Buy Used Cell Phones

One question which always comes to mind when buying any second-hand or previously owned item is how durable the item is.  This is particularly true when buying used cell phones.  The market for used cell phones is large and expanding, and cell phones are used everyday in a variety of environmental conditions.  It's just normal to ask if a particular cell phone make or model can stand up to extended use.

It's not very often that a cell phone manufacturer would release a model which can stand up to the elements.  But it's not a secret that most cell phone users would not use their phone under heavy rain or snow, or in a dusty environment like a factory or a in a sandstorm.  Some cell phone users would not even consider bringing their phones to the beach, or when fishing.  That's ironic because a cell phone or at least the cell phone networks and service providers have always touted their networks for use in such environments, or in emergencies under inclement weather.  And not all cell phones can stand up to such harsh environments because the units were not designed that way.

In terms of all-weather use, there have been several models which were designed to be rugged and durable.  Nokia had released an all-weather cell phone model around 1997 or 1998.  This model had a rubberized exterior, and a significantly larger case, but still looked like a high-end Nokia model of that time.  Siemens also released an all-weather cell phone around 2002, though a cursory inspection would not give any indication how rugged it was.  And Benq had also released an all-weather cell phone in 2007.  Benq's model M7 is based on the Siemens M-series cell phone.  (Note that Benq bought Siemen's cell phone business and most models it has released had still used the Siemens form-factor.)

Externally, there are no discernable difference between the Benq M7 and its predecessors, the Siemens M-series cell phones.  But the Benq M7 has a ruggedized body, which is splash and dust resistant.  Its LCD display has QVGA resolution in 262K colors. The main camera is 2MP with a secondary camera used for video calling through 3G network support. Among other things, it has a Bluetooth, a microSD slot and built-in GPS receiver.

The GPS receiver is the only indication of how serious this phone really is.  My take on this is that a phone with GPS has to have all weather capability.

When buying a used cell phone, it might be a good idea to get a model which is rugged, durable and weather resistant.