There’s no running away from the fact that phones are becoming expensive each day. To get a decent phone, you may have to pay a high 3-digit sum, or if you want a high-performance phone, then you cross into the 4-figure range. The impact of the situation is that now approximately 66% of new phone purchases are through contracts, and another huge contingent is stuck with phones past due their sell-by dates. Unless you have the patience to wait for sales promotions, the best alternative to get a decent phone at an affordable price is to go for a refurbished one. So despite being pre-loved devices, refurbished smartphones offer great value for the discerning buyer and anyone looking for a bargain on a performance phone.
What are refurbished phones?
Refurbished phones comprise review samples, buyer returns, and store trade-in devices that have been returned to manufacturers and third-party vendors by their owners. Review samples are given to journalists and tech reviewers before the product has been officially released. Buyer returns and trade-ins happen when the client changes their mind about the phone or returns it to get a different device. These devices undergo a thorough inspection and clean-up and repair before they are ready for resale. Often, parts like batteries and displays are replaced to return them to ‘as new condition. So, you can rest assured that when you buy a refurbished device, you are getting a ‘new phone’ in different wrappings. Apple, for instance, will sell refurbished iPhones in white boxes with no branding, despite the phone being serviced and repaired by the engineers who made it the first time.
Reasons to buy a refurbished phone as your next phone
Affordable phones
Most refurbished phones are a generation older than the current flagships. This comes at a time when the manufacturers themselves have lowered the prices of new devices, and the demand has gone down. With all these in your favor, you have a broad selection of devices to choose from, including previous year flagships and budget devices. This, combined with the perceived ‘second-hand’ view, makes refurbished phones, even flagships affordable. You can opt for a newer device or shop around for a second-hand used device that suits your needs from Phonebot in Australia. This website has tons of options, with Samsung and Apple devices being among the most sold items.
Expensive contracts
While a contract may allow you to pay flexibly for your next phone, you mostly end up paying more than the list price—which is already expensive. Here’s the why. Buying a phone through a carrier always ties you down to the network with no freedom on your part to choose a network and data services provider. While it may appear as simple as paying a monthly price for the phone, you may have to pay for a monthly package that you sometimes won’t use as much. And with most people updating their phones every 23 months on average, you are stuck in the loop of trading in that device and signing a new contract for the next one. And so, the story goes. A refurbished device, on the other hand, allows you to pay a one-time price on your phone and choose a network package that’s suitable for you. You can network hop and even travel freely without worrying that your phone won’t work where you go.
Buying when the hype has died down
Buying a refurbished device is buying smart. When the hype around a device has gone down, and the majority of the market has moved on to trendy new devices, it is easy to judge what you want from a phone and buy just that. Plainly speaking, not everyone can find a use for the latest high-performance devices. If all you need is an all-around great phone, then you can now buy last year’s flagship and get the all-around performance you want at a bargain.
Your part in managing electronic waste
Buying a refurbished phone also means reusing old devices, which reduces the amount of electronic waste. When it is common practice for some to buy a new device every two years, all abandoned phones often end up in a landfill. This is the reasoning behind the recent moves by Apple and Samsung not to include a charging brick in their new phones. There aren’t enough phone recycling options in the world, and any eco-friendly decision combined with savings for you makes refurbs a compelling purchase.
Marginal updates between phone generations
Most new phone updates offer incremental and iterative updates over the previous generation device. So, with software updates that let you function on the latest platforms, you won’t be missing out on much if you opted for a refurbished device. This means that if you aren’t clamoring to have the latest and the flashiest device on the market, you will probably be okay with buying a refurbished device of the current generation or a generation older.
Buying a refurbished device on your next phone purchase signs you up to get maximum bang for your buck in features, freedom to choose network package, and most importantly play your part in saving the environment. Regardless of the phone, you buy, this is unbeatable value for money.
