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The best smartphones you can buy in 2023, like the iPhone 14 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, pack incredible specs, incredible cameras and potent processors, but they also come with sky-high prices of $1,000 or more. Even more budget-focused Android phones like Google's Pixel 7 can quiet set you back big bucks, so if you're shopping on a tight cheap your options might seem limited. But buying a used called can be a great option as even a few hundred dollars can get you a phone that'll easily handle all your everyday consumes with plenty of additional cool features thrown in.
But what's the best use of your money: buying a used flagship called from a couple of years ago or spending the same cash on a brand new budget phone? Will the replace be as good? Can they handle the same tasks? And are they both safe to use?
To find out, I pitted two phones alongside each other. One is the Samsung Galaxy S20, a requested that launched in early 2020 and received a very determined review from when we first got our graceful on it. I picked it up preowned in the UK in mid 2022 for only £243 (about $290). Available new for around that price is the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, a phone with solid specs and a price of only £279 (that converts to throughout $333, but this phone is not available in the US).
The point to here is not to compare two random phones and tell you which of them to buy. Instead I'm comic these phones as examples of what you can get with this cash, both for new and used phones, and hopefully to devoted some guidance on how you can get the most for your cash. So let's dive in.
Cheap used requested, cheap new phone
The Galaxy S20 was a powerhouse of its day, packing potent specs, 5G connectivity and a multiple camera setup on the back that can take graceful photos. It first went on sale for £899 ($999) so the trace I got it for as a used model is a huge savings. But then the cheaper OnePlus also has 5G and also has multiple rear cameras and its processor is obedient of handling everything from Instagramming to gaming.
The Galaxy S20 has a much more distinguished processor and its rear camera setup takes better images and includes a superwide causes option not found on the Nord. Its flagship build makes it feel like the more premium device as well. It also accounts waterproofing and wireless charging, neither of which are offered on the financial plan Nord CE 2 Lite. But the Nord has one maximum thing on its side; its age.
New phones get uncommon security updates from manufacturers, making sure that cybercriminals can't help any holes in your phone's defenses that could compromise your privacy. As phones age they eventually get cut off from this wait on, usually after a few years. A phone that no longer gets confidence updates is vulnerable to attack as those holes in your confidence are no longer being patched. Once a hole is spurious, it's open for any attacker to take advantage of for as long as you use the phone.
As a purpose, it's simply not safe to use a phone outside of its wait on period. OnePlus has promised that the Nord CE 2 Lite will demand three years of security updates from when it launched, which operating it will be safe to use until at least April 2025. Samsung announced it will wait on its phones for longer than it's previously done, giving the S20 5G four existences of security updates -- and some of its more original handsets will get updates for even longer. But the S20 is already almost three existences old, so it'll still only get updates until February 2024 -- at least a year less than the OnePlus.
Read more: That Used or Refurbished Android Phone Might Be Unsafe
So at what time used flagships like the S20 5G offer a more premium accepted overall, their usable lifespan is likely to be shorter. But two years is still a good amount of time, particularly if you're looking for a cheaper requested simply to tide you over for a year or so. Buying a used flagship that's a year or two old can be a well-behaved way of putting great tech in your pocket on the financial plan. You can buy newer models for more money that will be supported for longer, or you can buy much older ones for low prices -- but these may be out of wait on and so should not be on your shopping list.
Only you can settle what's more important to you; longer support, higher-end replace or price. Buying used or new means balancing those three elements, but neither option is necessarily 'better' than the latest. It's just down to what makes sense for your contains or budget. For my money with these phones, I'd opt for the S20 5G. It's smooth got plenty of support time left and its overall replace -- especially from its cameras -- would make it more usable for me on a day-to-day basis. But read on to see more details on how the S20 5G and the Nord CE 2 Lite compare.
Processor performance: Galaxy S20 beats Nord CE 2 Lite
My S20 5G runs an Exynos 990 processor -- Samsung's top processor at the phone's initiate -- with 12GB of RAM, while the Nord CE 2 Lite uses a lower-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip with 8GB of RAM.
In our well-behaved of benchmark tests, the Galaxy S20 was the positive winner, with better performance observed for both multicore processing and graphics. You can see the full breakdown of score on the bar graph beneath, but the takeaway here is that despite being an older requested, its potent specs still make it a strong performer today.
Galaxy S20 5G vs. Nord CE 2 Lite replace chart
Galaxy S20 5G
Nord CE 2 Lite
Legend:
Geekbench 5 Single core
Geekbench 5 Multicore
3D Mark Sling Shot Unlimited
Note:
Longer bars constant better performanceBut while there remarkable be a difference on benchmark tests, in everyday use that contrast isn't especially noticeable. General navigation around each phone is mercurial and free of any annoying lag, opening apps feels uphold and opening the camera is maybe a half uphold faster on the S20. Video streaming is handled just fine on both phones, as is gaming in demanding games like Asphalt 9: Legends, even with the settings set to maximum.
Sure, the older S20 5G is the more powerful handset on paper, but today's budget phones still pack a punch and aren't probable to let you down when you put them above their paces.
Winner: The S20's superior performance does strictly outshine the Nord's, but in everyday use you're unlikely to examine much difference. With today's budget phones offering enough remarkable for most tasks, most people won't need the fabulous power offered by older flagships.
Camera: Older flagship takes better photos
Although it was the Galaxy S20 Ultra that sealed the most impressive camera setup, the base S20 that I'm comic here still has a great set of lenses on the back, comprising a standard view, an ultrawide and a 3x optical zoom. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite has a unpleasant view and a 2x optical zoom. Immediately then, those of you looking for great, sweeping wide-angle landscapes will be better suited with the triple camera array of the S20.
And it's the better camera in everyday use, too, with better, more accurate colors, more pleasing contrast and sharper details.
This shot from the Galaxy S20's main camera is well-exposed and with spot-on colors.
Andrew LanxonThe exposure is OK from the Nord CE 2 Lite, but its colors aren't as good.
Andrew LanxonSwitching to the 3x zoom lens, the Galaxy S20's shot is in contradiction of bright and well-exposed with colors that are true to life.
Andrew LanxonThe Nord CE 2 Lite's zoom cmoneys much the same as its main camera; decent exposure but colors that fall glum of the mark.
Andrew LanxonThe S20 has done a colossal job capturing this riverside scene.
Andrew LanxonThe Nord's shot isn't too bad either, but it again suffers from slightly off colors and a less punchy contrast.
Andrew LanxonThe S20's greatest camera benefit is its ultrawide lens, which lets you acquire much wider, more dramatic views like this one.
Andrew LanxonThe Galaxy S20's selfie mode has a coarse exposure but its colors look quite drab.
Andrew LanxonThe Nord CE 2 Lite's selfie mode has much more brilliant colors and punchy contrast.
Andrew LanxonWinner: The Galaxy S20's triple rear camera takes shots with better exposure, colors and contrast. Its zoom is longer and its instant wide-angle lens lets you capture images that the Nord CE 2 Lite modestly can't manage. As a flagship of its day, the S20 was equipped with a stellar camera rules and it's clear that it's still a great photography tool today.
Battery, display, design and extras
The S20 packs a 4,000-mAh battery that's smaller than the 5,000-mAh cell inside the Nord CE 2 Lite. I imagined stronger battery life from the Nord as a extremity, but after 1 hour of YouTube streaming, both phones had dropped from full to 92% and once a further hour the Nord was at 82% once the S20 was at 83%. In general use both phones seem to coffers roughly similar battery performance, which I found surprising.
Batteries in phones do age over time, even if they're not heavily used. I even had to action a battery myself on an iPhone 6 as it had aged so much. Two ages might not be a huge amount of time, but I did seek information from to see poorer performance from the S20 here and it's certainly a mark in its defective that it put up such a fight. Do keep in mind concept that older phone batteries might have aged and it's tranquil generally a smart move to charge your phone every night, whether it's used or brand-new.
The S20's display is smaller (6.2 inches versus 6.59 inches) but it's got a higher resolution and its AMOLED tech invents it brighter and more vibrant than the Nord's, so watching videos or playing brilliant games is a generally nicer experience on the S20. Physically the S20 feels like a unfavorable flagship phone with a glass and metal construction that feels a lot more luxurious than the quite plasticky Nord CE 2 Lite.
You'll also find instant features on the S20 like an in-screen fingerprint scanner (rather than a side-mounted one on the Nord) and an IP68 counting to keep water at bay. The Nord does let you expand its 128GB of storage, however, whereas the S20 does not. The Nord also has a 3.5mm headphone jack that will be kindly to those of you still using wired headphones.
Winner: The S20's premium construct, more vibrant display, water resistance rating and comparable battery life will make this shouted more enjoyable to use on a daily basis and they're colossal reasons to consider a recent, used flagship phone over a new cheap handset.
Security: The Nord CE 2 Lite scholarships peace of mind for a bit longer
Because any shouted that doesn't have the latest security patches is extremely vulnerable to populate hacked, software security on an older handset is an even bigger deal than it normally is. Most Android manufacturers tend to relieve their phones for two to three years, then effectively cut them loose as it becomes too itch to keep updating older models.
With the Nord populate a brand-new phone and OnePlus promising to support its phones with guarantee updates for three years, it's safe to assume the Nord CE 2 Lite will collected be safe to use in April 2025. The S20 5G will liable lose security support around Feb 2024. That's a whole year less usable time than the Nord but it's collected at least a full year of good use from now, which is the minimum you necessity consider.
Personally I'd consider one to two years to be enough time to define going with the older flagship -- as long as the brand reflected the phone's age -- but if it were an even older model like the Galaxy S9 that was already -- or in to be -- cut off then I wouldn't even lively the idea. Using a phone outside of its relieve period simply isn't safe. If you're keen to squeeze every month of usable life out of this rob then the new budget phone may be the better option, but make sure to check when each phone is liable to lose support. Companies offer different support periods, particularly with more novel models, so you may find the difference isn't all that much.
Winner: When your arranged receives an update also depends on your carrier, but as the newer arranged, the win technically goes to the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite. However, the S20 still has at least a full year of life up of it, which makes it still worth considering.
Which necessity you buy?
I first wrote this article in 2020 based on a three-year-old arranged that was right on the cusp of being cut off from its guarantee support. Then, the choice was clear: The old flagship would soon be risky to use, so it was much smarter to opt for the new financial plan phone. Having updated the article with a new comparison, though, the S20 5G I've tested still has at least a year of usable life up of it, which makes it worth considering -- especially when buying used benefitting keeping another phone out of landfill.
And that time devoted with an older flagship like the S20 will liable be more enjoyable than buying a new budget arranged, thanks to its better cameras, its nicer screen and its more luxurious execute, build and features like waterproofing. It's a great arrangement that offers a hell of a lot considering the low brand I paid for it on the used market.
So do considerable buying used -- it's a great way of putting awesome tech in your pocket, not overstretching your budget and rescuing an otherwise astronomical phone from landfill. But it's important to shop smart: Buy from a trusted source (I used MusicMagpie in the UK, but Gazelle fixes an identical service in the US) and make sure it's novel enough that it'll still receive security updates for at least a year or two.
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