It’s the conundrum of second-hand phone shopping: you want to save money, but you also crave the latest features on phones. Buying refurbished gives you the best of both worlds: a smartphone that functions like a new phone while potentially saving you hundreds of dollars.
Refurbished electronics are pre-owned devices, such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets, that have been professionally inspected, tested, and restored to full working order. These may be devices that customers have changed their minds about or ones that have only been taken out of their boxes to be displayed in retail stores (also known as ‘ex-demo’ devices). While they come in a variety of conditions, refurbished phones undergo rigorous testing to make sure they meet high standards for sale.
New flagship phones are expensive, so refurbished smartphones provide a reliable and cost-effective alternative. Yet many of us want more from our phones than just the basics: a better camera, a faster chipset, higher levels of security and cooler features. The latest developments in smartphone technology focus on AI capabilities, enhanced security, improved connectivity, and additional photographic tools. Can you get the latest features on phones when you buy refurbished? You may wonder, or do you have to settle for second best?
Australia’s ultimate destination for refurbished phones and other tech, OzMobiles offers the best available deals on the highest-quality smartphones, including flagship iPhones, Samsungs, Google phones and more. Here’s how you can still purchase a smartphone with modern features while lightening the impact on your bank balance and the planet.
Latest Security Features on Refurbished Phones
Our smartphones have become essential parts of our lives, and we use them to stay organised, remain connected and manage our financial, work-related and personal affairs. As scanners, sensors and apps gather more data about us, it becomes even more important to protect your phone and your personal information. Recent security features and innovations on refurbished phones include:
Face ID
Face ID is nothing new. But with its secure locking system, it’s one of the easiest ways to protect your phone and the personal information on it. On Apple phones, Face ID has been available since 2017, and it has been included on all new iPhones, except for SE models. While Face ID itself is Apple’s technology, you can find other forms of Face ID on Android phones, such as Samsung Galaxy’s Facial Recognition.
Face ID for Apple phones uses machine learning and advanced technology, such as the TrueDepth camera system, to authorise activity on your iPhone, allowing you to make Apple Pay transactions and prevent unauthorised access to your information.
Auto Blocker
Auto Blocker is a safety feature on Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 6.0 or higher. It allows Samsung users to block apps from unauthorised sources, prevent commands from USB connections and enable app security checks.
Built-in VPN
All Google Pixel phones from the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro onward feature a built-in VPN that protects your online activity, whether you’re playing a game or browsing the web. This VPN offers features and functions such as data encryption, IP address masking, and protection against hackers on public Wi-Fi.
Refurbished Phone AI Technology
AI-powered smartphone tools can adapt to your preferences, tailoring your user experience and making it easier to accomplish tasks. With the power of artificial intelligence, you can extend your battery life, type text messages in foreign languages, take vastly better photographs and automate monotonous tasks.
Right now, the three biggest artificial intelligence smartphone models are Apple Intelligence, Samsung’s Galaxy AI and Google’s Gemini AI for Pixels. The more recent your iPhone or Android phone, the more likely it is to be equipped with one of these AI models.
Some common functions of smartphone AI models include:
Text-related features
Whether you’re looking at websites or personal messages, each of these AI assistants can summarise text in their own way. Apple’s features are the most comprehensive, and Apple Intelligence can summarise long emails and websites in the Notes app.
Image generation
Apple has built Chat GPT into its iOS 18, along with its ‘Genmoji’ feature, which can generate fun emoji-style images based on prompts. Google has its own versions, including Pixel Studio and Emoji Lab features.
Photo editing tools
Taking the perfect photo is hard. Sometimes you need to do a little editing to turn it into the shot you really want. Both Samsung and Google phones come with a ‘Magic Eraser’ tool that removes unwanted elements from photos and tries to fill in the background around them based on context. Apple has the ‘Clean Up’ tool, which serves the same purpose.
The Google Pixel features a comprehensive suite of AI photo editing tools. ‘Add Me’ lets you take a group photo without calling on outside help, while ‘Reimagine’ lets you change entire elements of a photo in order to change its look dramatically.
Refurbished Phones with the Latest Features
Want the latest features on phones without the high price tag to go with them? Many refurbished smartphones on the market can give you precisely what you’re looking for, including:
iPhone 16
The iPhone 16 and its larger Plus counterpart both use Apple’s powerful A18 chipset, which is designed to enable Apple’s personalised AI system: Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence offers advanced AI writing tools, enabling users to summarise a lecture in seconds or obtain a concise version of a lengthy group chat.
Samsung S25
The Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25+ models come with a range of state-of-the-art features, including Samsung’s most advanced AI: ProVisual Engine. This suite of AI-powered tools allows photographers to take their art form to new heights with stunning Nightography capabilities and a Quad Tele System for capturing the finer details.
Pixel 9 Pro
Google’s Pixel 9 Pro features built-in Google Gemini. This personal AI assistant can help Pixel users summarise important emails, come up with design ideas on the fly, take sharper and clearer photos, and complete tasks quickly across apps.
Buy the Latest Refurbished Phones
It doesn’t take long for the latest new releases from leading smartphone brands to join the refurbished market, replaced by the next big thing on the scene. Refurbished smartphones can give you the latest features on phones (or something very close!) for a fraction of the cost, and OzMobiles is Australia’s leading provider of refurbished phones.
We have a wide range of phones with the latest features, as well as features that are always desirable, from Face ID on Android phones and iPhones to cameras with outstandingly crisp and clear images.
OzMobiles offers a vast range of affordable iPhone models, including the iPhone 16 and its Pro, Pro Max, and Plus variants. With a long battery life, powerful cameras and strong performance, the iPhone 16 is a powerful performer across the board.
All OzMobiles devices are 100% fully functional, sold with 12 12-month warranty and include a 30-day money-back guarantee. We put our devices through a rigorous 72-point checking process, so you can trust that you’re getting a good deal without having to buy brand new.
To find out more about OzMobiles’ refurbished devices and the latest features on our phones, contact the OzMobiles team.
