Buying Refurbished Phones—The Pros and Cons

Buying Refurbished Phones: The Pros and Cons

Thinking of buying a refurbished phone? The obvious advantage is price but what about the disadvantages? Learn the of pros and cons of refurbished phones.

Keyword(s): refurbished phones

Are you in a tight budget but looking to get a new iPhone? Do you want an affordable way to get a new phone for yourself? If you are, you may want to check out refurbished phones in the market.

All over the world, there are over 900 million active iPhones in use. Given how Apple makes sure it creates quality and intuitive models, it comes as no surprise so many are in use. However, iPhones come with big price tags.

This is why many iPhone users don’t buy brand new models. Instead, they look to refurbished phone vendors for iPhones. By looking for refurbished iPhones, they get a somewhat new iPhone and still save a ton of money.

If you want to know more about refurbished phones, keep reading below. We’ve got a list of the pros and cons of refurbished devices.

1. What Is a Refurbished Phone?

When you hear about refurbished phones, you might think about broken devices. Some might think refurbished smartphones have viruses or slow processes. Others might say they can’t hold new contacts, pictures, and other data.

Those are only some of the myths around refurbished smartphones. The truth is that refurbished phones are still very much functional. Some models were only returned by customers who changed their minds within the 30 days of a signed contract.

Many pre-owned phones become refurbished phones. They’re often phones that owners sent back due to an issue and were then repaired for resale. Before they’re put up for resale, these phones get checked and tested to ensure they’re still in working order.

They’re wiped clean of any data compliant with the Data Protection Act. Refurbished phone sellers update them to the latest operating system for the model. The biggest selling point for refurbished phones is their discounted prices.

2. Should I Buy a Refurbished Phone?

Who should buy a refurbished phone? Well, provided they have the means, anybody can. If you aren’t picky about getting a pre-owned phone, you should get one.

Let’s say you’re on a tight budget but you want a Galaxy S10 Plus. One way to get an S10 Plus is to get a refurbished model. It will be much more affordable than a brand new one.

However, if you want a warranty that lasts as long as a brand new phone’s, you might not get it. Below, we’ll talk further about the warranties of refurbished phones.

3. Do Refurbished Phones Come with a Warranty?

Before you think about buying refurbished phones, it’s good to consider if they come with a warranty. The thing is that it depends on the seller. Refurbished phone sellers that offer warranties are often the most reliable ones.

Not all sellers of refurbished phones offer warranties. Major retailers or refurbished phone vendors offer 12-month limited warranties. Some offer 90-day warranties only. Most offer shorter warranties on common issues, but longer on the device ever being blocked.  Common issues would be something like touch sensitivity, wi-fi connectivity, etc. which can easily be detected within the first days of use.

If you buy from a trader on eBay or Amazon, most will offer a limited-warranty of up to 12 months. However, private or individual sellers might not offer one. Make sure to check the description and to check with any seller for a warranty.

4. Refurbished Phones Grading

Before we move on to the refurbished pros and cons, let’s talk about the grades of refurbished phones. The standard grades range from A to D. However, some networks use their grading system so be mindful of that.

The standard Grade A refurbished phone is, in all practicality, still brand new. This is the phone that got returned within the 30-day cooling period. It’s the ideal phone to get that, at worst, shows negligible signs of wear.

Grade B phones have the odd chip or scratch. Often, that’s the worst they can get. You won’t see many other unappealing signs.

Refurbished phones graded C will have a look of wear and tear. Expect up to five or so blemishes on the phone. They’re the lowest grade most traders will sell.

Grade D refurbished phones are those that have the well-used look. They’re also often broken in some way. If you know how to repair the damage, then you may want to get it.

Before you commit to buying one, you want to check that its grade corresponds to its price.

5. Pros Refurbished Phones

The global market for refurbished smartphones grew by 13% in 2017. If we contrast this with the global market for new smartphones, we’ll see a 14% difference in market growth. One of the biggest factors at play is the rising prices of brand new phones.

The biggest deal maker of refurbishes phones is their prices. Compared to brand new phones, they come with a big discounted price. For example, Apple’s brand new iPhone X is at $999 but a refurbished model can sell for $679-$750.

Due to their lower prices, they’re also great for quick replacements. If your previous phone got lost, stolen, or broken, you don’t have to save up as long as you would for a brand new one. You can get one much sooner so long as you don’t mind a few physical flaws.

It’s also worth noting that refurbished phones are good for the environment. In essence, you can consider them as recycled products. They stay in the market and out of the landfills.

As we stated before, phone refurbishers update the operating system of the model to the latest one. This is a big pro since you can skip out on having to update it yourself.

Note that refurbished phones undergo testing and re-checking before they’re released again. If you get your phone from a reliable vendor, it will be rare to find a refurbished phone that still has its past issues.

6. Disadvantages of Refurbished Phones

Remember that refurbished phones may have physical or internal defects. The physical defects are most likely aesthetic flaws. The most common marks are light scratches or tiny chips on the smartphone.

Internal defects may stem from the malfunctions that the phone got turned in for. These can include issues in the camera or speakerphone. However, internal problems are uncommon since traders test for them before reselling.

As we stated above, refurbished phones may or may not have a warranty. The warranty you get will also depend on the vendor. In an ideal trade, you want to buy a refurbished phone with a warranty of some type.

One of the biggest cons of getting refurbishes phones is you’ll often find only older models on sale. You might even find models that some companies aren’t circulating anymore. Consider a couple months’ waiting time after launch before you scour phone stores.

7. Benefits of Brand New Phones

If you’ve been keeping up with a brand’s launch news on a new phone model, it can be exciting. A big advantage of buying a brand new phone is you can get the phone on launch day. You don’t have to wait until it’s in the system for refurbished phones, which can take months.

Also, with brand new phones, you have very small chances of malfunction issues. When you do experience any problems, you can use the offered warranty that comes with it. Issued warranties for brand new phones also are often longer than warranties for refurbished phones.

The components of a brand new phone are fresh. You can be sure nothing got replaced or repaired yet. However, that doesn’t mean it removes the chances of internal issues.

If you’re a big fan of unboxing, then you will enjoy unboxing a brand new phone. You get to be the phone’s first user as well.

8. Cons of Brand New Phones

Of course, brand new phones are much more expensive. They often won’t get much of a markdown until the next model comes out. For example, one of the most sought-after Samsung Galaxy phone in the market is the Galaxy S10+ 1TB at $1600.

If you’re looking to get an iPhone, they are also pretty costly. It’s why more buyers are looking for refurbished iPhones instead. They use the discount to get other accessories like the Apple AirPods.

The industry is always introducing new phones in the market. The latest smartphone that came out this year could cost over $1000 now. In the next year, the price can go down 20% or even 50%.

8. Where Can I Buy Refurbished Phones?

Let’s say you’re ready to get a refurbished phone. You have a budget ready and a phone in mind. The problem is you don’t know where to get one.

ReCharge Electronics buys and sells refurbished phones. We have a lot of models and brands to choose from. You can get a refurbished iPhone X or a Samsung Galaxy S10e in our store. If you want to check what else we have to offer, come visit our website or our physical store.

Get Yourself a Refurbished Smartphone Now

Getting refurbished phones isn’t a horrible idea. Weigh the pros and cons and check your budget. You might find an amazing phone for a low price!

If you found this post to be enjoyable and educational, please check out our other guides. You can also come and contact us if you have any questions.