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⚡The CR8TR Newsletter

🤔 Which XL Phone to Buy Refurbished? We Tested The Best

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

GD Phone Nerds!

If you're shopping for a big-screen, high-end flagship phone, and you don't want to spend $1000 the ONLY way to get one is buying refurbished.

This is what I do, and have done since the mid-2000s.

And right now, two of the best options on the (refurbished) market for power players are the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL.

But which is the better phone. Not just when it comes to specs but with things that actually affect ownership of the device like reliability, trade-in value, and long-term usability?

Today, we’re answering that (and a whole load more):

  • The Price Trap: Why the “cheaper” option might cost you more
  • The 2031 Problem: One phone is guaranteed to work, the other… isn’t
  • Ecosystem life: When ecosystem lock-in is worth it (and when it’s not)

If you wanna cut through the BS and get the best possible option right now, read the full comparison guide here - it covers literally everything.

If you want my advice on which to go for, I'd recommend the iPhone 15 Pro Max for the three very simple reasons:

  1. Performance, pretty much across the board, is superior.
  2. Apple's Pro Max models are still the best for still photography and video capture.
  3. I've never owned a Pixel phone (and I've owned nearly all of them) that has lasted longer than 3 years without breaking.

That's a spoiler. But I get that some of you might not be interested in reading a full article and just want the outright verdict.

Any questions, just hit reply!

Peace.

Richard

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Most great ideas die in a Google Doc because the "technical stuff" feels like a final boss you’re not ready to fight.

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⚡The CR8TR Newsletter

By Richard Goodwin

We help new creators build sustainable, authentic brands in a world drowning in AI slop.

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