What’s the best cheap smartphone for a reluctant user?

Failing that, do a regional search on a

a

classified website such as Gumtree, or try Preloved or Second-Hand Phones.com etc. (Caveat emptor: I’ve not used either.) You can also buy second-hand Android phones on Amazon.co.uk and eBay, and probably from local “cash converter” shops.

Android is now up to version seven, AKA Nougat, although its eighth iteration, Oreo, is round the corner. However, around a third of Android users are still on version six (Marshmallow), while a fifth are on version 5.1 (Lollipop). Roughly as many people are using version 4.4.4 (KitKat) as are on the latest Nougat. Get the newest version you can, while avoiding any sweets or puddings that appear before those, alphabetically speaking (Jelly Bean, Gingerbread etc).

Before you buy a second-hand phone, check its approximate value.

Carphone Warehouse has a trade-in website where you can type in the product name or IMEI and get a price. For example, it will give you £10 for a fully-working second-generation Moto G, and nothing if it’s not working or otherwise damaged. (Having the IMEI also means you can check the phone’s background.)

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2017/nov/02/cheap-smartphone-reluctant-user