If you love the iPhone and like to stay in the iOS universe, you would know one thing by now, it is an expensive proposition. Any latest iPhone In India costs over Rs 40,000 and that’s enough to get you as many as 8 low-cost Android phones. iPhone is expensive and that’s a fact we cannot dodge.
The iPhone 4S is a year old In India and yet it sells for Rs 38,000. For the record, top Android devices from Samsung and HTC retail for less than Rs 38,000. Even the HTC Windows Phone 8x is selling for Rs 34,000. So if you want to stick to the iPhone, what are your options to make the process least expensive?
There is something that has worked well for me since a few years now. I prefer buying used iPhone models and stay a generation or two behind the latest on the market. For example over a year back, I purchased an iPhone 4 16GB for Rs 23,000. The same had I purchased a new one would have costed me Rs 37,000+. Today irrespective of what iPhone I have (a new iPhone 4 purchased in 2011 or a used one), it would fetch a resell price of Rs 16,000 to 18,000. However, at Rs 26,000 I can fetch myself a used iPhone 4S. I am upgrading to the iPhone 4S by spending an additional Rs 8,000 today.
Considering I would use the iPhone 4S for at least a year more, I am paying a total of Rs 33,000 for owning two iPhone models over 2.5 years. That surely isn’t bad, considering the fact that I would have spent more than that in just owning one single iPhone model. I can invest the surplus in apps, covers (to make sure I maintain my devices) and even small occasional repairs.
Playing with used gadgets is often tricky. Many fear wear out, defects and other issues. But given the massive savings, I prefer taking the bet. A bit of caution when purchasing the device, I like to buy from trust-able owners whom I contact over online classified sites like Olx or Quikr. Often I purchase these from my friends and sell back to someone in the known circle using Twitter / FB posts.
The same works well for iPad too. A used iPad 2 today is less than Rs 18,000 and would sell for anywhere between 12,000 to 15,000 a year from now. The iPad 4 might be in your hitting range then J. I would give it to you on the fact that the hassle of finding buyers and hunting gadgets is too much and is more justified for a car purchase. But playing with used devices works for me, you might well want to give it a try! Do read, how to buy a used gadget.