Second hand smart phones

[sicknero]

I'm thinking about buying a second hand phone as my old one is ancient and won't run apps.

I'm wary of second hand because I won't know what the previous owner has installed etc.

I understand that it's possible to do a "hard reset" ... my question is, will this completely clear the phone? i.e. is it equivalent in any way to wiping my system drive and reinstalliing Windows?

[Anupam]

A factory reset will completely reset the phone, and make the phone fresh, like it was when it was first bought.

If there is an SD card, you can format it as well.

Why buy a second hand phone though, when you can get decent quality phones, like Moto G, for cheap? Unless you are getting a high quality phone in a good condition for a good rate, which is understandable .

[sicknero]

Sorry, I read your reply days ago then forgot to post

Thanks for the info, that's what I needed to know as I'd never want to buy second hand if I couldn't fully restore the phone to factory settings. It's mostly about knowing what my options are.

I've looked at the MotoG, it does seem a good deal although the price jumps quite a bit if you go for the model with removeable storage.

Thank you.

[Anupam]

Moto E, another cheap but good phone is also an option. I was comparing Moto E and Moto G, and when compared to present model of Moto G, Moto E seems like a better option. So, you can compare it yourself, and consider it as an option.

Also, another good thing with Motorola devices like Moto G and Moto E, are that they are making very few changes to stock Android, and therefore, their system updates will be faster, and they also seem to provide Android updates for longer time for these models.

Moto G 2015 will be out soon, and it will be interesting to see what changes it will bring.

[dollyp]

The main thing that bothers me with second hand phones is the battery. Most of the newest phones now have batteries sealed inside and not accessible, e.g. iphones and the new Samsung S6. My experience with li-ion batteries is that they last less than 2 years of daily use and recharge, so that second hand phone may already be on it's last legs when it is put on ebay.

My Moto G (2013 model) is a cracker. I've had it about 9 months and whilst its not as quick as more expensive phones it does what I want. It's battery is listed as non-replaceable but the back cover comes off and the battery is visible under several screws and a YouTube video shows it to be replaceable by a competent amateur.

I don't mind shelling out a couple of hundred quid/bucks for a couple of years use of a phone but I'd really be mad to spend premium phone money for such a short use!

Regards
David

[Anupam]

You have a good point there David. If a mobile is 3-4 years old, definitely its battery will be on the dying side.

Moto G is a great phone for an affordable price.

[sicknero]

Thanks for the comments.... long term battery life is something that hadn't occured to me at all.

That's definitely a big point against buying second hand, short of stumbling across a real bargain.

Thanks

[deya]

Don't know what your spend budget is for a phone sicknero, but if you're in the UK as your location suggests then there are some seriously cheap SIM free smart phones to be had if you search around - brand new ones. Also depends on what OS you want.

Factory re-sets are fine but even so, as mentioned in this thread, you don't always know what you're getting as regards the state of the phone hardware. Not saying you can't come across bargain second hand ones because you can, and good ones at that. But that said, I reckon it's probably better to spend a little bit more on a new one that comes with a good guarantee.

[eyeb]

I haven't had any hardware issues if I check for no cracked screens/etc. If it boots up and runs and camera/gps/etc all work, I don't mind reloading the OS

mostly because I like to flash new roms/os anyways so a factory reset means nothing to me.

my biggest concern buying second hand is if the phone is stolen...

edit: I also dont mind buying a broken phone then buying parts and fixing it myself if I can get a good deal on it, as in 80-90% off price :S, I've gotten new phones with broken screens off craigslist for $50, bought screen for $100 and played with it then resold it for $200. But again, I want to make sure the phone isn't stolen... I don't deal with stolen goods...

[sicknero]

Thanks everyone.

I eventually got a new Lumia 535 which I'm v chuffed with : )