Second-handphone.com - ever used 'em?

ancient_mariner

ancient_mariner

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My 3 1/2 year old Moto RAZRi has just started misbehaving. Rather than spend £300+ on a phone, I'd wondered about pre-owned, and came across this site. Having confirmation that they were decent wouldn't do any harm, if someone here had used them succesfully in the past.
 
I'd never buy a pre-owned mobile. Too many horror stories of them being blocked after sale.
 
Plenty of brand new cheap phones available.
 
seems to be quite a few phones for sale on here.
bought my note 2 here over a year ago no issues.
 
Mr Bump said:
seems to be quite a few phones for sale on here.
bought my note 2 here over a year ago no issues.
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There's 2 at the mo - yours, locked to EE, and a Sammy that I don't fancy.

Ricardodaforce said:
I'd never buy a pre-owned mobile. Too many horror stories of them being blocked after sale.
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Hence my question - this seems to be a business that's been running for at least a couple of years, but it's always nice to get an external indication everything's kosher.

viv1969 said:
Plenty of brand new cheap phones available.
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Plenty of cheap phones around, certainly, all of which have a corner or 2 cut. Current faves are Microsoft 650 (but the processor is REALLY weedy, struggles to run many apps according to a colleague who uses one) Moto G4 2016 (simply enormous) Moto E3 (rather plasticky & concerns about future performance). Etc etc. A used Huawei P9 (£211 in as-new condition from O2, but out of stock) would be much nicer, for example, and not old enough for the battery to have been flogged. The guys I mentioned have Microsoft 950s for £170 in good condition, and that would be much more appealing than a G4, if it really were kosher.
 
Windows phones don't have the apps to be too slow :p

How can a G4 be enormous and a P9 be desireable? It's a rethorical question as I appreciate we all have our reasons :)

Anyway good reminder I better put my Orange 930 up for sale :)
 
What network?
 
dejongj said:
Windows phones don't have the apps to be too slow :p

How can a G4 be enormous and a P9 be desireable? It's a rethorical question as I appreciate we all have our reasons :)

Anyway good reminder I better put my Orange 930 up for sale :)
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The complaints of lack of apps on windows always seemed a little curious to me: they don't have EVERYTHING (no Strava) but there are usually decent alternatives (Endomondo for example). I've spent enough time going through thgoogle app store asking myself why there are a thousand different android keyboards available not to give a damn about variety, as long as the one you can get works OK.

G4/P9 - perception is that the G4 is just a vast piece of plastic, while the P9 seems much neater. ATM I'm heading toward 'stuff it' territory and just grabbing the G4 SIM free because of the good screen, decent performance and acceptable battery life. I can get a new 950 for £249 from Microsoft, but that's just a little more than I want to pay now - TBH £100 is nearer what I'd like to spend now a mobile isn't a key part of my business and only for personal use. But nice toys are always nice toys.

viv1969 said:
What network?
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If you were asking me, O2/Giffgaff. O2 is the only network that is useable where I work, and my giffgaff sim works in phones locked to O2.
 
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Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 is the phone I have, you'd need to unlock it but cheap new and a cracking phone IMO.
 
Thanks Ruth - that's very well spec'd for the price. I'm in 2 minds about 5+" screens: they could be useful as a replacement ebook reader, but it's also a damn great lup to lug about. My old HTC desire will comfortably slip in a pocket in a way that even my only slightly larger Moto RAZRi can't. Above 4.5" there's no more pocketability.
 
ancient_mariner said:
Thanks Ruth - that's very well spec'd for the price. I'm in 2 minds about 5+" screens: they could be useful as a replacement ebook reader, but it's also a damn great lup to lug about. My old HTC desire will comfortably slip in a pocket in a way that even my only slightly larger Moto RAZRi can't. Above 4.5" there's no more pocketability.
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I thought the same thing, tbh, but it's been a blinder so far.
I love it.
I had a smaller Sammy before, but I'm a complete convert.
 
ancient_mariner said:
The complaints of lack of apps on windows always seemed a little curious to me: they don't have EVERYTHING (no Strava) but there are usually decent alternatives (Endomondo for example). I've spent enough time going through thgoogle app store asking myself why there are a thousand different android keyboards available not to give a damn about variety, as long as the one you can get works OK.
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I actually had one, and tried to live with it. I'm firmly in the camp that you only need one good app, unfortunately often that one app just doesn't exist. It naturally depends on what you want to do but dealbreakers for me were;
- Includes NFC but no payment engine - therefore no Oystercard compatibility on the underground
- Uber - yes available now, wasn't then. I tried to login now but it still doesn't work. Too much hassle both Android and iOS just work
- Waze - same thing just about there but just doesn't have the functionality
- Banking - much more serious than the others, just no app available at all :(

viv1969 said:
I thought the same thing, tbh, but it's been a blinder so far.
I love it.
I had a smaller Sammy before, but I'm a complete convert.
Click to expand...

I was always in the anti camp, but gave in with the iPhone 6 Plus. Then got the Nokia 930, Wileyfox Storm, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and now the iPhone 7 Plus - every single one easily fits in my slim fit jeans pocket without any concerns whatsoever. And anyone who knows me knows that there isn't much room left in a slimfit pair of jeans for me :P I honestly wouldn't worry about size and pocketability. Unless perhaps you are a skinny jeans wearer :)
 
dejongj said:
I actually had one, and tried to live with it. I'm firmly in the camp that you only need one good app, unfortunately often that one app just doesn't exist. It naturally depends on what you want to do but dealbreakers for me were;
- Includes NFC but no payment engine - therefore no Oystercard compatibility on the underground
- Uber - yes available now, wasn't then. I tried to login now but it still doesn't work. Too much hassle both Android and iOS just work
- Waze - same thing just about there but just doesn't have the functionality
- Banking - much more serious than the others, just no app available at all :(



I was always in the anti camp, but gave in with the iPhone 6 Plus. Then got the Nokia 930, Wileyfox Storm, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and now the iPhone 7 Plus - every single one easily fits in my slim fit jeans pocket without any concerns whatsoever. And anyone who knows me knows that there isn't much room left in a slimfit pair of jeans for me :p I honestly wouldn't worry about size and pocketability. Unless perhaps you are a skinny jeans wearer :)
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Thanks for that. It must be buttock shape then, that makes a larger phone feel awkward. :mooning: I've wondered a little about picking up an iPhone 5 , but when I tried them 3 1/2 years ago I really didn't like the experience. :lock:
 
ancient_mariner said:
Thanks for that. It must be buttock shape then, that makes a larger phone feel awkward. :mooning: I've wondered a little about picking up an iPhone 5 , but when I tried them 3 1/2 years ago I really didn't like the experience. :lock:
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lol I never ever put a phone in my back pocket. My firm bottom would crush it :p Always in the front pocket for me.
 
dejongj said:
lol I never ever put a phone in my back pocket. My firm bottom would crush it :p Always in the front pocket for me.
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I used to carry the HTC around in a front pocket like I had the small candybar phones before that, but it was never really comfy. When I move up in size to the Moto then I stopped putting phones in front pockets altogether. Cargo trousers are useful, since the side pockets hold a phone nicely, but I don't want to wear them all the time. :p

Might just try the 'landfill' Moto E3 - £70 from tesco PAYG - it would do for a year.
 
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ancient_mariner said:
I used to carry the HTC around in a front pocket like I had the small candybar phones before that, but it was never really comfy. When I move up in size to the Moto then I stopped putting phones in front pockets altogether. Cargo trousers are useful, since the side pockets hold a phone nicely, but I don't want to wear them all the time. :p

Might just try the 'landfill' Moto E3 - £70 from tesco PAYG - it would do for a year.
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that is huge......:shock: :)
 
Yes, they all are. :rolleyes: Just measured the screen on my HTC - 3.7". The choices now are either candybar phone for compact device to make calls or Phablet to do useful additional things like navigation and reading books, both of which I do find very useful. Annoyingly I can't find that 'offer' for the E3 this morning. :(

There's nothing that seems to be small and skinny with a <4.5" screen and reasonable performance now. I understand that's how the market has gone and that many have replaced computers with phones, therefore larger, very high definition screens make perfect sense. On this basis I'm seriously wondering if I shouldn't go for that Oukitel brick I linked above with a 5 day battery life and 5.5" 1080p screen.
 
iPhone 6 or 7 still have a 4.7 inch. My wife has the 7 and likes it a lot.
 
dejongj said:
iPhone 6 or 7 still have a 4.7 inch. My wife has the 7 and likes it a lot.
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Interesting. An iPhone isn't an option I'll realistically consider (not least because the cost is more than I'm willing to pay, but also I just don't want IOS) but that is quite fascinating. Guess the XL or whatever it's called serves the phablet market.

I've gradually drifted into deciding on a Moto G4 - now to decide whether to go 3rd party retailer & pay £159 or go direct to Moto, customise the colours (and they have some really neat options - either red & dark grey or green & silver/white) and pay £169 for the priviledge.
 
ancient_mariner said:
Interesting. An iPhone isn't an option I'll realistically consider (not least because the cost is more than I'm willing to pay, but also I just don't want IOS) but that is quite fascinating. Guess the XL or whatever it's called serves the phablet market.

I've gradually drifted into deciding on a Moto G4 - now to decide whether to go 3rd party retailer & pay £159 or go direct to Moto, customise the colours (and they have some really neat options - either red & dark grey or green & silver/white) and pay £169 for the priviledge.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you have against iOS, but it's very intuitive.
 
Cobra said:
Ah and there was me thinking that you were pleased to see me :D
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I am, just not that visible. I've got a bit car though :)

ancient_mariner said:
Interesting. An iPhone isn't an option I'll realistically consider (not least because the cost is more than I'm willing to pay, but also I just don't want IOS) but that is quite fascinating. Guess the XL or whatever it's called serves the phablet market.

I've gradually drifted into deciding on a Moto G4 - now to decide whether to go 3rd party retailer & pay £159 or go direct to Moto, customise the colours (and they have some really neat options - either red & dark grey or green & silver/white) and pay £169 for the priviledge.
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I'd got direct, there are some interesting options. I think it is a good choice, if I was in the market for a budget Android phone I'd end up with something like that.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Not sure what you have against iOS, but it's very intuitive.
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It sounds odd to say this, but it feels like operating in a box with a low ceiling and walls that press in. Or maybe IOS10 has changed that. I tried iPhones (4 & 5) when I bought my last Moto, and really disliked the experience - it felt like the stuff I disliked about my Macbook without the stuff that made it fun - a claustrophobic, choking sensation. And it isn't intuitive to me, though doubtless I can learn to use it as many millions of others have.
 
Trying to decide between the Moto G4 (£169 in Moto store with colour choices) and the G4 Plus (£185 on Amazon in black or white). The plus has a better camera focussing system, finger print reader and comes with a fast charger. £15 difference, but it just nudges the price close to £200.

I'm not poor - just hate spending money if I don't need to. And I like the colour options too. Decisions. :p
 
I really like the way an iPhone can be used for recording music, but not enough to make me try to overcome my other feelings. :)
 
Problem solved - just ordered a Lumia 640 for £70 brand new on PAYG from O2. 14 days to return - if it's horrible then it can go back, and if it's just 'OK' then it can do for a year before moving on. It's just a handy tool for me, rather than a key lifestyle product like they are for some, so as long as there is sufficient functionality then it's acceptable. 8Gb onboard is a bit weak, but at least it will take a micro-SD card.

My second choice was the Moto G4 plus: the camera looks like it should be pretty decent, and up to modern compact standards, but that handset is just too big for me right now. I also looked at an iPhone 7 (so I could see IOS10) and I'd say the interface is much better than it used to be - just feels more spacious. The smaller size of an iPhone is really good, but it's harder to justify the cost in the light of what I need.
 
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