Whether your cell phone is lost or broken, or you’re looking to get your first cell phone, you may assume that a new phone directly from the cell phone carrier is the only option. This is not the case. You may also purchase a used phone from a private party or used phone seller, or a refurbished cell phone from the cell phone carrier or from another company.

While a used or refurbished cell phone makes a wise choice for many people, there are a few cases in which you may want to opt for the new phone. If you will be signing a new contract, prices for new phones may be comparable to the latest used phones because there is a discount for those signing a new agreement, but it always helps to check for piece of mind. On the other hand, if you’re not signing a new contract, a new phone can be several times more expensive, making a used or refurbished phone the more sensible choice. For many people, a used cell phone can help bridge the gap between the time they need a replacement phone and the time their current contract is up, at which time they might decide to buy a new phone from the carrier.

Refurbished Verizon Blackberry Pearl

If you require the latest and greatest phone, and want to be the first of your friends to have it, you may not want to go the used or refurbished route for buying your cell phone. There simply may not be used or refurbished phones in these latest models until they have been available for awhile, and the prices may not offer a substantial discount over the full retail price. After only a few months, however, these recent phones will be available used or refurbished for bargain prices. If you’re willing to wait just a few months, a used or refurbished phone will be much cheaper than the same one when it was newly released. Once these used or refurbished phones reach the market, a refurbished Verizon Blackberry will cost less than the same phone when purchased directly from Verizon, and still have all of the latest features. All recent cell phone models can be found used or refurbished, so you don’t have to choose a bare-bones model without features like Bluetooth or a built-in camera.