It is no more than few weeks when I blogged how my wife’s phone has lasted almost a decade. Well, during Easter weekend it was finally time to go shopping as the old warhorse stopped functioning. The guidance my wife gave to me was simple:

• required functionality: speech, SMS and a clock
• budget: less than 80 EUR (approx 100US$)

So, of I went to nearest retailer and thought this was a simple task as Nokia 1110 would be a perfect match to my wife’s taste. To my disappointment it was sold out – apparently my wife is not the only one who is keen with basic models. Instead of going to neighbouring retailer (which in this case would have been 30+ kilometres away) I decided to try some used phones.

The first was a Nokia 1110, but it was in horrible shape. I even wonder how they dared to ask 40 EUR/ 60US$ with such phone.

The second attempt was love at first sight (at least on my part). Samsung X480 is IMO one the most stylish looking basic phones ever made and the red colour makes it even more attractive. With a price tag of 70 EUR (approx 90US$) it seemed like a good buy. Before going further I run trough a simple checklist with the salesman:

1. Check phone warranty status
   It took only one phone call and few minutes to find out that the phone had 6 months warranty left.
2. Check battery life and accessories
   The phone may be cheap, but if the battery life is weak or accessories are damaged then it would be a costly buy. Batteries alone are worth US$20-30. Checking battery life is usually a simple procedure and most retailers have required tools.
3. Check phone functionality
   Turn the phone on and give it a test drive. Put special notice on screen and key functionality. If there is even the slightest fault with either screen or keys it is not the phone you are looking for. Also calling a test call is not a bad idea as it can point out some problems.
4. Is the manual included?
   Geeks do read manuals and especially when moving from one manufacturer to another (like in this case from Nokia to Samsung) the manual is truly required.

The unexpected factor came afterwards in form of privacy issues when my wife started playing with phone settings / personalization. The retailer had not cleared the phones memory and a lot of personal information from previous owner like SMS and MMS messages where intact. If nothing more, hopefully this lesson teaches everyone to double-check phone settings before giving it to hands of a retailer.