Sold my old smartphone on eBay for $200

Over the weekend, my eBay auction ended and I sold an old Droid X for approximately $200. The phone is in excellent condition and it's still under warranty, so someone is getting a really good phone. The normal retail price for the Droid X is currently $399.99 (although you can get it for $149.99 if you sign up as a new customer).

Do you have an old phone laying around? Sell it on eBay and use that money towards a new phone.

Buying a used smartphone on eBay

I've sold a number of smartphones on eBay. In fact, I'm selling one right now and I'll be selling another one next week.

If you're thinking about buying a used smartphone on eBay (or craigslist, or any other used seller), make sure to ask about the phone's history. The last thing you want to do is buy a used phone that's been reported as lost or stolen. Some sellers will indicate that their phone has a "clean ESN." This means that you should not have any problems activating that phone on your account.

GSM phones that use SIM cards may be locked, unlocked, or be limited to some international markets. It's important to verify that the phone will work on your network. Otherwise, you may find yourself reselling the phone on eBay.

Budget smartphone options for medical students

Many medical students are on tight budgets. Let's face it. You've accumulated loans, you're not working, and you're probably accumulating more loans as you're going through medical school. Who has the luxury to buy the latest and greatest smartphone?

If you're a medical student and you're thinking about purchasing a smartphone, consider this: you'll probably end up getting a new smartphone when you start residency. Therefore, you should not be too eager to buy the latest and greatest smartphone. You mainly need a solid device that will meet your needs for a few years. Then, when you actually start making some money as a resident (it won't be much, but it's more than now), then you can buy a newer, nicer smartphone.

Smartphone prices have been coming down dramatically. If you're on AT&T, you can get an iPhone 3GS for just $99. Want an Android smartphone? The Motorola BackFlip is only $49.99 on AT&T. AT&T also offers several different BlackBerry smartphones that are free for new customers.

Verizon used to have some great budget smartphones, but they've recently changed their inventory to make room for the newer smartphones like the Motorola Droid X and the upcoming Droid 2. However, the LG Ally running Google Android is only $49.99 and the Motorola Devour running Google Android is just $79.99. Those are some practical options for medical students who wish to have an Android smartphone but who don't want to pay more than $100. The Palm Pre Plus is only $49.99 and the BlackBerry Curve is going for $29.99.

Looking for better deals? If you search on eBay, you'll probably find some great bargains as people try to sell their smartphones so that they can upgrade to better devices.

Screen protectors on smartphones

At one time, Verizon used to ship their smartphones with screen protectors. Now, you're on your own and if you're planning on purchasing a screen protector, you can spend anywhere from $2-3 on eBay up to $20 in retail stores. (Guess where I get my screen protectors)

I wish that all smartphones came with a factory-installed screen protector. Sometimes, it's so difficult to install that protector while avoiding small bubbles under the plastic. Over the years, I've seen some novel application methods that have virtually eliminated the chance of getting bubbles.

Do you use a screen protector on your smartphone? I admit that at one time, I had screen protectors on virtually everything that had a touch screen. This includes my PDA, UMPC, tablet, etc. Now, I only use a protector on my smartphone. All my other devices are running "naked" and I've been careful enough that I haven't gotten any scratches (yet). 

Protecting your smartphone or PDA

What type of case or cover do you use for your smartphone or PDA? I used to always use a case for my PDA, but over the last few years I've gone away from using a case. Why? Because I usually end up replacing my device after 2 years or so. It just doesn't seem to make much sense to invest in a bulky cover. I use a screen protector and that's about it. I hardly ever drop my phone, so it's not an issue to have "bump protection." If you have clumsy hands and you're prone to dropping your phone, then I would suggest that you invest in a nice protective case.

Here's a tip: if you're looking to buy a screen protector, purchase one on eBay. In fact, if you're looking for any type of cellular or mobile phone accessory, I suggest using eBay for the best prices.

Used iPhones on eBay

I'm willing to bet that we'll see a surge of used Apple iPhones on eBay over the next few months as owners upgrade to the new iPhone 3G [S]. The iPhone 3G has a built-in GPS, so I believe it could be used as a GPS navigator even if you weren't using it as a phone (someone please correct me if I'm mistaken). Plus, since it has Wi-Fi, it could be used as a traditional PDA instead of a smartphone. The major downside of purchasing a used iPhone is the uncertainty about the remaining battery life.

Palm Pre Pick Me

Just a few more days left before Palm picks those Palm Pre reviewers (they announce them on May 8). I hope they'll pick me! I admit that I love gadgets and I probably have too many. I've sold some on eBay, I've given others away, and then I have my personal museum of gadgets (I'll have to post some pictures one of these days). Without a doubt, the gadget that holds my personal "hall of fame" award is the Apple Newton Messagepad. Considering that they called it the "messagepad" back in the nineties, my gut tells me that this new Apple tablet will be called the iPad or the MacPad. I doubt they'll call it the iTablet or MacTablet.