The iPhone 15 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra pack in the absolute best mobile technology available today. But they also cost a ton of cash that put them out of reach for many of us. Even Google's most affordable Pixel 7A still costs $499, which is still a lot of money to put down in one go, particularly at a time when many of us are keeping much closer eyes on our spending.

Buying a slightly older, used phone can save you a lot of money while allowing you to put some seriously potent mobile hardware in your pocket. These phones will feature all your everyday essentials, plus allow for things like photo editing, gaming and video streaming. Even better, it saves a phone from going to landfill, which we can all agree is a good thing.

But there are key things to keep in mind if you want the best phone for your money and you want to stay safe when you get it. Here are our top tips on how to safely buy a great used phone, whether you want an iPhone or an Android phone.

What features do you need in a phone?

First, think about what you actually need from your phone, as this will dictate what sort of level (and budget) you need. If you just want something more basic to handle casual WhatsApp messages and play Spotify during your commute, you don't need flagship levels of performance. As a result, a lower-end phone with a smaller price tag will suit just fine.

The Pixel 6 Pro is guaranteed to get security updates until October 2026, so this phone has a good amount of use ahead of it. 

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

If, however, you're really into phone photography then you may want to spend a bit more on something with a decent camera. In that case, something like a more recent Galaxy S22, with its more powerful multi camera array may be preferable. You'll have to find that balance between the performance you need and the price you're happy to pay. Newer phones with more modern features and better performance will come with a higher price. 

Buy from a trusted source

Not every phone seller has your best interests at heart, so it's important to be savvy when you're shopping. Some places to avoid should be obvious; don't buy from the guy selling phones on a street corner from a big box, for example. Others can be hit and miss.

The site eBay is a well-known source for buying used items, and there's a huge selection of phones to be had. Some of these are sold by refurbishing companies that trade solely in buying and selling used handsets. Others are regular people trying to offload their old devices when they upgrade. The result is that it can sometimes feel like panning for gold, looking for those nuggets you actually want. Check the next section for more tips on buying on eBay.

My best advice though is to go to trusted companies that buy old phones, refurbish them and sell them on. I've used MusicMagpie in the UK and had no problems. Its online catalog is vast, it clearly lists the condition of the phones, every handset is factory reset and you get a 12-month warranty with every purchase. Prices might be a tad higher than you'd find on eBay, but the peace of mind more than makes up for it. They also offer rental options if you can't quite stomach splashing the cash upfront. Gazelle offers a similar service in the US, although we haven't tested it ourselves and so can't vouch for the overall quality of the service.

MusicMagpie's product pages make it very easy to see the condition of the exact phone you're buying.

MusicMagpie/Screenshot by Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Check the details on the listing

Whether you're buying from eBay, Amazon Marketplace or anywhere else, it's important to pay close attention to what you're actually getting. Read the listing carefully, including any small print that might be hidden further down among other details. It may be that phrases like "nonfunctioning" or "battery faulty" are intentionally buried to trick people into buying a phone that no longer works. They'll also likely explain whether you're getting the original charging cable, packaging and what sort of nicks and scratches you can expect.

Use your common sense here: If a $1,000 iPhone is being sold for only $100, there's probably something fishy going on. Don't be the guy who bought a picture of an Xbox One for $735.

You can check when your phone last had a security patch -- and download an update if there's one available -- by going into the settings.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Don't buy a phone that doesn't get security updates

I'll make this as clear as possible: Do not buy a phone that no longer gets security updates from its manufacturer. Unsupported phones are open to all kinds of vulnerabilities that can give hackers easy access to every single piece of information on your handset -- or even control it completely. Those bank details, cute pics of your kids, sexy selfies you sent to your partner -- all could be accessed and stolen.

Most Android phone manufacturers tend to support their handsets for at least two to three years, although both Google and Samsung have taken that further, offering up to seven years of security support on their latest launches. Similarly, Apple's latest iOS 17 is still officially supported on 2018's iPhone XR, making that phone still safe to use. Google's Pixel 6 Pro, released in October 2021 is guaranteed to get security updates until "at least" October 2026, according to Google's support page. 

It's encouraging to see companies offering longer support periods on their phones as more often than not the hardware is still perfectly capable of handling all your everyday needs for much longer than the software support might provide for. But outdated software makes the phones vulnerable, and it's simply not advisable to continue using phones outside their support period.

Your best bet is to look at phones that came out within the last two years and are therefore likely still receiving security updates. When you find a phone that suits, search the model name and try and find out if it's still getting updates, and if there's an indication of how much longer it'll get them. Companies often aren't forthcoming with info about when they're cutting a product loose, but by looking at what other models are being supported you should be able to make a fair estimate.

Released in 2018, the Samsung Galaxy S9 no longer gets any kind of security support. Do not buy this phone. 

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

It may be that you just need a temporary phone to tide you over until you can justify a proper upgrade and so a phone with only a year of support left might not be a problem. Make sure when your phone of choice arrives that you fully factory reset it yourself, and make sure to check for all available software updates before doing anything else.