The option to buy a used iPhone instead of a brand new one is obviously going to be a lot cheaper, but is it the best choice? There’s more on the line than the cost when you buy smartphones online. How do you know you can trust the seller? What happens if your new phone turns out to be a dud and you don’t even have a warranty to return it with? Is it really safe to buy new iPhones online, or are you just risking your money?

These are valid concerns. Fortunately, they have a simple solution: buying refurbished mobiles.

If you want to buy a used iPhone, buying a refurbished phone is a safer bet than putting your faith in a random stranger. Refurbished phones have a number of benefits, but one of the biggest is the sheer amount of money you can save.

New iPhones are expensive but worth it for the features. Apple releases a new iPhone model or two per year, and each new release holds the promise of fresh innovations and upgrades. The good news for bargain hunters is that as these new releases captivate Apple fans, older models become available at a fraction of the cost. When you buy a used iPhone that has been refurbished, you can take your pick from a bigger, vaster selection of models than you’ll find in any retail store, all in good quality.

But why are refurbished iPhones the solution? What is a refurbished phone, anyway?

What is a Refurbished Phone?

A refurbished iPhone isn’t just a second-hand phone, although it will (usually) have had a previous owner. Basically, refurbished phones are used phones that a manufacturer or retailer has checked, repaired if need be, and prepared for resale. The retailer will have inspected the phone for faults, made sure every element of it, from the battery to the touchscreen, still works, and fixed anything that needs fixing before putting it up for resale.

The retailer checks that the phone isn’t lost or stolen, performs a factory reset and erases the previous owner’s data, and sells it with a warranty. As a business, they have a reputation of their own to protect, so it’s in their best interests to guarantee they sell you the best phone possible.

Refurbished phones come in various conditions and are usually sold in grades ranging from close to new to a little more weather-beaten. Most, however, are pretty close to new except for a few superficial imperfections like chips or cracks. Ex-demo phones, which have only been taken out of their boxes to be put on display in retail stores, tend to look particularly shiny and new.

While a refurbished phone won’t come in its original packaging and may not come with all the regular accessories, it’s often hard to tell the difference between a new phone and a good refurbished one. If your goal is to buy a used iPhone, buying a refurbished one is the way to go.

Benefits of a Refurbished Phone

Here are just a few of the benefits of buying refurbished when you buy a used iPhone or Android:

Cheaper

While the prices of refurbished phones vary, it’s fair to say that buying one is less expensive than buying a new phone- sometimes a lot less expensive. You can score the perfect phone for you for hundreds of dollars less than you’d expect to pay for a new one, and sometimes for up to 40% off.

Get a warranty

One of the main reasons people are nervous about buying smartphones online is they fear they won’t be covered under a warranty if anything goes wrong. Refurbished phone retailers are professionals, so you’ll definitely receive a warranty with your purchase.

Unlocked

Refurbished phones aren’t locked to any particular provider, so you can choose your own plan. Just pop your SIM card in, and you’re ready to go.

Variety

Buying iPhones online opens you up to a world of variety infinitely bigger than any you’ll find in a shopping mall. Buying refurbished ensures that you can take your pick from the seemingly endless range of options while protecting yourself from bad deals.

Better for the environment

You may have heard of e-waste (electronic waste), the fastest-growing kind of waste around the globe. Unfortunately, smartphones are responsible for 10% of all e-waste, as people throw them away in the billions every year. Smartphones and other electronic devices leak toxic chemicals such as lead and cadmium into the soil and atmosphere, causing environmental and health problems.

To buy a used iPhone that has been refurbished is a way to promote recycling and sustainability in a small, simple way. Every refurbished phone sold means one less phone that gets produced, plus one less that gets thrown in the trash. If you want to help preserve the planet in any way you can, buying a used iPhone that has been refurbished is a good way to start. Best of all, when you buy a used iPhone that has been refurbished, you won’t have to compromise on quality.

How Old Should a Refurbished Phone Be?

It makes sense that the older a refurbished phone is, the cheaper you’ll be able to get it. But how old is too old? Should you pass up on a great deal just because the phone you’re inspecting has a lot of years under its belt?

When it comes time to buy smartphones online, there are no hard and fast answers to these kinds of questions. It depends on what kind of phone you want, what you plan to use it for and how much you’re willing to spend. That’s one of the joys of buying iPhones online: you get such a larger variety than you do elsewhere. If the iPhone 8, released more than five years ago, remains a good buy in 2023, who’s to say the phone you have your eye on is past its prime?

Buy Used iPhones at OzMobiles

At OzMobiles, you can take your pick from our range of iPhones online, including our iPhone 14 series.

OzMobiles is dedicated to making sure you receive a great deal without having to buy brand new. When you buy a used iPhone from us, you get a phone that’s 100% fully functional and comes with a 12-month warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

We test all of our devices at our Melbourne headquarters using our 72-point checking process to make sure they meet Australian standards. This includes battery life, which we guarantee is at a level of at least 80%. Because we know you’d rather get your device sooner rather than later, we offer fast, free shipping. Order your phone before 12:30 pm on a weekday, and we’ll put it in the post on the same day.

We’re dedicated to keeping smartphones affordable. If you’ve got your eye on a device but can’t afford to pay for it in full, we let you pay in instalments through services like ZipPay and AfterPay. And if you find the same device elsewhere for cheaper, we’ll beat that price by $10 (terms and conditions apply).

Do you need some help to buy smartphones online, or maybe you just have questions for us? Get in touch with the friendly OzMobiles team!