With so many different options to choose from today, choosing a new smartphone handset can get confusing. Perhaps your current phone is no longer working as well as it should or perhaps you are looking for a new deal so you can save more money each month by paying less for your smartphone. If you are going to buy a new handset, it’s important to think about all the features available, including the screen size, storage space, camera quality, and anything else that might be important to you.

Choosing a smartphone and a monthly amount of data, minutes, and texts to go with it is not always easy due to the vast amount of choice available, so if you are in the market for a new phone, it’s a good idea to keep these factors in mind to help you select the right option for you.

Your overall budget

First of all, it’s important to consider your overall budget for purchasing a phone. If you want to buy your handset outright, you should consider how much you have to spend since this is likely going to be the biggest cost. Once you have an idea of how much you are willing to spend, narrowing down your options becomes easier as you can look at the price range and determine which ones are going to be most suitable for what you are willing to pay. Don’t forget to factor in the monthly cost of your new smartphone, too. You can save money by opting for a SIM only deal, or if you prefer, sign up to a longer contract. However, bear in mind that most contract deals will expect you to be tied in with them for a minimum of twelve to twenty-four months, so a SIM only plan will usually be a more flexible and often cheaper option.

Do you need a new handset?

Before you go out and purchase a new smartphone, it’s important to consider whether or not you actually need a new handset. If your current handset is working fine and you have no problems with it, but simply want to save money on what you are paying to use your smartphone on a monthly basis, changing your SIM plan could be a better choice.

If you are no longer tied into a smartphone contract with another provider and have the freedom to choose who to sign up with, consider flexible SIM only plans from Lebara. Unlike contracts from other providers where you are obliged to pay a set monthly amount for twelve months or more, Lebara’s SIM only deals are offered on a thirty-day rolling basis, meaning that you can easily change up or down depending on what you need for a certain month and save money in the process. In addition, there are no credit checks required for signing up, so whether you have poor credit or simply don’t want anything else on your credit file in the future, it could be the ideal option for you.

Monthly allowance

Whether you have decided to purchase a new handset or just want to change your monthly payment, it’s important to consider how much allowance you are going to need. Buying too much could mean that you are paying more than you need to each month, while on the other hand, not getting enough could mean that you run out of minutes or data quickly and are left without until you can get more. This is where SIM-only plans often come in handy since you can easily change your allowances on a monthly basis. So, if you get to the end of one 30-day period and find that you still have a lot of minutes and data left, you can work out how much you have used for the month and only purchase that amount for the next month, allowing you to save more money and only spend on what you actually need.

Choosing a smartphone:

If you need a new handset because yours doesn’t have the features that you need or it’s no longer working as well as it should, there are plenty of factors to keep in mind when choosing a new smartphone. The type of smartphone that you choose is going to be a huge factor when it comes to how much you are going to pay, however you decide to purchase it.

Newer phones tend to be more expensive, so ask yourself do you really need to get the latest one? Often, you can save a lot of money by going for the handset that was released a couple of years before the latest one since the demand for these will have dropped by now, giving you the chance to still get a really good handset with all the features that you need. Be open-minded when it comes to choosing your smartphone and arm yourself with a list of the features that you want and need to have when doing your research. You might be surprised that you can get an older handset that includes everything that you need and then some.

Buying second-hand

If you want to save money on your next smartphone, one of the most popular ways to do this is to buy it second-hand. You can do this by looking at selling sites in your area such as Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and eBay to find what smartphones people near you are looking to sell. Often, people will sell their old smartphone handsets simply because they have upgraded their phone and have no need for the old one anymore, which might be in great working condition with a lot of life left in it. If you want to buy a second-hand smartphone, it’s a good idea to choose one that is being sold by somebody in your area so that you can easily go and check it over and try it out before you purchase it, as opposed to buying it blind online.

Where possible, make your purchase with a payment service like PayPal that will cover you if anything is wrong with the phone that you were not told about when purchasing.

Choosing a refurbished handset

If you want to save money on getting your new handset but do not want the risks that come with buying second-hand from a seller in your area, another option to consider is buying a refurbished smartphone handset. Refurbished phones have been repaired to a high standard by the manufacturer or an approved retailer and will usually come with a warranty giving you peace of mind if anything does go wrong with the handset in the future. Along with being a much cheaper way to get your hands on a like-new smartphone or save money on getting the latest model release, refurbished handsets also have the additional benefit of being much better for the environment since they are helping to reduce the demand for brand-new phones and keep old and unwanted phones out of landfills where they can cause a lot of damage to the planet.

No matter what reason you have for needing a new phone if you’re looking to get the best deal and make the right choice for you, keep these factors in mind when looking for your handset.