Whether you're looking to save money or reduce waste, there are plenty of great reasons to consider buying a refurbished phone. These used devices are generally certified to meet like-new standards, and in many cases, they also come with a warranty or guarantee to ensure you're totally satisfied with your purchase. Indeed, the refurbished phone market is so hot that there are really very few reasons to spend a thousand dollars (or more) on a phone when you can get a gently-used version for much less.
Don't believe us? Keep reading to find a list of the best refurbished phones that are available right now.
Check out these awesome renewed Android phones
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Staff pick
Our current top pick for the best Android phone that money can buy, the Google Pixel 7 Pro balances outstanding hardware with a sleek design and some of the best camera tech in the business. Now that the phone is about six months old, you can get the Pixel 7 Pro for a fraction of what it costs new.
Peak Android
The Galaxy S23 Ultra might be the most powerful phone on the market, complete with the ultra-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 200MP camera, and a glorious display with a integrated S Pen stylus. Its biggest problem is the price, but you can save a hefty chunk of cash by purchasing this renewed model.
Flagship specs for less
The OnePlus 10 Pro features a characteristically eye-catching design with a sublime 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, and a large 5,000mAh battery that should last well beyond a full day on a single charge. Pick a renewed OnePlus 10 Pro and you’ll be shocked at the savings.
Renewed innovation
If you want an innovative smartphone experience without breaking the bank, look no further than a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. This phone truly perfected the concept of the foldable phone, thanks to an elegant design, durable construction, and some flagship-level hardware. It’s no wonder we called it “the perfect foldable” in our Z Flip 4 review.
Spectacular value
The Pixel 6 Pro revolutionized the brand by giving us everything we had dreamed of and more. This true-blue flagship delivers a sublime Android experience with seamless performance thanks to the in-house Tensor chipset. The cameras are phenomenal, as is just about everything else. It's difficult to believe that you can already grab the renewed Pixel 6 Pro for half its launch price.
A spectacular deal
OnePlus regularly makes some of the best-value flagships on the market, but if the OnePlus 9 is a bit too rich for your blood, we recommend looking into a refurbished 8T+ 5G. The OnePlus 8T+ 5G's design is still modern in 2022, thanks to its small hole-punch notch and sleek glass back. It has a Snapdragon 865 5G CPU, 120Hz AMOLED display, an IP68 rating, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.
Great-looking and affordable
The days of LG dominance are long gone, but the LG Velvet 5G lives on as one of the best-looking phones to date. This stunning beauty has brains, too, with good cameras, wireless charging, and a Snapdragon 845 chipset powering the device.
Small but mighty
When the S23 dropped a few months back, we were surprised to learn that it wasn’t a huge upgrade over its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S22. That’s great news, since the S22 is a great phone, complete with the acclaimed Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, a vibrant 6.1-inch AMOLED display, and a 50MP rear camera that still holds its own against the competition.
Ahead of its time
The OnePlus 8 supplanted the OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7T, bringing the value flagship experience we have come to expect from OnePlus. You'll find a triple camera setup on the back, a solid 4,300mAh battery, and a gorgeous AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The beautiful Interstellar Glow is unmatched in its beauty even today.
Which refurbished phone is best?
The Google Pixel 7 Pro packs an impressive wallop, providing fantastic cameras and a distinctly bold design that is comfortable to hold and still familiar to just about every Android user. We spoke highly of the phone in our Pixel 7 Pro review, and that love hasn't gone anywhere. If anything, the premium features such as an IP68 waterproof rating and wireless charging make the refurbished Pixel an even sweeter deal.
If you want to save a few bucks and get a device that will still turn heads, there's no better way to go other than Samsung or OnePlus.
Opting for the renewed Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra provides a fantastic bargain for those looking to score a true-blue flagship Android phone. Everything is as premium as possible, starting from the design to the hardware powering the device. You even get an S Pen in addition to a state-of-the-art camera setup and a phenomenal 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel.
How refurbished phones help the environment
Nowadays, nearly all of the world's biggest tech companies — from Apple to Samsung and Google — have launched sustainability initiatives, with lofty goals of incorporating more recycled materials into their products and aspirations of becoming carbon neutral by some future date.
Sure, all of these efforts are commendable, but the only real way to make the tech industry environmentally sustainable is to reduce production at its source. Here at Android Central, we've written at length about why cell phone companies should stop producing a new phone every single year, and yet the industry is showing no signs of shifting away from that model any time soon. The average American buys a new phone every 18 months, and over 5 billion phones are thrown away every year, according to the international waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) forum. What if, instead of buying the newest flagship as soon as it came out, we shifted our focus to buying refurbished phones?
Switching to refurbished or repairable phones en masse could have a tremendous impact on the amount of e-waste that is produced every year, and it may even inspire tech giants to make more sustainable decisions when it comes to manufacturing smartphones. Refurbished devices are beneficial to the environment and your bank account, so keep that in mind the next time you're in the market for a smartphone.
Once your new device arrives, don't forget to use our step-by-step Android to Android transfer guide so you can move all of your data from one phone to another without losing anything.
