The whole tech world might be enamoured with the iPhone 17 range right now (including the ever-so-svelte iPhone Air), but this is the one year where I’ve decided to buck the hype and move in the opposite direction – and I’m glad I did.
For most of this year, I’ve been using a review unit of the iPhone 16 Plus, which, for the record, is easily one of the best iPhones I’ve ever used. When the unit needed to be sent back to Apple HQ ahead of the iPhone 17 launch, however, I had a choice – I could either hold out and see if any of the new phones caught my attention or, do what I’ve always recommended that friends and family do when wanting to upgrade: look for a refurbished phone.
Even though I’ve never owned a refurbished phone myself, having over half a decade’s experience in covering tech deals has taught me that if you want to avoid the high prices that Apple and many of its competitors put out nowadays, then going for a professionally refurbished, second-hand device is the way to go. After all, between vendors like Giffgaff, eBay, and Back Market (in the UK, at least), we’re now spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping around in this sector, which is why I decided to finally go down this route myself.
For the last two weeks, I’ve been using a refurbished iPhone 16, and aside from having to mentally adjust to using a smaller display than the massive 6.7-inch panel that the Plus offered, I’ve been shocked by how seamless the transition to a refurbished phone has been.
You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference
The refurbished iPhone 16 in question is a ‘like new’ model from Giffgaff, and I’m always a bit sceptical with that term because I feel as if it can mean different things to different people. But when I first took it out of the box, I honestly wondered if I hadn’t just been sent a completely new iPhone by mistake.
I inspected every inch of the device, from the gap between the camera lenses to the inside of the USB-C port, but I couldn’t see any evidence that the phone had once been in someone else’s hands. It was much the same once I switched the phone on for the first time and went through the set-up process, seeing not a scratch from any angle on the 6.1-inch display.
I honestly wondered if I hadn’t just been sent a completely new iPhone by mistake.
To clear things up, I dove straight into the settings and then the battery health section to see that a total of six charges had been logged, the first of which was registered in January of this year. As a result, the maximum capacity of the battery itself was still listed as being 100%, making the model almost identical to one that could be bought brand new via the Apple Store, except this one would come at a serious discount.
For reference, this model costs £569 at the time of writing, a whole £230 less than what the phone retailed for at launch, and currently £130 cheaper than the lower £699 rate that Apple now sells the iPhone 16 for, following the launch of its successor.
What’s arguably most crucial, though, is that at that price, it’s a cheaper option than even the iPhone 16e, which Apple has designed to intentionally lure in buyers who might be scouting for an upgrade in the mid-range market. At a time when we’re all having to tighten the belt amidst rising costs elsewhere, I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t consider going down the refurbished route for your next upgrade.
The potential downsides to consider
As impressed as I’ve been with my refurbished iPhone 16, I think it’s also important that consumers fully understand what to be on the lookout for when shopping for second-hand smartphones.
Even though I was lucky enough to receive an iPhone that still had 100% battery capacity, it's not guaranteed that every refurbished phone available will be up to the same standard. For instance, both Giffgaff and Back Market promise a battery capacity of at least 80% or more for the majority of phones that they sell, and the further back you go in terms of when the phone came out, the more likely you are to see the capacity closer to that 80% mark.
There are some retailers that do let you upgrade to an entirely new battery at the point of purchase, including Back Market and a handful of reputable vendors on eBay that sell refurbished products. If you do receive a phone with a lesser battery capacity, though, you can always mitigate any battery anxiety by picking up one of the best power banks for added peace of mind.
When it comes to buying an iPhone specifically, going down the second-hand route also rules you out of access to AppleCare, which might be a dealbreaker if you want the ease of being able to walk into an Apple store and receive the help you need there and then. Personally, I’ve never been one to opt for the service (I’m a bigger fan of slapping a case on the phone and being careful with it), but what’s important to note is that you still get your one-year statutory rights as a consumer, so if something does go wrong with your phone within that time frame, then you can return it.
Just like how some retailers provide new batteries, there are others that offer extended warranties. Giffgaff, for instance, provides 24 months of coverage with its like-new handsets, while Vodafone provides a ‘Lifetime Service Promise’, so you do have some flexibility available if you shop around.
Old is in, new is out
While I can appreciate the appeal of going for a brand new device (especially in the midst of a big Apple launch), my experience of using a refurbished iPhone has me convinced that I probably won’t ever go back to buying new if I can help it.
Plus, if you pair a refurbished handset with one of the best SIM-only deals available, then you’ll continue to save even more over time compared to most phone contracts. Given that we're all feeling the pinch of rising costs to household bills, food items, and more, it only makes sense to seize money-saving opportunities where you can, and refurbished phones offer exactly that.
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