Second hand Iphones

[david123]

Now that Caroline (my wife) has retired we are spending more time traveling and would like to buy a second hand I phone to pick up free WI-Fii as we travel. Ideally a pay as you go. Any other ideas? or perhaps something else we should be looking at, Do you know of any reliable places to buy said items?

Both our mobiles are out of the Ark , much like our minds, so
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Harbo]

If you only want to use wifi then a wifi only Tablet or iPad will do the job too and cheaper - no phone bills and cheaper to buy?

Rod

 

[david123]

Hi Rod
Thanks for the advice.
We will need to make the occasional telephone calls and would like to replace our old phones at the same time, but without a monthly charge as we don,t use them that often.

 

[JustBen]

The iPhone operation system (iOS) is, in my opinion, the easiest for new phone users to use. It's very simple but can still so complex tasks if required.
It is the same layout on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch so makes like so much easier.

Over the years I've had pretty much all the new phones on all of the operating systems. I've unlocked/jailbroken/rooted etc each and every one of them and despite its downfalls, iOS is still the most relaxing and easiest to use.

You don't need an iPhone 5 or 4s. A 4 or 3s will be fine. You might find the 3 to be quite sluggish and I've never even seen a 2.

They aren't the cheapest phones but are pretty sturdy and can take a beating.

I would avoid blackberry like the plague.
Windows mobile is a relic,
Android can be ok providing its on the right phone but varies greatly with interface(layout)

As for places to buy....

Places like CEX, Cash Generator etc tend to be quite expensive although they do come with a warranty.

I've always found private sellers to be the best. Choose your seller well though.

I tend to go for middle aged people from a nice, affluent area.
They tend to be easier to negotiate a price with and have looked after the phone better.

It's not always the case but there is a higher chance of no problems.

This is just my opinion and what I would do.

Hope this helps

 

[petermillard]

I've had iPhones since they were introduced, passing down earlier models through the family - my soon-to-be 90 year old mother still uses my old iPhone 3G, my Dad (88) has an iPhone 4; I'd say a 4 is the base level for a usable device - a few years old now, yet still capable of running the newest version of iOS when it comes out in September, albeit a reduced feature set.

I bought a refurbished iPhone 4 from http://www.refurbiphones.co.uk/ for my daughter (~6 months into a 2 year Blackberry contract, sigh) a couple of months back and we’ve been very pleased with it. She had her contract SIM cut down to fit, and is currently in Vietnam, happily blogging, texting and emailing from it. She travelled to France with it last month, again, without any problems.

Bear in mind that there'll be a new iPhone around September / October, so everything will drop down a step in the product line i.e. the 4 will likely disappear from the line-up, with the 4s as the new entry-level - or the product line could change more radically if they introduce a lower cost handset.

Personally, I'd wait until autumn, but if you have to buy now then I would buy refurbished, from a dealer - that way at least you know the battery has been at least checked thoroughly, possibly replaced, and it will probably come with a warranty of some kind. Whichever route you decide to take, make sure you buy an unlocked handset, or one that can be unlocked easily - that way you can pick any cheap SIM option that suits you, or pick up a local SIM if you're travelling.

HTH Pete

 

[Alex H]

Hi Rod
Thanks for the advice.
We will need to make the occasional telephone calls and would like to replace our old phones at the same time, but without a monthly charge as we don,t use them that often.

We've just replaced our old Nokia Express music phones with a reasonably priced LG model (70€) which we use with PAYG sim
They have all the usual stuff, flat screen, wi-fi email, browser, camera etc, etc

The trouble is there is so much choice out there - but that doesn't mean it has to be expensive for what you are looking for.

 

[Myfordman]

I was in a very similar position to the OP. Just retired, planning to travel more and in my case had always used a company phone with all bills paid. I make virtually no calls or texts but use data on the move.
I bought a second hand iPhone 3GS from someone on a forum who I'd been chatting with on unrelated matters and it has been ideal. Being totally unfamiliar with iPhones at the time I got them to unlock it before buying.

Free GPS satnav is very useful when walking around on foot in a new town if only to put down a marker where you parked your car!

I can thoroughly recommend GiffGaff as an operator. No contract and you can use PAYG or buy different sized 'Goody Bags' that last a month with differing mixes of text/calls/data for time when you predict heavy wireless use eg when on holiday. GiffGaff runs on the O2 network so generally good coverage.

PM me if you want a SIM - it is one of those mutual reward things -you get free credit to get going and I get some too for passing on to a new customer.

hth
Myfordman

 

[david123]

Amazing
We have both read all your very helpful replies, and feel a bit more confident in looking around, now we have something positive to work on. coffee in the garden and then we will start looking. We may be back with more questions, but you have given us a lot to think about.....Than you

 

[cambournepete]

Windows mobile is a relic

Windows phone 8 most certainly isn't a relic. It's easy to use and some of the phones aren't very expensive either the Nokia 620 is around £200 without contract. Yes I've got one and am very happy with it, having moved from iPhones and still owning an ipad.

 

[JustBen]

Windows mobile is a relic

Windows phone 8 most certainly isn't a relic. It's easy to use and some of the phones aren't very expensive either the Nokia 620 is around £200 without contract. Yes I've got one and am very happy with it, having moved from iPhones and still owning an ipad.

Windows Mobile IS a relic and is a separate operating system to Windows Phone 8, which shares no similarities to Windows Mobile.

Although Windows Phone 8 is a vast improvement over Windows Mobile, it is still lagging far behind the competition. This is something which Microsoft have admitted themselves saying that the company is too segregated and that it needs to be more 'mobile' orientated.

 

[david123]

Well got an iPhone 4s. it arrived today

fordman I will send you a pm.

Thanks for all your help

 

[petermillard]

Good choice. - let us know how you get on. FWIW I'm writing this on an iPhone from a small Greek island, far away...

 

[david123]

This phone of yours that you are using far far away. does it have a matter transportation app attached to it??? I could do with a bit of time out on a Greek island. :lol:

 

[Jim Davis]

What is the best place to sell my used iphone and how to make sure that I delete all the personal data from it?

 

[lexfurther]

Consider selling it on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. While it's true that both of these platforms can have their share of scammers, many genuine buyers and sellers still use them. For added safety, try to find someone nearby and arrange a local meetup for the transaction.As for erasing all the data from your iPhone, you can follow the steps outlined in this helpful article: https://applenapps.com/delete-everything-on-an-iphone/. By following this guide step by step, you can ensure that your personal data will be completely and securely wiped from your device.

 

[MikeJhn]

Now that is what I call resurrection, ten years is going some, in fact I think it's from the iPhone 4 to iPhone 15.

 

[Jones]

Most smart phones can do everything an iPhone can. My oppo phone cost £30 new on payg with a sim with £10 credit on it .

 

[pe2dave]

If you're going for an iPhone, make sure the version you buy is still being updated by Apple. They drop support after a few years.