The best Android smartphones change every year. Flagships come and go, and trying to keep up with the smartphone trends is not only exhausting, but you’d also need a lot of money to have the liberty to own one annually. So if you’re on a budget but want to get flagship smartphones for half its listing price, consider looking for used phones online. Here are the best Android phones you can buy in that category:
Top pick: Google Pixel 3
There’s no question about it: The Google Pixel 3 is not only the best choice when it comes to used phones to buy this year, but it’s also an excellent pick if you’re buying brand new. The Pixel 3 beat out iOS flagships like the iPhone X and the subsequent XS, as well as Android ones like the Samsung Galaxy 9 in terms of image quality alone from its sole camera.
Trust us when we say that this is arguably one of the best used phones to get when you’re scrimping on your budget. Under the hood, you get a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip, the stock Android experience, and a camera system that can shoot low-light situations excellently. The speakers on this phone are also up there with the greats, with a stereo-surround sound that’s commanding and clear.
Runner-Ups: Samsung Galaxy 9 and OnePlus 6T
If you find the Google Pixel 3 hard to find in your locality (it was not officially released in many countries), a used Samsung Galaxy 9 is a great alternative. The Galaxy 9 is one heck of a phone, with a great screen that still holds up even today’s latest flagships. If you’re particularly savvy, you can find unbelievable deals on this phone for as low as $200.
The Samsung Galaxy 9 is a beast of a phone – the Infinity Display makes sure that you have at least 90% of the front panel serving as a screen, with a tiny bezel on top and even tinier on the bottom. You get a single camera on the back, but with Samsung’s dual-aperture technology, low-light photography should be a breeze.
Another great option if you’re looking for brands other than Samsung is the OnePlus 6T. Lower-priced than any flagship smartphones out there when it launched, the OnePlus 6T may lack the finesse of the other devices listed here, but the combination of top-notch processor, 8GB RAM, and an ample 128GB of memory is something to marvel at its price point.
The chip powering the GT is an octa-core, 10nm number, which means it’s fast as it can be. In benchmark tests, it outperformed several Android flagships on single-core speeds, and with a stunning 6.41 inches screen, the gaming experience is as smooth as possible. The OS is not quite Android but based off of it, called Oxygen OS.
Best Budget: OnePlus 5T
The OnePlus 5T is the perfect budget flagship smartphone to get when you’re not too concerned about getting the best features out of your device. In 2018, it’s hailed as the budget smartphone of the year – beating out entries from major OEM like Samsung and Huawei. It has a great screen, fast performance, and a battery life that can hold up to most flagships.
One of the things that makes the 5T a cut above the rest is that it has a fast-charging system – a feature locked for flagship smartphones at the time of launch. When you’re buying used ones today, you can find deals for as low as $100. The 5T has a dual camera set up on the back, an almost bezel-less screen, and a headphone jack.
Takeaway
Getting a used smartphone these days is easier than ever. Research swapping sites and browse the best deals that you can find. If you can, make sure that the used or refurbished phone you’re buying be at least 90% pristine. Ask your seller about the phone’s condition then decide for yourself if it’s worth it.