Is it buying a refurbished iPhone a good choice over a new one?

We all like good quality cellphone with lower price on purchase. A new iPhone is quite expensive and not all of the cellphone consumers can afford it. Buying a refurbished iPhone saves us a lot and offers us the same experience as the new one. So of course, when you see that refurbished iPhone, you may want to go for that instead of a new brand one. But is that a good decision? Should you buy a refurbished iPhone? That’s what we would like to discuss below.

What is refurbished iPhone?

Before deciding if you should purchase a refurbished iPhone, it’s important to know what a refurbished iPhone is. A refurbished iPhone is an iPhone that has been returned after it’s been purchased for someone else. Just because it’s been returned does not mean it’s necessarily been broken, or had any sort of problem. Often times, the previous owner has just decided that the iPhone was not right for them, so they returned it. After it’s been returned, it’s put through a series of quality tests to make sure it’s running just as it should. Remember, a company wouldn’t sell you a product that didn’t work. That’d be bad business. Once they ensure that the iPhone is working as it should, they put it back up for sale, for a discounted price.

Quality of refurbished iPhones

Whether it’s worth buying a refurbished iPhone will depend a lot on the quality. Because refurbished iPhones are checked for function and quality before they are put back on the shelves, they will almost always work just fine. But for how long is it? The iPhone batteries aren’t limitless, they will eventually die. And because the internal hardware isn’t replaced before the iPhones are put back on the shelves, it’s impossible to tell the condition of the hardware. The battery is usually one of the first things to die, which sucks because the iPhone does not have that great of battery life anyway.

So what can you do? Get a warranty, if one is available. This will ensure that, if the battery (or other hardware) is in poor condition, you’ll be able to get it fixed. When you buy an iPhone (assuming it’s not unlocked), you’re locked into a two year contract, so an extended warranty is a good option to opt for as well.

With the smart phone market drastically increasing in India, Apple is trying to take steps forward to break in to the industry there where they are lagging behind the more popular smart phone makers Samsung and Micromax. Apple has recently come up with a new idea to import and sell used iPhones in India. The idea is that by being able to sell used iPhones in India it will be able to combat some of the cost difference between iPhones and the Indian market where the majority of smartphones cost less than $200.

This has been all over the news, and because of that we have seen a heightened interest in used iPhones. People are learning that they can get a previously owned Apple product for a fraction of the cost they would get a new one for, making it more affordable for the average person. However, the terms “used iPhone” and “refurbished iPhone” have been used interchangeably confusing many consumers.

Differences of used iPhone and furbished iPhone

There would be big difference on the condition of an iPhone used and refurbished unit. Used iPhones will come “as is” from the vendor. They do not spend extra time to clean or fix any damages. With refurbished products, every product is thoroughly cleaned and if there are any cosmetic damages that can be fixed, they are.

Another difference is the warranty. Warranties aren’t always offered with refurbished or used products but more often than not, if you are purchasing a refurbished iPhone it is through a company that will usually offer some type of warranty. At Mac of all trades, for example, they offer a free 90-day warranty, and also offer the options to purchase a 1-year and 2-year warranty as well. If you are looking into buying a used or unlocked refurbished iPhone 6 it is always good to research warranty options since the products are previously owned.