To save money on the ever-increasing prices of phones and other tech, many people turn to the second-hand market. While this can certainly net you a bargain, there are also risks involved in terms of reliability, the trustworthiness of the sellers, not to mention what you can do if the device suddenly goes wrong a week after arriving.
This has given rise to a number of retailers that sell refurbished or renewed products, all of which usually come with warranties, a modicum of support and the backing of an ongoing business rather than some chap on eBay. These products are given thorough inspections and even have parts replaced if they’ve developed problems, making them almost as good as new, but with a lower cost.
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Obviously, this will vary from device to device, but as an example, at the time of writing we were easily able to find an iPhone XR 64GB for £379 in the UK and $381 in the US, with the same version new from Apple costing £499/$499.
Some prices are slightly more or less than others, depending on who the seller is, but for the most part they only seemed to fluctuate by a few pounds or dollars.
There are quite a few companies that now specialise in either graded second-hand phones or refurbished models. With the former, you’ll find excellent options on Music Magpie, SmartFoneStore and 4Gadgets, all of whom give different tiers for used models so you know how pristine they will be. All are covered by money-back guarantees, so you don’t have to stress out when spending money on a second-hand device.
One of the best options for iPhone and iPad fans is Apple’s own Refurbished store. This isn’t awash with devices, but the ones that routinely appear in the store are refurbished by Apple so that they are essentially new. All even get the same warranty as brand new products you find in the main store, with the bonus that you get around 15% knocked off the price.
For more details on delving into the used market, take a look at our guide on why you should buy a second-hand phone and the differences between used and refurbished tech. Of course, you should also keep an eye on our roundup of the best smartphone deals if you still prefer being the first to open the box.
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.
