BackDeal radar: Time to think about buying a refurbished smartphone
Don't go splurging on the full sticker price. First look at this list of some very competent refurbished phones, some with a warranty
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Buying a refurbished phone is actually a very good option if you can get your hands on it from an authorized seller, with a warranty. Most of these phones cost significantly lower than a new unit. Earlier, only a few players dealt in factory seconds and the refurbished devices market, including OverCart and GreenDust. But now Amazon and eBay have also launched separate sections for refurbished smartphones on their e-commerce platforms. Smartphone manufacturers such as OnePlus and Xiaomi have showed a keen interest in supporting refurbished units. Apple too wanted to join the fray by importing refurbished phones to India, but is yet to get permission from the ministry of communications and information technology. If you are sold on the idea, here are some interesting deals at the moment.
OnePlus X
Price: ₹ 13,199 (Price otherwise: ₹ 14,999)
Available on Amazon.in
The smooth glass finish and the sleek form factor (6.9mm) makes the OnePlus X one of the best-looking budget smartphones around. The phone’s compact size makes it easy to handle. This phone runs on a slightly older Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor with 3GB of RAM, but in real-life performance, it can handle most resource-intensive tasks such as multi-tasking or gaming or HD movie playback without any issues. The 5-inch AMOLED display looks small but the brightness and colour reproduction is brilliant. The other key highlight is the custom ROM called Oxygen OS which allows customisation over the plain Android interface. The 13-megapixel camera can deliver good daytime shots and the low-light shots look better than many budget smartphones.
InFocus M810
Price: ₹ 8,490 (Price otherwise: ₹ 12,999)
Available on Amazon.in
The M810 is an elegant looking phone with a gold-plated metallic body and glass finish on the top. At 6.9mm, the M810 is pretty sleek for a 5.5-inch screen phone. The glass makes it a fingerprint nightmare, yet feels handy. The phone’s 5.5-inch full-HD LCD display tends to brighten colours a bit for more effect. It also offers plenty of options such as the blue light filter, which reduces strain on the eyes. It runs Android L with a very customisable interface. The 13-megapixel camera is good at sharpness and detailing. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor with 2GB RAM and can handle most demanding tasks with ease.
Lenovo Vibe P1m
Price: ₹ 5,399 (Price otherwise: ₹ 7,999)
Available on Overcart.com
Big battery phones are pretty hard to come by as your budget gets smaller. This refurbished version at the current price is the most affordable big battery phone one can get right now. The phone features a 3,900mAh battery and like most big battery phones has a chunky design too. However, it weighs 148gram and feels good in the hand due to the velvet-like finish on the back panel. There is a battery switch that switches on the battery saver mode which restricts use to basic apps such as calling, messages, music and improves battery back-up considerably. The 5-inch screen looks natural and offers a resolution of 1280x720p. The phone runs on a MediaTek quad-core processor with 2GB RAM and delivers a smooth performance.
Meizu M2
Price: ₹ 5,999 (Price otherwise: ₹ 6,999)
Available on Amazon.in
If it is a budget smartphone you are looking at, check out the Meizu M2. With the refurbished version of the phone selling at a slightly lower price, the phone looks all the more attractive. The phone has a very similar metallic finish and curved edged design as its more expensive and bigger sibling the M5. Powered by processor and RAM, the phone is pretty steady in terms of handling day-to-day chores. The best part is the phone’s unique UI called Flyme OS, which runs over Android 5.1, but has very few pre-loaded apps. Even the most basic of Google apps, which you will find in almost every Android smartphone, have been left out.
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