It's back-to-school season and eBay is offering students a number of popular handsets selling at less than $300. These include former flagships such as the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8.
The iPhone 5 was released on Sept. 21, 2012, while both the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 were released in the first quarter of 2014. The Samsung and HTC handsets are running on Android 4.4.2 while the iPhone 5 runs on iOS 6 out of the box. All three have a display that is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.
iPhone 5
Apple's iPhone 5 is now selling at an incredible price of $229.99 on eBay. The device is unlocked and comes with a storage capacity of 16GB. According to the seller, the iPhone 5 on sale is a refurbished device and is guaranteed to be in fairly decent condition. It does say upfront that there are scuffs and scratches on the body and display.
The iPhone 5 has support 3G and 4G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. It also has a speakerphone, music player and voice-activated dialing. It is also compatible with T-Mobile and AT&T, although it will not work on CDMA networks, such as Sprint and Verizon.
The iPhone 5's longer and thinner build requires it to be used with a number of accessories. These include a case ($50), a car charger ($10), a stereo dock ($100) and an armband ($10). In the end, an iPhone 5 would have a minimum total cost of $369 when paired with the cheapest version of each accessory.
Samsung Galaxy S5
Fans of Samsung who prefer the Galaxy S5 will be glad to know that the handset is now selling for $289.99 on eBay. The listing indicates that more than 1,800 units have already been sold.
Customers can choose from four color options such as black, blue, gold and white. The handset was originally listed at $599.99, which means that the site slashed 52 percent off the original price.
The Galaxy S5 for sale was also refurbished at a repair center. Consumers may find the device to have minor cosmetic wear, which includes a few light scratches on the display and minor imperfections on the sides and on the back.
HTC One M8
The HTC One M8, which features a 5-inch Full HD display can now be purchased on eBay for an incredible price of $199.95. According to the listing, there are more than 1,800 units that have already been sold. So far, only one color option is available: gray.
The seller describes the handset as a B+ Stock item. This means that it is "in good cosmetic condition and may have minor scrapes or scratches since it's been handled."
Price-wise, the One M8 seems to be the cheapest among the three, although the handset on sale also has the biggest storage capacity of 32 GB. Other notable features include 2 GB RAM, dual 4MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 and a non-removable Li-Po 2,600 mAh battery.
