1. Quick links
2. Best places to buy
3. How to choose
4. FAQ
As new phones get more expensive and software support continues to improve, choosing a refurbished phone can be a great option for many people. Whether you're trying to save our amazing planet Earth or save some cash, there are plenty of great reasons to buy a refurbished phone instead of a new one. Depending on the retailer, many of these devices are renewed to look and run just like brand-new phones, and they might even be covered by the same warranty as you'd get with a new product.
But of course, not all refurbished phones are equal. Moreover, buying a refurbished phone isn't as simple as walking into a store and asking for one. It's impossible to know the kind of life a phone has had before being listed for sale. We've collected all the essential information to help you navigate the refurbished market, so you can make an informed choice when buying a new-to-you phone. We'll start with a list of retailers so you can go straight to the fun part — shopping — and then answer all of your questions and provide some key info so you can feel confident about your purchase.
Patrick is an experienced deal hunter with a particular interest in helping people save money on their phone bills. Whether you're switching to an affordable MVNO or upgrading to one of the Big Three, utilizing Patrick's years of experience in the eCommerce space can help you cut through the noise and find the carrier that works for you.
Quick links
- Shop refurbished phones at Best Buy
- Visit the Amazon Renewed Store
- Samsung Certified Re-Newed program
- Refurbished devices from Back Market US
- Gazelle Used Phone Marketplace
- Free pre-owned phones w/ new line at Verizon
Best places to buy
How to choose
Perhaps the biggest issue with refurbished phones is that you don't exactly know which of the possible pathways it took to become refurbished in the first place. The truth is that you may never know, even after you have the phone in your hands. That said, there are some excellent tips to follow when shopping for a refurbished phone.
- Buy from the original company or reputable store whenever possible. They will have a quality control process and inspection as well as the ability to replace the device if you discover something isn't right. Many carriers, for example, have a 90-day warranty.
- See what warranty, if any, is offered for the refurbished phones. Some manufacturers will offer a full warranty for refurbished phones, while third parties typically won't.
- Read the fine print on the sale — even though it may be hard to find. Most refurbished or open-box phones are sold "as is" with little or no option for returns or refunds.
- Keep in mind the age of the device you're looking to buy. Sometimes companies won't be selling refurbished versions of the latest phones but instead a model or two older. It may be nicely discounted, but much of that discount is likely due to it just being old. With many phones from the past few years, like Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel offering years of software updates, even an older model could still be up to date.
- If the price is too good to be true, then it probably is! If you see a retailer selling a late-model "refurbished" phone for something like half the retail price or less, there's likely some catch you've yet to find. Refurbished phones will be cheap, but they won't be a steal.
FAQ
What are refurbished phones?
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Even though we see the word "refurbished" get thrown around a lot, that doesn't mean it's necessarily a standardized term. You may often see it used interchangeably with terms like "recertified," "reconditioned," "open box," or "pre-owned." No matter the exact wording, it generally refers to a product that was manufactured to sell as new but for whatever reason was returned to the manufacturer — either by a store, reseller, or customer — and is now ready to be sold again. They're sold at a discount, and that's why people are interested in them.
The terminology changes, but the idea is the same.
Sometimes, refurbished phones are simply opened and returned to a store or shipped back to the manufacturer for a malfunction to be fixed before being sold again. Most of the time, depending on the country you're shopping in, a purchased and opened product — and possibly one that even hasn't been removed from the packaging or powered on — can no longer be sold as "new" and must be sold as refurbished instead. Stores, resellers, and companies then have to discount the device because it technically isn't new-in-box and therefore can't be listed at the same price as a new phone.
Since the supply of refurbished phones is dependent on people selling them or returning them, the best deals will be on common models from brands like Apple and Samsung. That's not a bad thing, especially when you remember how many software updates these brands are offering. Still, if you're looking for something from a smaller brand like Nothing or even OnePlus, you won't find as many options.
As we mentioned before, when shopping for a refurbished phone, in most cases it's hard to know what exactly led that phone to refurbished status or how it certifies as refurbished.
Are refurbished phones risky?
Just like all online purchases, there's a level of risk involved in buying a refurbished phone. This is why you should take the time to thoroughly research the seller before making the purchase. Even if the retailer itself is reputable (such as the companies listed above), a third-party seller could always slip through the cracks with shady business practices.
See if the person selling the refurbished phone has any customer reviews (the more, the merrier!) and read through them to get a good idea about common customer experiences. If the seller doesn't have any reviews, skip them and keep looking. After all, a smartphone these days is a serious investment, and it's perfectly fine to have high standards.
I bought a refurbished phone. Now what?
When you get the phone, take a few minutes to check things over. While phones sold as refurbished should have passed through quality control, it's always possible that a defect managed to slip through the cracks. Even if you buy one of the best Android phones brand new, it's still worth it to check it over.
Make sure your "new" smartphone doesn't have any cracks, bends, or bulges on any section. If the back of the phone isn't perfectly flat as it would be if it were new, there may be a battery issue. The screen and back cover should fit flush with the frame of the phone, and gaps could indicate a sub-optimal repair job. There also shouldn't be any adhesive visible from the outside of the phone. This could suggest an issue with the phone's water tightness.
It's also worth checking the LCI, the liquid contact indicator, to make sure the device has never been wet inside. This is usually a small sticker inside the SIM card opening that turns red with liquid contact. Uneven light spots on the screen may also indicate trouble inside.
Don't ignore errors like the fairly common "Moisture detected in charging port" error which could indicate a problem with the pins in the port. Some phones also develop issues reading SIM cards, which can leave you without service if it gets worse while you own the phone.
Also, make sure the cameras focus properly and aren't jittery, and that the speakers are clear and don't buzz. These are common issues on phones that have been repaired. These components can be fragile, and if the tech doing the repair got in a hurry, they're easy mistakes to make.
After you've checked all the physical aspects, your next order of business should be to verify the device's IMEI number. This is important for many reasons, such as making sure the phone isn't blacklisted somewhere or in the worst-case scenario, not stolen from someone. There are countless companies that provide this service, but we recommend looking into Phonecheck.
For a one-time fee, Phonecheck does a thorough background check on your device and passes you that data in the form of a device history report. Big brands such as Amazon, eBay, Back Market, and Swappa have all partnered up with Phonecheck to vet refurbished devices, so you know you can rely on the service. If you don't know your phone's IMEI number, use the designated Android code to find it.
Finally, if the phone boots into the main Android home page instead of the first-time setup screen, factory reset it to make sure any old data, apps, and settings are fully removed. This can also be helpful if you're looking to restore the smartphone from a backup.
What is the lifespan of a refurbished phone?
While it depends on the device, if everything passes the inspection described above, a pre-owned phone can still have a lot of life left in it. If your current phone is already a few years old, buying a newer refurbished phone can still offer a massive upgrade.
If a phone is well cared for, the first thing to show signs of ageing will be the battery. All phone batteries degrade over time, but if you get a common phone with its parts easily available, like a Samsung Galaxy, it shouldn't be too hard to find a repair shop willing to put in a new battery down the line.
Do your research, pick the right store, and compare prices before buying, and you're likely to come away with a good phone that'll serve you well for years to come.
