In recent days, I have been entrusted with a mission: buy an Android tablet with the best possible screen, a large diagonal and a reasonable condition. It will be for a very specific use and both the quality and the size of the screen are crucial. If it has power, so much the better, but the screen was the most important thing.
I looked at the market for new products and, in addition to the fact that the prices were very high, the ideal was already a few years old – the Galaxy Tab S7 FE – and it was beyond the budget. So I jumped into the second-hand market and, as they say: I went for silver and found gold. In fact, for my use, I don’t know if I will buy a new product.
Refurbished vs Used Product
I haven’t explored the second hand market yet.. I have been buying cameras and lenses online for years and as long as you make sure of the condition it has been a positive experience. I have also bought consoles and mobiles for my collection and here I am generally less demanding because I know that these are devices that I am not going to use too much, so if they have any damage, as long as the price is right , I do not care.
However, I had never bought a second-hand mobile or tablet on a daily basis. Ok, the tablet is not for me, but obviously I want the person who is going to have it to have the best experience, that they don’t have a lot of scratches, dents or major failure that affects the experience.
I started looking at second-hand apps, second-hand stores, chains that sell both new and used and refurbished, and precisely I want to briefly address the point between refurbished and usedsince it is not the same thing.
To explain it easily, a used product It’s like today I put my Vivo X80 Pro (almost new, but with some scratches from use on the screen) on Wallapop, eBay or I sell it to a second-hand store. this product will reach another person as you left it.
That he brings the side stickers is something that surprised me. It appears to have never been used.
However, a refurbished product goes either through the manufacturer or through a chain that performs this refurbishing process. Normally the batteries are changed, perhaps the cases or screens and any hardware failure that may arise is repaired. They are not new products, but they have a guarantee and there is work behind it, it is not the mobile or the tablet “as is” out of the hands of a user.
A used mobile phone is usually from a former user, a refurbished phone can come from a user, but also from a batch with damaged packaging (the device being completely new), mobile phones from exhibits or similar cases. There are stores that sell it, stores that specialize in reconditioning and manufacturers who sell them directly. Apple, for example.
You can lose the fun of unsealing it, but in my case the Galaxy Tab S7 FE even had stickers
The rear is also immaculate.
After making this small clarification and discarding the market for new products because of the prices in which we are currently operating, I entered the applications and second-hand stores in my city. Nothing convinced me until I saw a 128GB Galaxy Tab S7 FE for 339 dollars in the window.
I walked past and kept looking at the options, but it was clear she was a candidate, and I finally picked her up the next day. To give you an idea, the price in the Samsung store is 699 dollars, on Amazon it is 578 dollars and in PC Components 589 dollars. All are the wifi version with 128GB.
Obviously, before asking the question, I checked the prices of the new product and I admit that I started thinking “we have to destroy it so that it costs 300 dollars less”
I turned on the screen, but it was already clear that I was going to take it with me: not a scratch (just two minimal marks on one of the front bezels, almost imperceptible), the back is flawless, the original box with the accessories (even the S-Pen) and even the plastic that Samsung adheres to the sides of its products.
It comes with the basic charger and the S-Pen.
Automatically, I asked if they knew where the tablet came from and they told me that a trusted customer just brought it and that when they’re like that it’s usually unwanted gifts, business gifts, bank promotions and all that. I really didn’t care because I was going to take it with me, it was like new.
And the truth is that it seems like a bargain to me, not because of the condition, but because with the current market, 339 dollars for this model seems like a demolition price. Okay, it has the Snapdragon 750G, but it still holds up with just about any app.
It has 128 GB internally, the design is excellent and the most important thing is that the screen is 12.4″ with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. It’s still a great all-around tablet and great if you want a big screen, but more importantly, it taught me a lesson.
By having such a generous diagonal, the split screen is a pleasure.
And that’s it, I used to browse the stores without being too interested in second-hand mobiles and tablets in the window, but now, really, I don’t know if I will buy a new product unless I need it for a very specific reason
As is the case with the price of electricity or gas, not to mention the shopping list, it is normal for sales of refurbished products to increase, but these second-hand stores also have their reason for being, and they showed it. I don’t know if they really knew what they were selling because they are not specialists in these devicesbut that’s not my problem.
The warranty is important: inquire in store, inquire with the individual and take a look at the IMEI
Big screen with good colors, what I was looking for.
Now well, Don’t underestimate something as important as warranty. And that’s it, that’s something that maybe you don’t pay much attention to, but when it’s needed it’s great (what they tell me with my Xbox 360 at the time ).
On a used product, the manufacturer’s warranty is… what remains. In other words, if I buy an iPhone 14 Pro today, I know there is still a warranty period left, and even if It is always good to ask the seller if he has the purchase receipt with the dateIt’s really easy with Apple because you can manage it with the IMEI.
If you’re buying a Galaxy S10e because you like it to be so compact, you obviously have no warranties of any kind. Thrift stores usually offer a one-year warranty for hardware issues.but you’ll really have to “fight” for them to recognize that it’s a hardware failure and not misuse on your part, but refurbished ones are a bit better in that regard.
This is also important when buying a used device because, for whatever reason, something can always go wrong and being covered by a minimum warranty is ideal. Anyway, finally, I was surprised to find a used product not only at this price, but in this condition, so much so that it changed my vision of the second-hand market for personal use.
If you had a similar experience, I’ll be happy to read about it in the comments.
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