Refurbished iPhone

Why should you buy a refurbished iPhone?

Buying a new smartphone can be an expensive affair. Yet smart phones are so necessary today that more or less everyone has one - from children to retirees. Our communication age simply demands a connected reality, as we use our phones for everything from video calls with our loved ones to banking, booking and working on the go.

It may be exciting to upgrade your old phone, but the fact is that smartphones today cost more or less as much as full-size tablets and computers. The so-called flagship models released by Apple, Samsung and other tech giants can well cost between ten to fifteen thousand crowns each - a sum that can realistically pay for a used car, necessary home renovations or a family trip. It's easy to understand the scepticism that many feel when looking at this year's hottest models of iPhones, wondering why last year's has now suddenly become passé.

The truth, of course, is that while there are technological advances in each generation of iPhone, these leaps are relatively small, and you can profitably buy both one and two generations back without missing much. Apple's products have earned their reputation for longevity, and if you replace components that wear particularly badly (like the battery), you can undoubtedly stay at the technological forefront without burning through your savings on flagships.

This is where a refurbished iPhone becomes a super-smart option. Plenty of iPhones are sold every day at retail and between individuals - but when you buy used, you often don't have a warranty, and the device is sold in the condition in which the seller receives it. So your security is low, while the components in the phone have probably never been replaced - and if they have, there's little chance of it having been done by a trained technician.

Instead, a refurbished iPhone has been returned to a retailer who thoroughly reviews and function tests the device on several levels. The iPhone is cleaned, reset and all parameters such as battery health, screen quality and camera are inspected to see if they are still up to scratch. Should a component fail, the technician will replace it, often with new original parts, creating an infusion of new life under the shell. Defective screens, poor touch and other creeping problems are fixed in the same way as if you'd sent your smartphone to the vendor's workshop. A better product at a lower price, plain and simple.

 Used iPhone and refurbished iPhone - what's the difference?

Many customers are aware of the increasingly popular trend of buying refurbished iPhones, but it can be tricky to distinguish between refurbishing and used. If a refurbished iPhone is not new, and it has already had a life on the market, then it is used by default, right?

Well, it's not quite that easy. Both are technically second-hand goods, but a strictly second-hand smartphone you buy just as it is when - you buy it as we mentioned above in current condition, as it is usually called. That means you can never be really sure about the general condition of the phone, or what the lifespan looks like inside the device. Even if the seller has a positive experience with the product and is selling it in good faith, you may be just days, weeks or months away from a technical failure that is not covered by the warranty (if it even exists) or may even kill the iPhone altogether. Uncertainty is a factor you should take very seriously when looking at used tech gadgets, as the loss could be huge if you're unlucky.

Another factor is that a used phone is often not professionally cleaned, sanitized and restored to perfect condition. Most private individuals lack the knowledge required to carry out these procedures properly.

The contrast to a refurbished iPhone is striking. As mentioned, when an iPhone is taken into refurbishment, an experienced technician or equivalently skilled personnel will go through the entire device from scratch. You know that special tools are being used properly in a clinically clean and safe environment, while all wasted and old components are being replaced. The old device gets new life - and a relatively big boost in its lifespan. We grade our reconditioned devices based on Class A, B and C - so you'll know what level of quality the device is at. Plus, you get a 1-year warranty when you buy from Billigteknik, often up to 2 years.

Good for your wallet and the planet

A bonus of reusing and refurbishing is that you save the planet's resources. It may not be something that most people think about when their old smartphone goes to the grave and they have to buy a new one - but the fact is that smartphones are complex digital devices whose environmental footprint is huge. By not throwing lots of money at new flagship models and instead opting for a refurbished iPhone, you'll reduce new production, while ensuring that one or more smartphones stay on the market longer. So you're spending less money on technology that's almost as good as this year's models, and you're saving a phone - and its environmentally sensitive contents - from the landfill. As more and more consumers realise that the gap between iPhones (especially iPhones from the last three to five years) is not very large or decisive, and choose to invest in green technology, the difference for the climate will be noticeable.

Last but not least - a refurbished iPhone gives you fantastic value for money. By being introduced to the market, the device loses some value from the start, and when you buy it serviced and optimised, you get almost new performance at a cheaper price. iPhones in particular tend to hold up very well performance-wise, and it's usually the battery that's the bottleneck over time. If you invest in a refurbished iPhone with top battery health, you'll have a new phone that will last a long time, and can handle almost any challenge you throw at it. Good for you. Good for your finances. Good for the climate. It doesn't get much better than that, if you ask us.