With the iPhone 6 officially announced and arriving on September 19, now is the best time to take advantage of the latest generation and buy an iPhone 5s cheap.
If you don’t care about owning the latest and greatest smartphone, you may be the wisest of us all. Waiting a year to get a fairly new iPhone may be one of the smartest things you can do if you’re a frugal buyer who still wants one of the best smartphone experiences.
With the announcement of the iPhone 6, Apple reduced the iPhone 5s to the secondary slot and halved the price. Of course, Apple isn’t the only source for buying iPhone 5s.
If you’re looking to buy an iPhone 5s, retailers are pretty much the best places to go, as they offer discounts on the device all year, and with the holiday shopping season approaching and Black Friday just a few months away. You’ll likely be able to score an iPhone 5s almost zero.
Here are some tips and methods to keep in mind when looking for deals for an iPhone 5s.
apple store
Now that the iPhone 6 is Apple’s new flagship device, the iPhone 5s are now in a lower position in the lineup and, as usual, the company has dropped the contract price of the iPhone 5s to $99 for the 16GB model. The iPhone 6 is currently $199 after signing a two-year contract.
You can probably find a better price elsewhere for the iPhone 5s, but we don’t blame people who only buy Apple products from Apple Stores; The service is great and a first class experience.
retail stores
You can easily take advantage of the numerous iPhone 5 sales from many major retail chains, including Best Buy, Staples, and Walmart. Many of these stores have discounted iPhone 5s all year, and we even saw the device being contractually priced as low as $79, which was an absolute steal.
In some cases, this is as big a discount as buying used, but if you want a brand new iPhone 5s for as little as possible, waiting for a discount at a retail or carrier store is probably your best bet. And as Black Friday approaches, the iPhone 5s are only expected to get cheaper.
eBay
While you may prefer to buy expensive items from reputable sources, you can’t beat the deals on eBay as long as you shop smart.
You’ll also need to be extra careful when browsing iPhones on eBay, as there are so many sellers out there looking to take a stroll and there may be many iPhones stolen units you’ll find on eBay. Also, there are even some vendors who will try to scam you.
Remember the guy who bought the Xbox One photo for $615? He thought he was buying a real Xbox One console, but was duped. Granted, he read the description but assumed what he was bidding on was an actual Xbox One console. To avoid riddles like this, make sure you read the description thoroughly and that the item you’re bidding on is the right item.
eBay sellers like to trick buyers by putting good pressure in the description or simply saying “Xbox One box” in hopes that naive bidders will overlook the fact that this is just the box for sale.
We’ve also seen sellers list fake iPhones, and while they usually make it clear that this isn’t a real iPhone, it’s important to read the description rather than just relying on the photos and assuming it’s a real iPhone.
Not all eBay sellers are bad. In fact, you seldom encounter a rogue, but they are out there, so be careful.
Craigslist
Craigslist has been hailed as one of the sketchiest places to buy consumer electronics, but when used with care, you can find a lot on cheap iPhone 5s.
We’ve discussed many times how Craigslist is a hotbed for scams, but there are also plenty of good guys out there who really want to sell you their old iPhone 5s so you can buy the iPhone 6. Sellers who want to get rid of their old gear are usually willing to give you a lot.
Again, be careful not to get a stolen iPhone. A good way to tell if it’s stolen is to ask the seller to turn off Find My iPhone or factory reset the device in front of you. The seller needs to know the Apple ID credentials for both of these tasks, and if he doesn’t know them or refuses to do any of these tasks, it’s a safe bet that the iPhone has been stolen.
swap
If eBay and Craigslist aren’t your thing, swap it is actually a sunny and green pasture waiting for you at the end of the tunnel. Swappa is tightly regulated by their staff, and every seller must verify the devices they sell, so you know you’re not buying a stolen iPhone 5 when doing business on Swappa.
You can also find great deals on Swappa, thanks to intense competition from many other sellers trying to get rid of their old iPhones. Many will be willing to negotiate a better price with you.
Social media
If you’re not confident in finding a legit iPhone on eBay or Craigslist, perhaps the next best solution is to ask your friends and search through various social networking services.
Sharing how you are in the market for an iPhone 5s will automatically have all your friends try it out and help you find a good deal on one. Especially if none of your friends have an iPhone 5 to sell to you, but they may know another friend who is selling it. From there you can connect and buy your new phone.
I’ve found that usually only your closest friends help with this, so don’t expect every single one of your Facebook friends to keep their eyes peeled for an iPhone 5s deal for you, but at least the word is out and every little bit helps.
