers. These often require small down payments, but again you will get to spread out the total cost of the phone over several months, making it easier to find the cash.

Get a Budget Smart Phone

Many manufacturers these days are making budget smart phones. These models retail for less than a hundred and fifty pounds and are fully functioning, touch screen smart phones. You need to be a little careful when shopping for budget phones, since you don't want to sacrifice too much performance for a low price tag, but as long as you take a close look at the specs on a phone you should be fine. There are some minimum requirements that you should be looking for to make sure that your phone is going to be capable of doing what you want it to do. Firstly, look for a screen size of a minimum of around three and a half inches. Much smaller than that and you're going to have problems typing on the on screen keyboard. Processors should be around 800 MHz, otherwise you won't have the speed that you need and may have problems running recent software and games. RAM needs to be a minimum of 512 MB to stop your phone lagging, freezing and possibly crashing. And internal memory should be at least 2 GB, to stop performance issues that happen when memory gets clogged up with data. There are a few notable budget models, including the Huawei Ascend W1 and the Sony Xperia Tipo. Either of these makes a great budget buy.

Get a Refurbished or Reconditioned Model

There are a couple of lesser known choices that can get you good savings on a new mobile. The first of these is called a refurbished phone. This is a mobile that has been sold and then returned. It's usually been returned just because the customer changed his or her mind, and is often unused. The device is sent back to the factory, where it will have a complete technical inspection and be cleaned and rebooted before being cleared for resale. In appearance and function a refurbished model will be absolutely identical to a brand new one, you really won't be able to tell the difference. You'll get a full warranty too, just in case something goes wrong. You'll also get yourself a healthy discount. Reconditioned models are a little different. These tend to be phones that companies have rented to use as business mobiles, and which are then returned at the end of their lease period. This obviously means that they have been used, often heavily. However, a reconditioned model will also go back to the factory to undergo the same, complete technical inspection. It will be cleaned and rebooted, exactly as a refurbished model is. But reconditioned models also receive software updates if they're appropriate, and may have worn or broken parts replaced, including the battery. A reconditioned phone is going to be even cheaper than a refurbished one. You can find both refurbished and reconditioned phones online, and through some mobile operators.

Get a Second Hand Mobile

Buying a second hand mobile might seem risky, and it is riskier than buying refurbished or reconditioned, since the phone generally won't have undergone a technical inspection. However, with a little care you can minimise that risk. Firstly, wherever possible you should try to inspect a phone in person before buying. This will entail examining the body for scratches and dents and the screen for dead pixels. You can insert your SIM card into the phone and text, call and connect to the internet to make sure that everything works in the way it should. Finally, take a picture with the phone and look at it. If there is any distortion or blurring this indicates that the camera lens is broken and that the phone has probably been dropped. Unfortunately, with so many second hand phone being sold online, an examination isn't always possible. In this case do your best to buy from a reputable site, rather than sellers on eBay or Craig's List. Look at online customer reviews of the site to see what experience other people have had. And if possible, find a site that has a return policy so that you can get your money back in the event that there's a problem.