Where to buy a second-hand or refurbished iPhone

If you happen to’re on the hunt for an iPhone however your finances doesn’t rather stretch to Apple’s most up-to-date gadgets, buying a customary or refurbished iPhone is a great way to procure a bargain. While this may probably sound appreciate a dangerous option, it doesn’t have to be. Specialist retailers provide warranties and take a look at gadgets before reselling them. We’ll assist you to earn a reputable source for second-hand iPhones.

With Apple focusing on its 15-sequence iPhones from late 2023, you can earn glorious deals on older phones such as the 14-, 13- and maybe even 12- sequence. (Apple nonetheless sells the standard iPhone 13 and 14 gadgets, however has discontinued many of the variants, which means refurbished is the way to walk together with these gadgets.) The older iPhone you’re prepared to buy, the greater the savings you can revel in.

On this article we quilt the entirety there may be to know about safely buying a refurbished iPhone, whether or now no longer you’re having a stare to buy SIM-free or on contract.

Apple itself wants to be your first port of call, if only to establish a benchmark of what is reasonable to pay for your chosen handset: take a look at to glimpse if the Refurbished Store has the iPhone mannequin you’re having a stare for. (That’s the U.S. store. British readers may nonetheless are trying the U.K. Refurbished Store.) At time of writing we’re seeing a range of gadgets from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 13, however iPhone 14 will possible be added in due direction.

Apple’s store tends to be the most costly place to buy refurbished iPhones–although it’s nonetheless significantly cheaper than buying fresh. (The standard bargain on the Apple Refurbished Store is 15 percent.) But there are advantages that reach with this higher value. The refurb phones all reach with the same one-year miniature warranty that you’ll earn on the brand-fresh variations, for example. And it’s worth noting that any parts customary within the refurb will possible be official Apple ones, and all gadgets reach with brand-fresh batteries.

It’s worth having a stare around, nonetheless, to make certain you’re getting a correct deal. There are masses of assorted companies that make a living from refurbishing and promoting iPhones. Right here are among the vital more outstanding resellers of refurbished and customary iPhones:

Refurbished iPhone sellers within the U.S.

• Decluttr: A popular destination for refurbished gadgets, usually with sales that slash even more money off. You can also trade in any of your customary tech, gadgets, and media (together with books and CDs) to accumulate steeper reductions.
• The iOutlet on eBay: Offers competitive pricing for refurbished gadgets and also accepts assorted gadgets such as iPads, Apple Watches, and gaming consoles. 
• Amazon Renewed Store: This arrangement’s greatest wait on is that purchases are all backed by Amazon’s standard returns coverage and its “Renewed Guarantee” allows you to accumulate a refund or replacement within 1 year of receiving your product.
• Most effective Buy: Most effective Buy doesn’t provide a great deal of information on pre-owned iPhones’ condition, however you can return within 14 days if the object is “unopened or inappropriate in any way.”
• Walmart: Walmart doesn’t promote refurbished iPhones straight; rather, they are sourced from assorted sellers. Return policies vary from vendor to vendor, however there are minimum necessities that apply universally.

Refurbished iPhone sellers within the U.K.

• Music Magpie: The UK model of Decluttr and a correct place to start having a stare for refurbished iPhones. You may earn that sales decrease the worth nonetheless additional.
• The iOutlet or The iOutlet on eBay: Offers competitive pricing for refurbished gadgets and also accepts assorted gadgets such as iPads, Apple Watches, and gaming consoles. 
• Amazon Renewed Store: Even as you can’t really promote on Amazon Renewed except you’re a trade, these having a stare to buy a refurbished iPhone Amazon Renewed have masses of choices to make a chance from. Its greatest wait on is that purchases are all backed by Amazon’s standard returns coverage and its “Renewed Guarantee” allows you to accumulate a refund or replacement within 1 year of receiving your product.
• Envirofone: Also allows you to trade to your customary phone for credit towards purchasing a refurbished phone.
• 4Gadgets: Offers a 12-month warranty for all on-line orders.
• Reboxed: Pledges that gadgets “are absolutely tested and in ideal working order.” All reach with a 12-month no quibble warranty.
• Smartfone Store: Scrutinize out for the additional 10 percent bargain for students and teenagers.
• Refurb-Telephone: Love most refurb sellers, this arrangement provides a 12-month warranty. Less commonplace is its coverage of allowing returns within 14 days when you happen to merely change your ideas.
• The Gigantic Telephone Store: Says it ensures refurb phones “are thoroughly tested, repaired, and cleaned before being despatched out.” Backs this with a 12-month warranty.
• Laptops Announce: You accumulate a 12-month warranty on parts and labor. Watch out for a little bit of complicated grading system: “A3,” for example, means “Average condition.”
• Back Market: You accumulate 30 days to change your ideas and a 12-month warranty… or occasionally more.

Most effective refurbished iPhone deals now

The large sequence of refurb sellers and variations of condition and warranty mean it’s now no longer doable to provide exhaustive details of the most efficient deal for each buyer. The most efficient option, when you happen to have time, is to walk to each of the sellers listed above and shop around for the most efficient value that meets your necessities.

For the reader in a accelerate, nonetheless, we have assembled the standout deals for each mannequin the usage of the next criteria: the lowest value presently available from a reputable vendor with the minimum storage allocation, unlocked, and the most tantalizing condition grade the place applicable. This may nonetheless assist you to pinpoint the sellers offering the most efficient value.

And here are the most efficient deals within the UK.

Where to buy a refurbished iPhone on contract

You can procure refurbished phones on contract as properly from the next carriers and resellers:

US carriers

• Verizon
• AT&T
• T-Mobile

UK carriers

• GiffGaff
• Mobiles.co.uk
• O2 Love New
• Vodafone
• Carphone Warehouse
• Fonehouse 

Outdoors of specialist retailers, there’s also eBay and eBay UK (ideal be certain that to take a look at the vendor’s feedback and read the descriptions carefully), and, within the UK, CeX.

Buying older iPhones fresh on contract

Another way to dampen the financial impact of buying a fresh iPhone is to walk down the tried and tested route of contracts provided by mobile services. You’ll earn older iPhone gadgets within the on-line stores of various UK carriers, such as the iPhone 8 or XR, on noteworthy cheaper tariffs than the iPhone 14 range.

Prices change all the time, so we’d counsel reading our Most effective iPhone deals manual on a regular basis to glimpse which provides are presently available.

Ought to nonetheless I buy a refurbished iPhone? What is refurbished?

You may be anxious about buying a refurbished handset, pondering that it’d be appreciate buying a second-hand iPhone, however there’s no reason to be worried. Bear in ideas: refurbished and second-hard aren’t the same factor. Refurbished iPhones are pre-owned however are wiped, tested, and repaired to work appreciate fresh. 

The iPhones Apple sells within the Refurbished Store had been returned to Apple for a variety of reasons:

• The old proprietor may have exercised their individual rights and returned the handset unused within 14 days (as per Apple’s refund and exchange coverage).
• The iPhone may have been customary as a demonstration mannequin.
• The iPhone may have been returned to Apple due to a fault.

The third level on that checklist may pain you, however you can be certain that that Apple will have identified and fastened any faults before reselling the tool. The company says refurbished products undergo “paunchy functional testing” and are provided with “true Apple part replacements (if necessary).” They also accumulate “a thorough cleaning,” incidentally.

There are masses of advantages to buying a refurbished iPhone:

• You accumulate a one-year warranty.
• You accumulate 90 days of tech support.
• Because you’re buying from Apple straight, there are no shipping charges and free returns.
• You can also take advantage of Apple’s 14-day returns coverage when you happen to change your ideas. (Reveal nonetheless that Apple isn’t the only vendor to provide such a coverage.)

Refurbished vs second-hand: What’s the distinction?

If it’s now no longer already clear, a refurbished iPhone is tested and repaired so the handset works appreciate fresh (or as shut to fresh as doable). A second-hand iPhone, on the assorted hand, is merely sold as is, which means the tool may now no longer last as prolonged, and may have small imperfections or defects. The battery in particular will possible be a worry within the prolonged accelerate.

There are assorted risks to buying second-hand too. If the old proprietor hasn’t dissociated their Apple ID from the tool you may accumulate permanently locked out of the iPhone. Unfortunately, Apple’s customer provider wouldn’t be able to assist you to liberate the phone either, as the company has strict safety policies. Such a situation may probably be less of a pain when you happen to already know and can easily contact the old proprietor (and they bear in ideas their Apple ID details), however we’d favor avoiding such complications to start with.

Right here is nice another reason why buying refurbished is a more reliable route to walk when you happen to did want to procure a beforehand owned iPhone.

What does refurbished Grade A mean?

Even as you shop refurbished you may probably probably glimpse grade scores such as A, B, or C; this indicates the condition of the phone. Is it dinged up? Does it have scratches? Or is it totally blemish-free and pristine? The grade provides you a general idea.

We say “general” because these grades aren’t space by an unbiased physique, which means they can vary from retailer to retailer. Right here is how the grades usually break down:

• Grade A: Appears to be like appreciate fresh or has very few indicators of wear
• Grade B: May have some minor scratches and some wear
• Grade C: Appears to be like customary and has evident indicators of wear

But some sites walk together with Fair, Correct, and Fantastic or some assorted variation. (One arrangement we’ve visited appears to grade the entirety as A plus a number–so a comparatively poor handset may probably be rated as A3. This may strike some readers as a petite complicated.)

Useless to say, Grade A/A1/Fantastic refurbished gadgets will possible be more pricey than Grade C, however you’ll nonetheless be paying far less than you may probably probably for a brand-fresh tool. 

Pay attention to refurbished warranties 

Given that the quality of refurbished iPhone gadgets can vary from retailer to retailer, it’s important to pay attention to the warranty. How prolonged is the phone lined? The warranty allows you to accumulate wait on or free repairs from the vendor when you happen to accelerate into any concerns after purchase. Retailers typically provide a year, and many allow “quibble-free” returns when you happen to change your ideas within 14 days. Examine the glorious print.

More refurbished Apple guides

• Ought to nonetheless I buy a refurbished Apple Watch?
• Why you may nonetheless buy a refurbished Mac
• Ought to nonetheless I buy a refurbished iPad & most efficient deals
• Where to buy a refurbished MacBook or Mac

Author: Jason Unsuitable, Senior Editor