Our phone is our lifeline to family, friends, and everyone else in our contact list, but it’s also much more. It’s our photo album; our gateway to music, movies, and books; and our camera, map, wallet, calendar, newspaper, clock, flashlight, and maybe even the keys to our house or car.
As anyone who has recently shopped for a smartphone knows, this virtual appendage doesn’t come cheap. The starting price for the newest premium phones from Apple and Samsung exceeds $1,000. If you prefer a model with an extra-large screen and more generous storage, you’ll pay even more.
But you can spend a lot less—or maybe nothing at all—and still get a lot of phone. Here, we’ll tell you how to squeeze more life out of the phone you’re using and how to save on a new (or as-good-as-new) model. To help you choose the best phone for you, check our latest smartphone ratings, available to CR members.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit member organization that works for a fairer, safer marketplace. We buy everything we test at retail, from the latest phones tobig-screen TVs.
Extend the Life of Your Phone
The phones of the past few years can do just about any task we throw at them now, which makes holding onto them for a few years a sensible thing to do. Keeping your phone longer doesn’t just save you money. It also helps the planet by saving the energy and materials used to make a new cell phone and keeping gadgets out of the waste stream.
Before you rush out to buy a new model, consider whether your current phone is still meeting your needs. If it is, here are ways to keep it running longer.
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Update the operating system. This will install the latest security protections, along with potentially fun and useful new features. It can also speed up a sluggish phone. We recommend enabling automatic software updates. But if the phone is too old to accept the latest update, it’s time to spring for a new one.
Replace the battery. For the average user, a smartphone’s battery performance will start to decline after about two years, says Richard Fisco, CR’s head of electronics testing. If your battery is running out of juice too quickly, you can usually get a new one for under $100.
Swap in a new screen. Scratches and cracks can easily be fixed with a new screen. Though replacing the screen on the fanciest phones can cost more than $200, you can make older models look like new for half that much—or even less.
Increase the storage space. An easy way to free up space on your phone is to delete any apps you never (or rarely) use and optimize your photos. Many phones made by Samsung and others let you expand storage capacity by stowing apps, photos, and other items on microSD cards, which can be purchased for as little as $10.
Spend Less on a New Phone
If it’s time to buy a new phone, a highly rated model can be far less expensive than you might think. Here are some strategies you can use to find a phone that won’t empty your wallet.
Buy an older version. Purchasing a new phone from an earlier generation can be a great way to save money, especially if you have your heart set on a pricey Apple or Samsung device.
For example, the Samsung Galaxy S21 started at $800 when it launched in the fall of 2021. But now you can pick up a new one for about $600. Though it has fewer camera tricks than the S23, the S21 is still highly rated by Consumer Reports.
And you’re not necessarily sacrificing much when you purchase a model that’s a year or two old because manufacturers are no longer adding must-have features with each new upgrade. “A few years ago smartphones were evolving rapidly, adding multiple features with each new generation,” Fisco says. “That’s no longer the case.”
Though the screens on this year’s phones may be a little sharper and the processors a little faster, you might not want to spend an extra couple of hundred bucks for those features.
According to data from Decluttr, a platform for buying and selling electronic gadgets and other items, the prices of older smartphones drop when a new model is released. The big phone makers tend to launch new models around the same time every year, letting you plan. Samsung typically unveils phones in early spring and late summer, and Apple announces its new offerings in March and September.
Consider all brands. Apple and Samsung are the biggest names in the smartphone business, but they’re not the only companies that make great phones. Google, OnePlus, and Sony also manufacture top-rated models with cutting-edge displays, speedy processors, and excellent battery life.
Buying one of these can save you a lot if you’re willing to give up on the most popular brands and accept slightly less stellar camera performance and perhaps a plastic casing.
“The most expensive phones don’t always give you the most for your money,” Fisco says. “A mid-tier model can provide many people with everything they need. Determine which features you want in your next phone, then compare the models that have those features side by side.”
Can’t do without an OLED display? Sure, you should take a look at Apple’s $800 iPhone 14 and Samsung’s $800 Galaxy S22, but don’t overlook the $450 Google Pixel 6a, which performs admirably in CR’s tests. It has a 6.1-inch OLED display and two rear cameras, providing much of what you get in phones that cost twice as much.
Want long battery life? The $1,100 iPhone 13 Pro Max tops the charts with just over 52 hours of juice, but the $240 OnePlus Nord N200 follows not far behind, with 46 hours of battery life.
The Upside of Buying a Used Phone
Refurbished phones are used phones that have been freshened up to one degree or another to be resold, usually at a lower price than new models.
They can offer significant savings. Samsung, for example, was recently selling the refurbished Galaxy S21 for $325 on its website; Apple was offering the refurbished iPhone 12 mini for $569. These represent savings of over $200 compared with new devices.
But not all retailers refurbish phones the same way. Refurbished phones sold in Apple stores and on the company’s website have a new battery, new outer shell, new white box, and even a new 1-year warranty in case anything goes wrong. Samsung uses similar standards for the refurbished phones sold on its website.
Refurbished phones offered by other retailers might not have new batteries or could be packaged without the original accessories, such as a charging cord. So before buying a refurbished phone, always inquire about its condition, the return policy, and whether it’s covered by a warranty. Pick the wrong option and you might end up stuck with a buggy phone that looks and feels, well, used.
When Only the Best and Newest Will Do
Though you can certainly get along very well without one, it’s hard to go wrong buying a top-of-the-line smartphone. Seven of the 15 that we’ve tested recently in the $1,000 or more price range earn top ratings; six earn scores that are just one step down.
One of the newest premium models, the 6.7-inch Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max ($1,100), comes with new video and camera features, safety tools, and a novel way to interact with the device, dubbed the Dynamic Island. But the new phone costs the same as last generation’s iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G, $1,200, has a 6.8-inch display that will also appeal to big-phone fans. It has a built-in stylus for taking notes by hand or just doodling on the lock screen. The brilliant display is perfect for binge-watching your favorite shows, and the phone includes Samsung’s best cameras.
If you need any further justification for such a pricey investment, consider it as a way to “futureproof” your purchase. Experts don’t expect phone features to change much over the next two years, so it may make sense to put your money into a model that’s likely to serve you well.
You may be able to find a discount on one of the next top-shelf phones—but shop carefully. The appealing price you see in an ad may come with strings, such as discounts from a cellular service carrier that require you to stick with that carrier for a couple of years.
In some cases, carriers will subsidize the cost of the new phone with trade-in offers. Or they’ll serve up a buy-one-get-one-free deal—essentially two phones for the price of one. The catch? You can get the deal only if you’re adding a new line of service.
Of course, if you do need to add a line for your spouse, kid, or parent, it could make sense to pick up a popular phone at a lower price in the process.
Independent retailers such as Best Buy and Target generally don’t sell new models at bargain prices, but they do sometimes throw in a gift card to get you to buy the latest Apple or Samsung smartphone from them. Just make sure it’s a card from a place where you like to shop. In that case, it’s as good as cash in your pocket.
Melanie Pinola
Melanie Pinola covered smartphones, home office products, and a wide range of other technology topics for Consumer Reports. A seasoned service journalist, her work has appeared in the New York Times, Popular Mechanics, Laptop Magazine, PCWorld, and other publications. Follow Melanie on X, formerly known as Twitter @melaniepinola.
