If you find that paying over Rs 30,000 for an iPhone does not make sense, may be you should look at the used market in mobile phones.
You are likely to find attractive high-end phones that are barely a few months old at a price that is a fraction of the original cost.
Srinivas Venugopal, proprietor of a mobile phone shop in Jayanagar in Bangalore, says a three-month-old original iPhone is available for a 20-30% lower price than a new phone, and a six-monthold handset is available for 50% less. "That is a huge saving and it makes sense for people who love to experience different models of high-end phones. Many of these are sold in exchange for old, low-end phones,'' he says.
A brand new iPhone 3G 8GB is priced at Rs 31,000, and an iPhone 3G 16GB at Rs 36,000. The used market even has iPhones embedded with diamonds which originally cost Rs 2-3 crore. A new Nokia N97 is priced at Rs 33,000, a Sony Ericsson C095 at Rs 23,000, a Samsung Omnia series is available from Rs 29,000, HTC Touch HD is at Rs 40,000, and an exclusive Nokia Vertu at Rs 4 lakh. Secondhand versions of these can be had at 20-50% of these prices.
A mobile phone is the most 'flauntable' personal accessory today and a high- end cellphone continues to be a style statement for students, entrepreneurs and professionals. But few want to showoff the same handheld for more than 3-6 months. This has spawned what is now a popular used mobile phone market, on a par with the used cars mart.
"At least a lakh of highend mobile phones are sold in Bangalore a month. And 90% of these are sold via second-hand markets,'' says Hassan Sahah, a mobile phone dealer at Bangalore's National Market, a second-hand hub. Here are a few tips for buyers and sellers. A secondhand phone sold in its original packaging (box piece) with original software, data cord, manual, charger, battery, etc, can fetch a premium of 10-15%. Scratch free and clean phones make good sales in the used market.
"A used phone in its original box emphasises quality, authenticity and freshness and so you get a better value. I do not buy used phones, but I change my cellphone every 3 to 6 months. I also produce the original bill of the phone while selling it,'' says Venkitesh Naidu, a realty entrepreneur. A growing appetite for lifestyle and affordability are driving this market. "It gives me an opportunity to explore newer communication devices. The turnaround here is very short so you may be able to buy a new model phone for just half the price within a few months of its launch,'' says Vijay Daniel, an entrepreneur-cum-technology enthusiast.
News Source : Get fancy phones for a song in used market
You are likely to find attractive high-end phones that are barely a few months old at a price that is a fraction of the original cost.
Srinivas Venugopal, proprietor of a mobile phone shop in Jayanagar in Bangalore, says a three-month-old original iPhone is available for a 20-30% lower price than a new phone, and a six-monthold handset is available for 50% less. "That is a huge saving and it makes sense for people who love to experience different models of high-end phones. Many of these are sold in exchange for old, low-end phones,'' he says.
A brand new iPhone 3G 8GB is priced at Rs 31,000, and an iPhone 3G 16GB at Rs 36,000. The used market even has iPhones embedded with diamonds which originally cost Rs 2-3 crore. A new Nokia N97 is priced at Rs 33,000, a Sony Ericsson C095 at Rs 23,000, a Samsung Omnia series is available from Rs 29,000, HTC Touch HD is at Rs 40,000, and an exclusive Nokia Vertu at Rs 4 lakh. Secondhand versions of these can be had at 20-50% of these prices.
A mobile phone is the most 'flauntable' personal accessory today and a high- end cellphone continues to be a style statement for students, entrepreneurs and professionals. But few want to showoff the same handheld for more than 3-6 months. This has spawned what is now a popular used mobile phone market, on a par with the used cars mart.
"At least a lakh of highend mobile phones are sold in Bangalore a month. And 90% of these are sold via second-hand markets,'' says Hassan Sahah, a mobile phone dealer at Bangalore's National Market, a second-hand hub. Here are a few tips for buyers and sellers. A secondhand phone sold in its original packaging (box piece) with original software, data cord, manual, charger, battery, etc, can fetch a premium of 10-15%. Scratch free and clean phones make good sales in the used market.
"A used phone in its original box emphasises quality, authenticity and freshness and so you get a better value. I do not buy used phones, but I change my cellphone every 3 to 6 months. I also produce the original bill of the phone while selling it,'' says Venkitesh Naidu, a realty entrepreneur. A growing appetite for lifestyle and affordability are driving this market. "It gives me an opportunity to explore newer communication devices. The turnaround here is very short so you may be able to buy a new model phone for just half the price within a few months of its launch,'' says Vijay Daniel, an entrepreneur-cum-technology enthusiast.
News Source : Get fancy phones for a song in used market
