If you’re looking for a good phone at a low price, then you always have the option to pick up one of the best used smartphones. The general idea is that you can buy a device someone else traded in and save yourself a chunk of change compared to buying it new.
There are already plenty of options out there, and now Google has started its own refurbished phone program — promising devices that have been "inspected, certified and ready to go." The problem is that this probably isn’t the place to look if you’re after a bargain. In fact, you may be able to buy some of these devices brand new for significantly less than Google is asking for.
The same seems to be true for other refurbished models Google is offering. The Pixel 7 starts at $429 and can be found brand new for $329. The Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6 cost a respective $539 and $399 from Google, and while a little harder to find brand new due to their age, they can still be purchased for as little as $489 and $339. I couldn’t find any brand new Pixel 6a phones that had a meaningful discount, but considering the $250 price Google is asking for, that would always be difficult.
There are other factors you have to contend with as well. The first is that these phones are 2-3 years old and were released before Google upped its software support to 7 years. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will be getting their last Android update this month and will only be eligible for another 12 months of security support. Asking over $500 for a phone racing towards obsolescence doesn’t sit right with me, especially when you remember that the Pixel 8a, one of the best cheap phones, can arguably offer a better experience for a similar price.
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