Exploring the pros and cons of buying refurbished phones

There’s a lot of hype around ‘refurbished phones’ and ‘buying refurbished’ these days. In short, a refurbished or second-hand phone is a device that’s been pre-loved but still has a kick of life left in it. Here at 4gadgets, our job is to make sure these refurbished Samsung phones and refurbished Apple iPhones are in the best condition you could expect them to be before we sell them on for all new phone adventures with you. But whether it’s the environmental impact or cost savings, grabbing yourself a second-hand smartphone can seem a little too good to be true. In this blog, we’ll break down the pros and cons of refurbished phones, so you know all the facts before you get browsing.

It’s no secret that one of the biggest benefits to buying a refurbished phone is the cost savings. Depending on the grading of the device you purchase, a second-hand smartphone from 4gadgets could bag you anything from a small discount to a massive bargain. And if you trade in your used Apple iPhone or Samsung phone using our Trade-In site, you can use the credit you earn to take even more money off the final price of your refurbished phone.

But it’s not just your wallet that’s celebrating a lower cost. Buying a second-hand smartphone also has a great environmental impact. When you purchase a refurbished phone, you’re helping to reduce e-waste and lengthening the device’s lifespan, saving it from being incorrectly disposed of and becoming a waste of perfectly good precious metals while depositing toxic chemicals into the Earth’s soil. On top of this, with the 4gadgets Trade-In site, when a device does reach the end of its lifespan, we can ensure every second-hand smartphone is correctly and responsibly disposed of. It’s a win-win-win.

Worried about whether a refurbished phone is really up to scratch compared to a new mobile phone? That’s understandable. Luckily for you, here at 4gadgets put each second-hand smartphone we receive through a rigorous testing protocol, with 90 different checks made on every device to ensure it’s working just as good as new, and looks in the exact way it’s described according to its grade. With a 4gadgets refurbished Samsung phone or refurbished Apple iPhone, you know you’ll always be getting your hands on a totally quality assured device that can see you through endless snapping, scrolling and messaging.

If you’re still not sure if you can trust the quality of a refurbished phone, you can rest assured by the 12-month warranty and 30 days’ free returns we offer on every single refurbished phone we sell at 4gadgets. So you don’t have to take our word for it – you can check out how great your refurbished Samsung phone or refurbished Apple iPhone is for yourself, with no pressure if you don’t love what you see.

While we think refurbished phones are brilliant, we know there could be a few cons of buying refurbished phones. Because most refurbished phone marketplaces operate on a trade-in basis, you may find that there’s limited availability of specific models at any given time, giving you less of a choice for your next mobile phone, or meaning you may have to wait before you bag the phone of your dreams.

Furthermore, because many refurbished mobile phones are graded, a lower graded phone could have signs of wear and tear, or some cosmetic damage. For 4gadgets, this usually means that the phone works perfectly on the inside, but could have some dents and scratches on the outside. Importantly, when you buy your refurbished phone from 4gadgets, this will never affect the functionality of the phone, nor will there be any significant scratching or marks on the camera or screen – even if you buy a lower-graded phone.

Even with those few cons of refurbished phones considered, there’s ways to make sure your second-hand smartphone shopping experience is always a good one. A big part of making sure you get the phone you want in the quality you want is making sure you research the seller before you buy. Sellers you can trust (like us, for example) will be transparent about phone quality vs price, and can describe to you the different grades and what they mean. We won’t ever sell you a phone that is nonfunctional or that has more-than-cosmetic damage that inhibits the usability of your phone. And if you’re unhappy with anything about your refurbished phone, there’s always that warranty and 30-day return we talked about earlier.

It can be hard to know who to trust when it comes to second-hand phones, which is why we let our customers do the talking. With over 10k positive Trustpilot reviews, you don’t need to take our word for it – we really are as good as we sound.

When it comes to buying your next mobile phone, there’s lots of pros of refurbished mobile phones. Not only can you save yourself a bit of cash, but you’re also making a positive environmental impact with every purchase. While there are a few cons of refurbished mobile phones, such as availability or potential device damage, you can rest assured that every 4gadgets second-hand phone is quality assured and comes in the exact condition you’d expect for the grade you buy. And, most importantly, you don’t even need to take our word for it – with 10k+ positive Trustpilot reviews, a 12-month warranty with every device and a 30 days’ return policy, you can explore the benefits of refurbished smartphones in a safe, no-risk way.

Let’s get started. Browse our exciting range of refurbished devices now!