4 ms·

what are your favorite $500 or less options

by grogenaut 2y ago

setgree 2y ago
iphone se 2022 is $429
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- jablala 2y ago
  Hoping the SE 4 in the new year will be sub $500/£500.
  - nordsieck 2y ago
    I got the SE 2 used, a year after it came out for a serious discount[1]. If that's something you're comfortable with, you can get a really good deal if you pay attention to what's posted on FB Marketplace. More than anything, I'm most impressed by Apple's OS support. I'm pretty convinced that SE phones are some of the best deals in the industry if you keep them until they run out of support. They have the same guts (minus cameras) as tier 1 flagship phones. Apple is a bit tight with ram, but the processor is faster than any Android phone. And the support - 7 years is standard right now, and it could very well go longer. --- 1. I think I paid $150 for it. It has a small crack in the screen, but just the part that's over the chin, not anything that affects the display. If I wanted a pristine phone, I'm sure I could have found one for a bit more. But after several years, I'm happy with my decision.
    - jablala 2y ago
      That's a cracking result! I'll definitely keep an eye out and hopefully the second hand market is healthy. I think the SE never really turned any heads from the flagship causing the second hand market to be lively. With these new touted SEs, they're looking to be as good as iPhone 14 (maybe pros) which has a very wide reach.
    - setgree 2y ago
      ditto, I bought a 2020 SE refurbished for <$200 and it's been totally fine. If it were better, I'd be using it more, which I don't want.
jph 2y ago
Google Pixel 8a is a great phone IMHO. Refurbished ones are available.
- kelleyk 2y ago
  It is! If you also need service, Google Fi has had a promotion for a while that gives you the $500 purchase price back over 24 monthly bills. In fact, they also have a promotion right now where you can get $800 back on either the Pixel 9 or 9 Pro, spread over 24 months; that makes the 9 free and the 9 Pro only $200.
amyjess 2y ago
Not GP, but I just got a Sony Xperia 10 VI, and I'm loving it so far.
- bpye 2y ago
  Sony seem to be abandoning the NA market which is kind of unfortunate. Their new Xperia 1 VI isn’t available in either the US or Canada.
anonymoushn 2y ago
My iPhone SE is $429 apparently.
ge96 2y ago
It's crazy where phones are at now. My $160 Motorola phone has 8GB of ram The camera is terrible though photos upon closer inspection appear smeared/blurry. My older Motorola which I paid more for has a better camera.
- RachelF 2y ago
  Yeah, I have a Moto G84 12GB RAM for $180 - and it has features that these Pixels do not have: - SD Card up to 1TB - 3.5mm headphone jack
  - bitwize 2y ago
    - Unlockable bootloader?
wilsonnb3 2y ago
You can get flagship Android phones for $500 or less if you are a bit patient and have a good carrier. I just ordered a Galaxy S24+ from Google Fi for $450 and it's a better phone than the $1100 pixel 9 pro XL imo. 6 months from now and on days like Black Friday you'll be able to get the pixel 9 for less than $500.
- otterley 2y ago
  Are you including the extra $50/mo you pay your carrier for this privilege? There ain't no such thing as a free lunch; you can either pay up front or pay over time (and often more than you would otherwise).
  - wilsonnb3 2y ago
    The only thing I have to do is keep using the phone for 120 days. Monthly price for service is $20 plus $10 for each gig of data, unchanged by their phone price promotions. Don't even have to pay a fee to use a cellular smartwatch, as long as it is made by Google or Samsung.
cvhc 2y ago
I have been trading in my phone every year to get the new Samsung S2x (now S24) model since S21. There were always new model deals plus some regular cashback. I ended up paying <200 USD every year. It's like a manual phone upgrade plan. Not sure how long it could last. Last year the Google Fi deal wasn't as good and I almost missed the budget target.
georgeecollins 2y ago
OP here- my last two phones have been Moto G Power. I think the first one only cost $200! I value battery life and simplicity. As an Apple shareholder I prefer you buy an iPhone.
- grogenaut 2y ago
  I have a 5G Stylus rn, it's totally fine except I ruined the camera 3 days in so it takes TNG soft focus photos... love the G Power line, battery for days is not to be underappreciated
losvedir 2y ago
I bought a "renewed" iPhone 11 from Amazon a month ago for $230 and have been seriously impressed with it.

what are your favorite $500 or less options

setgree 2y ago

iphone se 2022 is $429

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
jablala 2y ago
Hoping the SE 4 in the new year will be sub $500/£500.
- nordsieck 2y ago
  I got the SE 2 used, a year after it came out for a serious discount[1]. If that's something you're comfortable with, you can get a really good deal if you pay attention to what's posted on FB Marketplace. More than anything, I'm most impressed by Apple's OS support. I'm pretty convinced that SE phones are some of the best deals in the industry if you keep them until they run out of support. They have the same guts (minus cameras) as tier 1 flagship phones. Apple is a bit tight with ram, but the processor is faster than any Android phone. And the support - 7 years is standard right now, and it could very well go longer. --- 1. I think I paid $150 for it. It has a small crack in the screen, but just the part that's over the chin, not anything that affects the display. If I wanted a pristine phone, I'm sure I could have found one for a bit more. But after several years, I'm happy with my decision.
  - jablala 2y ago
    That's a cracking result! I'll definitely keep an eye out and hopefully the second hand market is healthy. I think the SE never really turned any heads from the flagship causing the second hand market to be lively. With these new touted SEs, they're looking to be as good as iPhone 14 (maybe pros) which has a very wide reach.
  - setgree 2y ago
    ditto, I bought a 2020 SE refurbished for <$200 and it's been totally fine. If it were better, I'd be using it more, which I don't want.

jph 2y ago

Google Pixel 8a is a great phone IMHO. Refurbished ones are available.

kelleyk 2y ago
It is! If you also need service, Google Fi has had a promotion for a while that gives you the $500 purchase price back over 24 monthly bills. In fact, they also have a promotion right now where you can get $800 back on either the Pixel 9 or 9 Pro, spread over 24 months; that makes the 9 free and the 9 Pro only $200.

amyjess 2y ago

Not GP, but I just got a Sony Xperia 10 VI, and I'm loving it so far.

bpye 2y ago
Sony seem to be abandoning the NA market which is kind of unfortunate. Their new Xperia 1 VI isn’t available in either the US or Canada.

anonymoushn 2y ago

My iPhone SE is $429 apparently.

ge96 2y ago

It's crazy where phones are at now. My $160 Motorola phone has 8GB of ram The camera is terrible though photos upon closer inspection appear smeared/blurry. My older Motorola which I paid more for has a better camera.

RachelF 2y ago
Yeah, I have a Moto G84 12GB RAM for $180 - and it has features that these Pixels do not have: - SD Card up to 1TB - 3.5mm headphone jack
- bitwize 2y ago
  - Unlockable bootloader?

wilsonnb3 2y ago

You can get flagship Android phones for $500 or less if you are a bit patient and have a good carrier. I just ordered a Galaxy S24+ from Google Fi for $450 and it's a better phone than the $1100 pixel 9 pro XL imo. 6 months from now and on days like Black Friday you'll be able to get the pixel 9 for less than $500.

otterley 2y ago
Are you including the extra $50/mo you pay your carrier for this privilege? There ain't no such thing as a free lunch; you can either pay up front or pay over time (and often more than you would otherwise).
- wilsonnb3 2y ago
  The only thing I have to do is keep using the phone for 120 days. Monthly price for service is $20 plus $10 for each gig of data, unchanged by their phone price promotions. Don't even have to pay a fee to use a cellular smartwatch, as long as it is made by Google or Samsung.

cvhc 2y ago

I have been trading in my phone every year to get the new Samsung S2x (now S24) model since S21. There were always new model deals plus some regular cashback. I ended up paying <200 USD every year. It's like a manual phone upgrade plan. Not sure how long it could last. Last year the Google Fi deal wasn't as good and I almost missed the budget target.

georgeecollins 2y ago

OP here- my last two phones have been Moto G Power. I think the first one only cost $200! I value battery life and simplicity. As an Apple shareholder I prefer you buy an iPhone.

grogenaut 2y ago
I have a 5G Stylus rn, it's totally fine except I ruined the camera 3 days in so it takes TNG soft focus photos... love the G Power line, battery for days is not to be underappreciated

losvedir 2y ago

I bought a "renewed" iPhone 11 from Amazon a month ago for $230 and have been seriously impressed with it.