What is a refurbished iPhone and is it worth buying?

What is a refurbished iPhone?

A refurbished iPhone has been restored and tested to work as good as new. Professionals have made any necessary repairs and replaced any defective parts, for example installing a new battery. Refurbished iPhones are checked for functionality and should perform as well as any new Apple device. Because they are serviced to such a high standard, refurbished iPhones will usually also come with a guarantee and warranty at a fraction of a cost of buying from the Apple Store.

For example, here at Back Market, we put each iPhone through a minimum 25-point inspection to ensure they meet our quality standard of 'verified refurbished.' That includes checking that different iPhone elements such as the camera, speaker and microphone (to name a few) are all performing like new. We also guarantee that all iPhones on Back Market have a minimum 80% battery health and 100% charge capacity.

Take a sneak peek behind the scenes of Back Market's innovation lab to see how iPhone quality is upheld:

What's the difference between a new and refurbished iPhone?

Shopping for lower cost iPhone deals can be confusing. It’s hard to know exactly what a seller means by "refurbished" and understand how that differs from new or used, especially when buying online.

From a quality standpoint, new is self-explanatory: it comes direct from the manufacturer and has never been used. On the other hand, as explained previously, a refurbished iPhone was previously used, but has been restored so that the performance quality is equal to new. However, refurbished iPhones typically come with a highly discounted price compared to new ones, making them a top option for buyers.

See if ex-Apple Geniuses can spot the difference between a new Apple device and a refurbished one from Back Market.

The risks of buying a refurbished iPhone

To be clear, if you're buying from a reputable refurbishing marketplace like Back Market, there is little to no risk in buying an iPhone, especially if you're backed by a money-back guarantee and warranty. The only thing you might consider is that a refurbished phone may have a slightly lower life span, but it's a negligible difference, considering properly restored iPhones can still easily last up to 6 to 9 years on average.

Unfortunately, the word refurbished does not have a universal meaning. Sellers on some websites may simply list any used iPhone as refurbished in order to raise their asking price, even when the device hasn't been repaired and tested. Others may repair some issues and check some of the phone's functionality, but neglect other elements. Many of these sellers have low quality standards and will leave you with an aged battery and an expensive iPhone that isn't up to par with an expertly renewed device.

If you're ever in doubt, make sure to check out the site's reviews to make sure you're getting a quality iPhone deal.

Avoid buying 'used iPhones' when possible

Keep in mind, if you're just browsing for used iPhones, you're likely to see a wide variety of conditions, which are not held to the same standard as refurbished. It might be tempting if you find a really low price, but used iPhones basically comes as-is and there is no guarantee that any repair work has been done to the device. Make sure you fully understand the difference between used and refurbished devices before buying from a seller.

We've already covered the main reasons you should consider buying a refurbished iPhone:

✔️ Quality and performance on par with a new device ✔️ Guarantee and warranty included ✔️ Much lower cost than buying new

Those are all great reasons, but you should also consider that buying refurbished emits 92% less CO2 on average than it takes to create a new iPhone. Buying refurbished promotes utilizing a more circular economy that can have a very profound positive effect on the planet.

Better for your wallet. Better for the planet.