Is it worth buying a refurbished iphone at apple?

Looking for an iPhone? Surely you have been considering the possibility of buying a reconditioned iPhone on the Apple website. It is a way to get an interesting discount and enjoy all the guarantees offered by the apple company. Among them, guarantee in the Apple Store. But is a refurbished iPhone really worth buying? I explain what advantages and disadvantages there are regarding buying a new iPhone and if it is really worth buying.

First of all it is important to check the differences between a refurbished iPhone and a new one. New products are those that no one has used before. That is, they have not been opened since they were packaged at the factory, you release it. A reconditioned iPhone is a used phone, but it has been returned for some reason. For example, that the user was not comfortable with the device and was within the return period. Or that the iPhone had a problem and Apple, Apple delivered a new iPhone to the user and he repaired it and then sold it as refurbished.

Do refurbished iPhones have a warranty?

Refurbished iPhones pass a quality control and various tests before being available to users. It is checked that everything works correctly, that the buttons respond and that the components are original from Apple. If it is necessary or something is in bad condition, it is changed. The device is also cleaned thoroughly. Apple changes the casing and battery of all reconditioned mobiles so that they arrive practically as new. So you won't see any major signs of wear on the back or on the screen either.

Do refurbished iPhones have a warranty? Yes, they have Apple's 1-year limited warranty and 90 days of free technical support, just like new devices. In addition, you can also contract Apple Care with the same term as the packed iPhone.

What about the box?

When you bring a broken iPhone to Apple and they give you a new one, it arrives in a slim box and without any accessories. However, on refurbished iPhones it is completely different. The product may not arrive in the original box, as new terminals do. However, the packaging does include all accessories. Among them, the headphones, the charger or the key to remove the SIM tray.

The price difference

Apple Refurbished page interface.

Refurbished iPhones are cheaper than new models, but… is it really worth it? Let's see what we save on a 'used' iPhone versus a new one in the Apple store and in other stores, such as Amazon?

For example, on Apple's refurbished page we find the 128GB iPhone XR for 630 euros. On the Apple website this same version is for 760 euros. This means that we get a saving of 130 euros. It is a very interesting discount, especially considering that it offers the same guarantees as a new mobile. Now, is it cheaper than the new models that are sold, for example, on Amazon? There is also a difference of 130 euros, since the same model that is sold on Amazon is priced on Apple's website.

Another example with a more expensive model and a steeper discount. On Apple's reconditioned website there is the 256 GB iPhone X for 830 euros. This model is valued at 1,200 euros, although it is no longer sold at Apple. The saving is nothing more and nothing less than 370 euros. At Fnac, the 256GB iPhone X is for 1,114 euros. That is, 86 euros cheaper than Apple. However, the reconditioned model is still cheaper than the new one. In this case, 284 euros.

Therefore, we can confirm that we do achieve quite interesting savings compared to new models or those that are sold as new in other stores.

Conclusion, is it worth buying a refurbished iPhone?

If you want to save some money, it is a very good option. Especially considering that we have the same guarantees as a new model and that we can return it if we are not satisfied. Of course, the most negative point of buying a reconditioned iPhone on the Apple website is that we do not find new models, but launched other years. Although we get a bigger discount, it is very difficult to get a used iPhone 11 for a cheaper price.

Even so, there are very interesting models, such as the iPhone XR or the iPhone XS, that continue to work very well and that can update to iOS 14 and future versions of the Apple operating system.

Refurbishing Apple or Second Hand? It may be that buying a second-hand iPhone will save you even more than on refurbished ones. However, you should keep in mind that these do not have Apple's quality control. Therefore, the guarantee will depend on the date of purchase and the condition of the battery, on the use that the user has given it.