The best smartphone is a good way to save money. In this economy, saving a penny is victory. A shiny new flagship might be a satisfying purchase, but the second-hand market can help you save money without sacrificing too much functionality and performance.
The best phones always have a significant price cut when their successors launch, and these are great starting points. And as some people upgrade their devoutly year after year, it is easy to buy a used phone at a more affordable price. Whether you want iPhone 12, shiny Samsung Galaxy S21 or anything else, these are the best smartphones you can buy right now.
Generally speaking, it is a good idea to find a used smartphone when its successor is launched. Not only does this mean that the value of your potential phone is declining, it also means that someone will be willing to sell it to cover their own upgrades.
So now, with products like Samsung Galaxy S22, now is a good time to buy an older Galaxy phone. The Galaxy S21 in particular has experienced a significant price cut over the past year and a half while still maintaining solid hardware and performance, which makes it so popular when it comes to new products. The same goes for
iPhone 13. iPhone 14 Just arrived, and some people complained about how similar these two devices are. Last year’s equipment now has some nice price cuts, which means you can save money without losing quality and performance. The iPhone SE 2020 may have something like the A13 Bionic processor, but the iPhone 13 still has all the qualities of a flagship phone.
If you need something bigger, then tablet phone like the Galaxy S21 Ultra might be the best choice for you. It's not as old as some of the other devices on this list, but with the Note series officially dying, you might want to get a device based on the next one. Especially because this is one of only two Galaxy S phones that support S Pen
Google Pixel 5 is still a good choice, even though the Pixel 6 (and Pixel 6 Pro) significantly raises the standard that Pixel phones should offer. Google aging flagship may not be as powerful as some other flagships, but it still looks great, offers solid battery life and enjoy all the software benefits of being a Pixel device.
If that's not your jam, then there will always be OnePlus 9. The OnePlus 10 series has been eclipsed, but there is plenty to offer. Of course, if you value battery life and performance and can't survive without a silky smooth display, you won't be able to use cheaper devices.
Of course, if you really want to save money on other things, you can choose things like iPhone SE and Google Pixel 5a. If you buy a brand new one, both phones are relatively cheap, and while their design is not state-of-the-art, the technology in their internals is still impressive. By buying used means you can buy one for some incredibly affordable prices.
With the continuous release of new phones, old devices are gradually being phased out - making this list of most commonly used smartphones one worth paying attention to in the future. Let's take a closer look.
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1. iPhone 13
Promote Apple phones to move forward, even if it is not perfect Specifications Display: 6.1 inches OLED (2532 x 1170) CPU: A15 Bionic Memory: 4GB Storage/scalable: 128, 256, 512 GB / No Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.6); 12MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.4) Front camera: 12MP (ƒ/2.2) Weight: 6.14 oz Battery life (hours: minutes): 10: 33 (5G) Reason for purchase + Brighter display + Awesome camera + High-end movie video mode + First-class performance + Very good battery life Reason for avoidance - Lack of 120Hz display - Charging speed slower than competitors - Movie mode cap is 1080p
iPhone 13 may not be classified under the shadow of the iPhone 14, but that's not a reason for last year's model to go out of control. Especially because, as one quick pointed out, the difference between the standard iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models is not that big.
These two phones still use the A15 Bionic chipset, and the iPhone 15 Pro series exclusively uses the more powerful A16 Bionic. Note that the iPhone 14 does get an extra core in the GPU, but the difference isn't that obvious. The display and size of both phones are the same, but the iPhone 13 has a one-hour shortened battery life and the front camera does not have autofocus.
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2. Samsung Galaxy S21
Removed some functions, but it is still a good and cheap Android phone Specifications Display: 6.2 inches AMOLED (2400 x 1080) CPU: Snapdragon 888 Memory: 8GB Storage/Scalable: 128GB, 356GB/No Rear camera: 12MP Wide angle (f/1.8), 12MP Ultra Wide angle (f/2.2), 64MP Telephoto (f/2.0), with 3x Hybrid Zoom/30x Digital Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/1.7) Weight: 5.95 oz Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 9 hours 53 minutes (60hz), 6 hours 31 minutes (adaptive) Reason for purchase + Excellent dynamic 120Hz Display + Powerful performance + refined design + Powerful camera zoom Reason for avoidance - No charger or microSD Card slots - Plastic back panels - Some cameras are inconsistent
Samsung is not someone who makes a huge change from one flagship to another, so you won't miss a lot of choices for the Galaxy S21 over the newer, more shiny Galaxy S22. In fact, on paper, the difference between the two is almost negligible.
This means you can get reverse wireless charging, 25W fast charging, 5G, 50MP telephoto main camera, and the same OneUI as other Samsung devices. Just like its predecessor, the Galaxy S20, it doesn't have a headphone jack, but you can't have it all. The best part about
is that the phone is powerful enough that you can keep it for a long time. Especially now, Samsung promises more years of Android and security updates.
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3. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Galaxy Note Rebirth Specifications Display: 6.8 inches AMOLED (3200 x 1400) CPU: Snapdragon 868 Memory: 12GB, 16GB Storage/Extensible: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB / None Rear camera: 108MP Wide angle (f/1.8), 12MP Ultra Wide angle (f/2.2), 10MP Telephoto (3x zoom, f/2.4), 10MP Telephoto (10x zoom, f/4.9), Laser AF sensor Front camera: 40MP (ƒ/2.2) Weight: 8.88 oz Battery life (hours: minutes): 11 hours 25 minutes (60Hz), 10:07 (adaptive)
Reason for purchase + Dynamic 6.8-inch AMOLED display + Dual telephoto lens +S pen support + long battery life Avoided reasons - Expensive - No charger or microSD Card - A little clunky
Galaxy Note series is dead, but only nominally. Starting with the S21 Ultra, the Galaxy S Ultra line has replaced it. While not bundled with the S Pen like the S22 Ultra, the S21 still supports Samsung's stylus and offers a range of productivity features and software. The
S21 Ultra may be priced over $1,000 when it was launched, but competition from the cooler Galaxy S22 Ultra means it has dropped significantly over the past month or so. So if you want a large screen phone, you can choose to support a stylus, but it’s the best choice for you.
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4. Google Pixel 5
A charming and reasonable priced high-end phone Specifications Display: 6-inch OLED (2340 x 1080) CPU: Snapdragon 765G Memory: 8GB Storage/Extensible: 128GB / None Rear camera: 12MP Width (ƒ/1.7); 16MP Ultra-wide (ƒ/2.2) Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0) Weight: 5.3 oz Battery life (hours: minutes): 9: 29 Reasons to buy + Stable battery life + useful Pixel software features + excellent camera Reasons to avoid - There is no higher storage option
Google Pixel 5 has many advantages, but it always feels overpriced. Thankfully, the launch of the more impressive Pixel 6 means prices have begun to drop, and prices may continue to drop as people start uninstalling old devices.
While the Snapdragon 765G may seem bland, the Pixel 5 still contains a lot of great features. There is a 90Hz display, 9 and a half hours of stable battery life, and an incredible camera with a new ultra-wide lens. In addition, there are all the common software and camera features that make the Pixel series so popular, including first access to the latest Android software updates.
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. OnrPlus 9
has significant trade-off reliable performance Specifications Display: 6.55 inches AMOLED (2400 x 1080; 120Hz) CPU: Snapdragon 888 Memory: 8GB; 12GB Storage/scalable: 128GB; 256GB Rear camera: 48MP main (f/1.7), 50MP ultra-wide angle (f/2.2), 2MP monochrome Front camera: 16MP (f/2.4) Weight: 6.77 oz Battery life (hours: minutes): 10: 51 (120Hz); 10:53 (60Hz) Reason for purchase + Fast charging + Best performance Android phone + Better camera than previous OnePlus models + Stable battery life Avoided reason - Camera still has some color inconsistencies - Unlock No IP waterproof rating on the phone - Only 9 Pro Provide dynamic tweaks to display
OnePlus produces some great phones, although they will certainly be released a lot. That’s why picking up last year’s OnePlus 9 is always worth considering.With the release of the OnePlus 10 Pro, you can expect to find previous devices at a much cheaper price than this time last year.
OnePlus not only offers an incredible display, fast charging, 5G and a powerful Snapdragon 888 processor, but you also have one of the best battery life we've seen in testing. On top of that, Oxygen OS has proven itself to be one of the cleanest Android versions you can buy. The
camera is not the best, but it is still better than previous OnePlus devices. The battery is also very solid, with nearly 11 hours of battery life regardless of whether you turn on the fancy 120Hz refresh rate. While the cheaper OnePlus Nord range may be more attractive to some, they still make a lot of compromises. OnePlus 8 may have been over a year old, but it is still a complete flagship.
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. iPhone SE (2020)
The cheapest iPhone specifications you can buy Display: 4.7 inches LCD (1334x750) CPU: A13 Bionic Memory: 3GB Storage/Scalable: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB / None Rear camera: 12MP Width (ƒ/1.8) Front camera: 7MP (ƒ/2.2) Weight: 5.22 oz Battery life (hours: minutes): 9: 18 Reasons to buy + Acceptable price + Fast A13 Bionic performance + Very good camera Reasons to avoid - Large bezels - No night mode
iPhone SE 2020 is already a great value for money phone, but choosing a 2-phone model means you can save more on Apple's cheap iPhone. Given that the phone's MSRP of $399, your savings will be limited, but now that the iPhone SE 2022 is on the market, the price of the second-generation model is falling.
You can have an iPhone 8-inspired design, but use some of the same hardware as iPhone 11. There is a powerful A13 Bionic processor, wireless charging, a 12MP camera that produces excellent results using computational photography, waterproof and a solid nine based on our tests, plus hours of battery life.
. Google Pixel 5a
Compact-friendly Pixel Specifications Display: 6.34-inch OLED (2400 x 1080) CPU: Snapdragon 765G Memory: 6GB Storage/Scalable: 128GB, No Rear Camera: 12.2MP (f/1.7), 16MP (f/2.2) Ultra-wide Front Camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0) Weight: 6.5 oz Battery Life (Hours: Minutes): 9: 45 Reasons to Buy +Spectacular Camera + Large and Bright Display + IP67 Waterproof Reasons to avoid - Older chipsets - US and Japan only - No wireless charging
Now that the Pixel 6a is here, you will start to see the Google Pixel 5a price cut. So $449 is a little too expensive for you, then you'll want to keep your eyes open. We call the Pixel 5a the “king of affordable phones” thanks to its impressive feature set and comes in a low-priced package.
It has a large 6.34-inch display, 5G below 6GHz, a dual-camera setup with 12.2 MP and 16MP ultra-wide lenses, and an 8MP selfie camera. The battery was great too, lasting 9 hours and 45 minutes in our test coupon. It still lacks wireless charging, but it's the sacrifice you have to make to save some money.
How to choose the best smartphone for you
For obvious reasons, it is more difficult to decide which smartphone you have used than to choose a new one. In addition to making sure that the specific device you are viewing is in an acceptable state, you must also consider whether the model you are interested in is capable of handling the task you expect to throw it.
flagship smartphones are more powerful than many of us realize, so even if you buy a device from two years ago, you may still get a phone that is powerful enough to handle daily tasks. From browsing social media apps and websites to GPS navigation, video and music streaming, and taking photos.
You Start seeing the places where old phones sweat are related to those really heavy use cases like playing the most laborious, graphic rich mobile games and 4K video recording. Additionally, if the battery in an old phone is never replaced with a new one, it can deteriorate to the point where it doesn’t last long after charging – another factor to consider.
You must also pay attention to the status of software and security updates on the device. This is a special area of buying older iPhones, as Apple has supported its phones far more than the standard 2-3-year policy promised by Android phone manufacturers. In fact, the iPhone 6S released in 2015 can still install iOS 15, which is the latest version of Apple mobile operating system. The best case scenario on Android is that Google keeps updates for three years for its Pixel device and Samsung devices purchased after 2019.
How we test smartphones
Each smartphone evaluated was tested in the actual use case for several days and benchmarked using a series of performance measurement applications. In terms of performance, we use Geekbench 5 to measure overall speed and GFXBench to measure graphics performance.
We also use our own video editing test in the AdobPremiere Rush app to see how long it takes to transcode clips, which we run on Android phones and iPhones to compare performance.
We use light meter to determine the display quality data , such as brightness and color accuracy, and our proprietary battery test determines the charging life by continuously loading real-time web pages on a 4G or 5G network. We set the screen brightness for each phone to 150 nits and try a network using T-Mobile every time to get comparable results between phones.
Finally, we explore the software, test game performance and make real-time camera comparisons with competitors’ phones—each of these factors plays a role in our comprehensive judgment.
