Should I buy a refurbished iPhone?
By: Reboot IT On: 1 November 2020
Should I buy a refurbished iPhone?
There are many websites and companies that sell refurbished iPhones online which can be confusing as some prices appear cheaper, but you may not know why.
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There are refurbished smartphones and then there are refurbished smartphones. The first thing to ask is where is the phone from? Many of the cheaper iPhones come from Asia where cheap non-genuine parts are used to refurbish or repair them. They also have certain functions that are slightly different such as the click sound when taking photos which cannot be turned off with phones from Asia. |
Tip – make sure you check that the phone is unlocked so can you use any service carrier.
Some sellers have stock that are consumer trade-ins, and some sell ex-corporate lease phones. Typically we find the ex-corporate phones to be in better condition (who wants to tell their boss they just smashed their new company phone!). Also, ex-lease smartphones are usually covered by a service agreement so if anything goes wrong you can be certain that genuine replacement parts have been used.
Tip – iPhone 8 starting using a glass back to make it easier for wireless charging where the iPhone 7 has a metal back. If you need a phone for the kids or a more rugged phone, go for the iPhone 7.
The next question to ask is how they are refurbished and what quality process do the phones go through. Some sellers do not do any testing and hope for the best. Our phones are thoroughly tested using software specifically designed to test every function of a smartphone. One of the most important things we look at is battery life.
Once an iPhone gets below 80% battery life, you will start to see a message telling you to have the battery serviced. Any phone we have that tests to below 80% we change and install a brand-new battery.
Most of you would know that Apple releases a new iPhone every year and every year the number of innovations on the phones get fewer and fewer. This is good news if you purchase a refurbished phone as the technological differences between a used smartphone and a new one is less.
Why should you buy a refurbished iPhone from Reboot IT?
The biggest factors are quality, testing procedures, what country the phones are from and what type of user does the phone come from.
We never source any of our used iPhones from Asia and most if not, all are ex-corporate. As mentioned, we use specifically designed software to test our equipment for functionality and battery life.
Our staff are very experienced and professional, and we offer a standard 6-month warranty and free returns to give you some peace of mind.
See our full range of refurbished smartphones here.
