Should You Buy Mobile Phones Online or Offline?

There was a time when many people were unsure about purchasing mobile phones from online stores. They were uncertain if the online site would be responsible enough to give them an original product on time. This fear was something that offline mobile stores leveraged to survive, even when eCommerce was fully capable of flourishing.

Fast forward to today, that apprehension towards online stores has changed dramatically, even in premium and non-premium markets alike. Nevertheless, customers stay confused about whether they should buy the next mobile phone from online or offline stores. To some extent, they have a point too. There are some ways in which online mobile phone stores and offline mobile phone stores differ.

In this article, we have tried to make a clear-cut comparison of both these options. We understand that the situation is different in different countries. For instance, in the United States, customers may receive a phone for a lower rate when bundling a cellular carrier plan with the device. But, this option is not seen so much in markets like India.

We have addressed some of these issues as much as we can, though. Rest assured, we will contemplate the significant differences you should note while buying mobile phones from offline or online stores.

Buying Mobile Phones Online

Nowadays, buying mobile phones online means several things. Most importantly, it works to find a product through an eCommerce website, buy/preorder the product, and instantly pay the price. In just a few days or weeks, the eCommerce site will deliver the product to your doorstep. If you live in a metro area, you may even get the product by the next morning or within a few hours.

As it happens, the process has its own merits and demerits. We will have a look at both sides now.

Also Read: Factors to Consider in Buying the Latest Mobile Gadgets

Advantages of Buying Mobile Phones Online

• Extra Savings

When a manufacturer sells a mobile phone through an online store, it can cut down many expenses. Most importantly, it doesn’t have to pay for the logistics and the margins of the mediators. Because of this straightforward and effective method, mobile phones sold via online sites are very affordable.

In most cases, you can get the device by paying way less than the MSRP. For instance, if you plan to purchase a mobile phone with an MRP tag of $500, you may end up paying $400 or less when you buy online. For most people, this is a huge reason to prefer online stores to offline ones.

• Offers

As if the internal savings are not enough, online stores carry out deals and promotions once in a while. These may be during regional holidays or holiday seasons. There have been instances when you could get the same mobile phone by paying half or three-fourths of the actual price.

Because there is always ongoing competition between two given online stores, customers can leverage it by choosing a site that provides competitive rates. Therefore, you have the maximum ability to save money while buying a mobile phone online.

• Quick Availability

Most online stores use innovative methods to ship their products to customers. As we said earlier, if you’re in a metropolitan area, you can even get the product in just a few hours. This kind of speed is something you cannot expect with offline stores due to the traditional logistics they follow.

Therefore, when customers need to get their hands on mobile phones ASAP, online stores become the most appropriate option. With subscription plans like Amazon Prime and Flipkart Plus, customers can save when it comes to delivery charges.

• Unbiased Buying Experience

Because online shops sell mobile phones from various manufacturers, they don’t have to promote a specific device, which is often the case with offline stores. Offline mobile stores tend to promote brands that offer a better margin.

Therefore, you can ensure an unbiased, fact-based buying experience when you get a device online. You can also check the original customer reviews even if the eCommerce site decides to promote a specific product. This is something you can’t get from offline stores, however multi-branded they are.

• Better Payment Options

When you buy a mobile phone online, you can avail of a variety of payment options. We are talking about channels like a credit card, direct bank transfers, and third-party credit systems. This may not be the case with offline stores, where you have to pay in cash/card.

In developing countries like India and other South Asian spaces, better credit options drive more people to online spaces. Students and self-employed people can get their favorite devices by paying for EMIs is a great deal of convenience.

Potential Problems with Buying Mobile Phones Online

• Warranty concerns: Like some people’s concerns, getting your mobile phone from an online store might create some warranty conflicts. That is, when it comes to redeeming your warranty, you will have to produce more documents than ever. Things would be more comfortable when you get the device from a physical store.
• Return Issues: Some online stores and dealers come with somewhat fishy return policies. Some even don’t provide any return policy at all. From the convenience point of view, this is a big problem, sure. Although there have been only a few cases of this sort, the fear stops thousands from using an online store instead of a physical one.
• The Lack of Real Check: While you get an unbiased shopping experience, you don’t get your hands on the device you want to buy. While the measurements and photos give you a rough idea, it would be better to know how the device feels. You may also fail to get some extra freebies like one screen protection guard or a protective case.

As you can see, the advantages can simply overtake the minimal disadvantages. Most of the problems are not even a concern for people who have been using web services for a while. You should know how to tell apart the genuine and fraudulent content on the web. For instance, if you easily fall victim to fake reviews on eCommerce sites, buying mobile phones online is not the most incredible idea.

Buying Mobile Phones Offline

Despite the boom of online shopping and eCommerce websites, millions of people depend on brick-and-mortar stores to purchase mobile phones. Instant delivery is one of the primary reasons that attract people to these stores. Also, there are still places where people cannot make the best use of online shopping sites.

The merits of going offline for a mobile phone purchase are as follows.

Advantages of Buying Mobile Phones Offline

• Check Before You Buy

When you go to a store to buy a mobile phone, you get to see, check, and feel the device in your hands. This is a great option when you care about the overall user experience of the device. Some offline stores might also give you a feature tour of the device, explaining how to get started and all.

We should also mention that you have a better chance of getting the right accessories for your device. Given that you purchase the product from an authorized store, you don’t have to worry about the problems of warranty and returns, either.

• Extra Offers

Just like online stores, offline stores have also started launching promotions from time to time. You just need to know where and when to check, depending on the model you want. When it comes to Apple devices, you have a better chance of getting education-based discounts as well.

Then, again, this is subject to a lot of things. As we said earlier, some shop owners may try to give you faulty or old devices under the disguise of these offers. If you don’t know how to make the discretion, you will end up having a not-so-great model in your hand.

The Bottom Line

We hope you understand the pros and cons of buying mobile phones from online and offline stores now. As it happens, you have to make the final decision based on what you need. For instance, if you have found a way around online reviews and spec-sheet analysis, buying from an online store would give you an immense amount of discounts and other benefits. If you think you can’t handle these, you should better resort to one brick-and-mortar store.