Good place to buy refurb unlocked Nokia winphones, maybe android too?

[davmat787]

edit: Must be TMobile compatible.

My father has been wanting a Galaxy Note 2.0 or 3.0 for along time. But he can't justify the price. He is convinced he needs a huge screen. Over the weekend I am going to have him spend some time with my Nokia 521 and see how he responds.

So basically I am looking for reputable websites that will sell refurbed and unlocked Nokia winphones compatible with TMobile. We get awesome service discounts with them, and I couldn't be happier with my lowly 521 and its 4" screen, albeit it is my first smartphone.

Alternatively, an android based phone with a larger screen, maybe in the 5-6" range would offer more alternatives.

Any ideas on how I can help bring my father into the smartphone age on a relatively cheap basis?

To recap:

• refurb is fine, and expected to cut costs since it will need to be purchased outright
• WinPhone 8.0+ or Android of a 4.X vintage is preferred
• Screensize should at least be 5", a super high resolution is not a must

I have been doing some searching, and found a refurbed Nokia 521 unlocked for $48 which seems like a great deal. This is why I am going to let him use mine for several days as I feel his need/lust for a phablet is a little overblown.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks a ton.

 

[shortylickens]

Amazon
TigerDirect

 

[s44]

Just get a Note 2 off Swappa.

 

[5150Joker]

If your father wants one of the best large screen phones around, go to Amazon and buy the Nokia 1520 for $99 on contract.

 

[davmat787]

If your father wants one of the best large screen phones around, go to Amazon and buy the Nokia 1520 for $99 on contract.

That does seem like a great deal, but he dislikes contracts and can get an awesome discount with TMobile for unlimited everything.

What would you guess, approximately, that the monthly charges are for the 1520 @ $99 deal?

Thanks for the help and suggestions, keep 'em coming!

 

[paperwastage]

That does seem like a great deal, but he dislikes contracts and can get an awesome discount with TMobile for unlimited everything.

What would you guess, approximately, that the monthly charges are for the 1520 @ $99 deal?

Thanks for the help and suggestions, keep 'em coming!

at&t, they only have mobile share -

$20 (300MB) + $40 (subsidized phone per line fee)
=$60/month.
$85 if you want 1GB, $95 for 2GB
($15/GB) overage charges if you go over 300MB


You could buy it outright ($549), unlock it and take to t-mobile.. but dunno if at&t would unlock for you, and only 2G/LTE compatible (3G if you are in a 1900mhz refarmed area)
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Nokia-Lumia-1520-for-AT-T/productID.289421700


Galaxy Note 2 is $480 outright on t-mobile, or $20/month for 24 months.

Galaxy Note 3 is $708 outright on t-mobile, or $30/month for 24 months.

Given that t-mobile unlimited is $70/month, $70+$20(Note 2) = $90/month, cheaper than $95 (2GB from at&t with a subsidized phone).



If your father is comfortable with t-mobile's service, stay with them, get a 24-month phone paymenth plan with them?

 

[Joe1987]

I second Swappa, and craigslist.

 

[dagamer34]

at&t, they only have mobile share -

$20 (300MB) + $40 (subsidized phone per line fee)
=$60/month.
$85 if you want 1GB, $95 for 2GB
($15/GB) overage charges if you go over 300MB


You could buy it outright ($549), unlock it and take to t-mobile.. but dunno if at&t would unlock for you, and only 2G/LTE compatible (3G if you are in a 1900mhz refarmed area)
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Nokia-Lumia-1520-for-AT-T/productID.289421700


Galaxy Note 2 is $480 outright on t-mobile, or $20/month for 24 months.

Galaxy Note 3 is $708 outright on t-mobile, or $30/month for 24 months.

Given that t-mobile unlimited is $70/month, $70+$20(Note 2) = $90/month, cheaper than $95 (2GB from at&t with a subsidized phone).



If your father is comfortable with t-mobile's service, stay with them, get a 24-month phone paymenth plan with them?

AT&T refuses to unlock exclusive phones for 6 months, unfortunately, this seems to affect Nokia Windows Phones the most (no other phones are really exclusive to a single carrier anymore).

 

[desura]

Uh,

IIRC, the Nokia 520 was going for like $50 this holiday at MS...

I just used ebay to snag my nokia 820's. Cost me about 140, used. Was pretty happy.

Btw, they have decent headphone amplifiers it looks like, so the sound is nice.

 

[alangrift]

I recommend eBay as a great website to buy unlocked phones. Be careful though as you should look at the history of the seller.