How to get a budget smartphone without compromising

There’s no denying the sticker shock when looking at the price of a new smartphone. If you’re in the market for a Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone, you’re looking at a significant investment. Both brands release at least a few different models each year, but they’re not exactly cheap.

If you’re looking at the new iPhone 16 lineup, for example, the prices are high. Even if you’re willing to settle for Apple’s low-end model, you’ll still have to shell out $800, so you may as well spend the extra $100 to $400 to get a better model.

Of course, that’s actually what Apple’s 4-model lineups are intended to do – to get you to buy the Plus or Pro models. They don’t really want to sell the base model for $800, but paying just $100 more for the Plus model or $200 more for the Pro model looks like an unbeatable deal. However, that’s only if it’s in your budget.

If you’re on a tight budget, you might be looking at the new Galaxy and iPhone lineups thinking you’re going to have to settle for the cheapest model, or worse – buy an off-brand phone you don’t even want. The good news is that it’s possible to get what you want instead of compromising.

Here are several ways to get the phone you really want without blowing your budget.

1. Save up for a longer period of time
This may sound obvious, but saving money for a longer time to increase your budget is the best way to ensure you don’t have to compromise and get a phone you don’t really want. There’s no urgent need to get a phone the minute it drops, and if you take an extra few months to save more money, you’ll be able to get the model you want. If you can wait another year, you could even save up for the most expensive model from that year’s lineup.

Just don’t forget to get a good protective case even if you choose the base model. If you’re going to expend the effort required to increase your budget, don’t skip the only thing that will protect your phone from accidental drops.

2. Buy a previous year’s model
Previous models will always be cheaper than new lineups, and there aren’t too many differences between phones from year to year, unless you’re comparing the iPhone 15 to previous models. That’s because the iPhone 15 was the first lineup in which Apple introduced AI features. If AI features don’t matter much to you, and you want an iPhone, then consider buying a previous year’s model. You can get the iPhone 13 or 14 for far less than what you’ll pay for any model in the current lineup. The same goes for Samsung Galaxy phones.

You can buy older models brand new or refurbished from sites like eBay and Walmart. However, before buying a refurbished phone, make sure the company selling the device has a good reputation and that their customers don’t report major problems in their reviews. Some of them are certified by the manufacturer, so that will give you peace of mind.

3. Wait for a Black Friday deal
Sometimes the best deals on new phones will happen on or around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Although, in recent years, most Black Friday deals have been lower than they were about a decade ago. Still, you can expect at least a 15% discount on a new phone, which amounts to saving $150 if the phone costs $1,000.

4. Start a side hustle
It may take some time to accumulate a significant amount of cash from side hustles, but it’s worth it if you really want a specific phone. For instance, a lot of people work for DoorDash, and it can be a profitable side job. As long as you don’t mind driving around to various places and talking to people when you deliver their order, you may only need to do it for a couple of months.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way
There are many ways to get the phone you want and avoid compromising, but you have to be clever and fast. For instance, if you’re willing to switch carriers, you might get a deal for signing a two-year contract right when the phone comes out.

As a final piece of advice, try rearranging your finances to free up funds for your new phone. Start by eliminating expenses you don’t really need, like streaming media and software subscriptions. If you really want a specific phone, and you put in some effort, you can make it happen.

The article How to get a budget smartphone without compromising first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.