Every year Samsung, LG Apple and tons of other manufacturers release new smartphone models, at tons of different price points meant to seduce you into splurging and overspending on a new cell phone. This has resulted in the spin-off of a new branch of phone classification known asย refurbished.
This can be a bit confusing, especially when it seems so similar to the termย usedย so in this post weโll do our best to differentiate and actually explain what a consumer can expect to get and what they canโt when investing in a refurbished device.ย
With prices on new devices starting at essentially $1,000, itโs no surprise that consumers are very picky about what they're paying for, what they can expect and especially devaluation on their current devices. Should they trade in their gently used device for a refurbished device, new device -ย used device?ย
The word refurbished phone definitely isnโt normalized, many vendors consider a phone with a replaced screen, battery, back glass and even more refurbished. Others may consider a phone with any one component replaced refurbished. The term definitely isnโt standardized industry wide, which is why weโre attempting to provide some clarity on what we atย Sour Apple classify as refurbished and whatโs considered used.ย
Why Did Refurbished Devices Become A Thing?
Refurbished devices became popular about ten years ago as many customers wanted a budget-friendly option to popular models, and secondary vendors as well as carriers wanted to make something available. Each carrier has classified refurbished devices differently, but the one benefit of this type of device is that itโs just as warrantied as any other device, meaning if there are any issues youโre covered by either the seller, which could either be the manufacturer or a third-party like Sour Tech.ย
In reality, should a two year oldย Samsung S10+ย be considered used or refurbished? In our opinion, if this device has been certified as in like-new condition and the seller is transparent about the aesthetic condition refurbished is a fair classification.ย
What's The Difference Between Refurbished vs Used?
So for the average consumer, itโs important to understand what the difference is between refurbished and used, especially when browsing our site and platform. The more you know, the more you can make the right decision for your exact situation.
Used Android or Apple Devices
- Often no long term support or warranty
- No transparency on what components may or may not have been replaced.ย
- Good price is often the selling point - not the condition or quality of the device.
- 1 year iron-clad warranty
- Lifetime IMEI guarantee - your device will never be randomly blacklisted, youโll never see the dreadedย No Serviceย in the top left corner of your phone.ย
- Full automated function and battery test for the entire device - from microphone volume to battery health, we test and document everything.
- Trusted and vetted sellers acrossย America - available for local pickup or shipping.ย
So, Why Should I Get A Refurbished, Pre-Owned or New Cell Phone?
A refurbished cell phone is perfect for a customer thatโs budget-sensitive and OK with beingย one year behindย when it comes to releases from either a Samsung or Apple device.ย
For example, the iPhone 12 series was released just prior to 2021 and the retail sticker price from Apple is well over $700 with taxes.
If $700 is over your budget, a refurbished iPhone XS or iPhone 11 would be well below that price point and still provide a proper warranty and a very fast phone for the needs of 2021.ย
Currently theย lowest model of iPhoneย available fromย USA carriers is the second generation 2020 iPhone SE as well as the iPhone XR which come new sealed or available for two year financed deals.
When you think about it, this is less than ideal. Youโre getting a two year old device for close to Apple retail sticker price. By the time youโre done with the financing term, youโll see two other new Apple cell phone releases making this XR or SE 2020 even more deprecated. On top of that, while youโve been paying offย full retailย for two years, youโre losing resale value just based on time alone - not even wear and tear.
