Are refurbished phones good & should you buy one?

Having the most recent phone is similar to having a new automobile sitting in your driveway. You may not require it, but it is great to have if you can afford it. Because of the high cost of living right now, spare money is a luxury that many people no longer have. If you’re in the market for a new phone but don’t want to risk hundreds of dollars on a second-hand eBay buy, refurbished phones are a great option.

Refurbished phones are not only less expensive than new phones, but they are also the safer alternative because they come with a warranty.

But what exactly do companies like giffgaff, Amazon, MusicMagpie, and Back Market imply when they say refurbished or renewed? Are there any disadvantages to purchasing a reconditioned smartphone? We’ll answer all of your questions and recommend the best sites to buy a refurbished phone.

Pro: Refurbished phones save you money

The most compelling argument to purchase a reconditioned phone is to save money.

Back Market, MusicMagpie, Decluttr, SmartFoneStore, 4Gadgets, and, of course, Amazon and eBay are all good locations to look for a phone, and all of them give a year’s guarantee.

Pro: Refurbished devices come with warranties

The inclusion of a warranty is a big deal, which is why we keep mentioning it. It’s a safety net you don’t get when buying a second-hand phone from an individual. Sometimes you also get extras, such as insurance if you buy a refurbished phone from ur.co.uk.

Pro: Refurbished devices are good for the environment

It may not be as crucial to you as the first two arguments, but climate change is already having a negative influence on certain places of the world. One cause for this is the usage of energy and materials necessary in technological manufacture and delivery.

Extending the life of an existing product is a positive move, therefore purchasing a refurbished phone rather than a new one is better for the environment. One refurbished iPhone 13 purchase will not rescue the earth, but if enough people switch to used handsets and send a message to manufacturers that they will not update their phone every year, it would undoubtedly help.

Con – Older refurbished devices might not get software updates

One thing you might not consider when purchasing a phone that is one or two years old is how long it will receive software upgrades. Security upgrades are most likely the most crucial of them.

It’s a sad fact that many perfectly useable phones become outdated each year because the vendor has ceased releasing security upgrades. These are the software fixes that safeguard you from any vulnerabilities that hackers may exploit. When the security upgrades stop, your device becomes potentially dangerous, and you should stop using it.

The industry has improved in recent years, with Samsung now providing up to five years of service for many devices and Apple frequently going even farther, making refurbished iPhones a particularly appealing option.

Before purchasing any older gadget, conduct a Google search to find out when the security updates are set to expire.

However, don’t be perplexed by Android upgrades. These are the operating systems themselves, and your phone will continue to function normally even if you do not have the most recent version, even if you will not have access to the most recent features.

Con – Battery life might be shorter on some devices

While some refurbished phone dealers may install fresh batteries, this is not always the case. Check the listings to see whether this is mentioned, since devices that have been in use for a couple of years will have lost some battery capacity. This is not a flaw, but rather the chemical nature of battery cells, which deteriorate gradually over time. In many situations, they may be changed by specialists, but this will incur an additional cost that must be factored into the entire price of the phone.

Should I buy a refurbished phone?

As you can see, reconditioned phones are a great alternative if you want luxury phones but don’t want to pay the high rates that they generally charge. There are relatively few negatives these days as long as you pick a reliable vendor; just remember to check the battery and, more significantly, the projected period of security updates for the gadget.

What’s the difference between a used and refurbished phone?

When you buy a used phone from an individual on eBay, Gumtree or somewhere else, you’re essentially gambling on the condition of the device and whether it’s fully working or not.

You won’t get a warranty with it since, even if it’s legally still under warranty, it generally only applies to the purchaser and not to anybody else who sells the phone. There may be some wear and tear, such as scuffs and scratches, and issues may arise after a few weeks or months. You’ll be on your own in that situation, as there’s little to no recourse on a private transaction like this.

This is offset by the fact that used gadgets are frequently less expensive than refurbished ones, so factor that into your calculations.

Refurbished phones, on the other hand, may be completely new or very little used. They may have been returned to the merchant within the 14-day (or 30-day) return period, or they could have been stolen.

The majority of refurbished phones for sale are simply cleaned and rated based on their condition. MusicMagpie, Back Market, eBay, Amazon, and others all do this. They often use the terms Fair, Good, Excellent, and Pristine to describe the condition, but you should always read the description to understand what to anticipate if you buy one in “Good condition,” since it may have “noticeable wear and tear.”

Contrary to popular belief, no renovations are being carried out. Batteries, for example, are not changed, and the phone is just carefully cleaned, any user data deleted, and then placed in the retailer’s own box (typically brown cardboard) with a charging cord and a SIM tray eject pin. You may or may not receive a charger, and even if you do, it may not be from the original manufacturer.

Keep in mind that if you see an Amazon Renewed, eBay Refurbished, or Back Market phone, you’re almost definitely purchasing from a marketplace seller rather than eBay, Amazon, or Back Market directly. You still get the guarantee, but if there’s a problem, you’ll usually have to deal with the seller rather than Amazon, eBay, or Google.

Only a couple of resellers, such as Aznu in the UK, actually refurbish phones and fit new parts to restore them to like-new condition. In some cases, Back Market sellers do replace batteries and other parts, but although there’s now an “Add new battery” option on Back Market, it’s usually ‘sold out’.

If a phone has had a new battery installed you’ll get the same battery life as a new phone. Just bear in mind that any phone that’s been opened up for a new battery or screen, might no longer be water resistant, so it’s worth checking and not assume that it is.

The only exceptions are when the manufacturer (such as Apple or Samsung) has done the refurbishing, although those phones aren’t significantly cheaper than buying new.

All other refurbished phones are often somewhat more costly than used phones, but the advantage is that they come with a guarantee (typically 12 months), so you have some recourse if something goes wrong with the phone.