Refurbished smartphones can be great ways to save money, but they’re not without their fair share of problems if you’re not careful. On the one hand, refurbished phones can have a hidden history of problems: you don’t know exactly what was damaged or which components need to be replaced. Second, the quality of a refurbished phone may vary depending on where you buy it; you won’t necessarily know its condition or shape unless explicitly graded – although if you buy it from a retailer, there is usually a return policy you can follow if you are unhappy with the product.
Then there are trust issues with refurbished phones, particularly in terms of longevity. These phones were used; Even though 80% battery capacity seems achievable, it still means you won’t get as much benefit from it unless you can replace the battery. Of course, the quality of replacement parts may not be surprising. It’s not easy or cheap to source parts from major manufacturers (unless you buy directly from them), so replaced components may come from third-party sources.
Finally, another common concern is support: either you buy a warranty from the seller, which is guaranteed shorter (and perhaps even less comprehensive), and of course the underlying software of the smartphone may also become shorter-lived, unless you carefully buy a refurbished device, like Samsung’s, which is not too outdated.
It does not always come with the manufacturer’s warranty
Refurbished phones purchased from the manufacturer, often called certified pre-owned (CPO) or renewed devices, may come with a limited warranty, so at the very least a warranty option remains. Or, if you were really lucky and bought a newer phone, sometimes there’s already a warranty. But generally speaking, you shouldn’t expect it to come with one – unless you go through official channels or it explicitly mentions it – especially if these devices are a few generations old or contain unauthorized spare parts.
However, you can usually check the warranty status of your phone (Google offers this for Google Pixel phones) or search for the IMEI or serial number if the manufacturer offers an online warranty lookup tool. Regardless, if you don’t have a manufacturer’s warranty, as is the case with older refurbished devices, you’ll have to pay for a retailer’s warranty, usually around 90 days of coverage, offered by a retailer like Walmart or Best Buy. It’s better than having no coverage, but it won’t be as long as what a major manufacturer (like Apple, Google, Samsung) offers, which typically lasts a full year (or longer if you buy extended coverage; one of the benefits of AppleCare+.
Software support may not be as long as you think
Unless you’re buying a Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy phone, or technically an Apple device, you may be paying for outdated software. Essentially, before 2025, smartphone makers were stingy with software upgrades, providing only a handful of major Android/iOS upgrades (although Apple is usually quite generous) and security updates. For example, if you bought a Motorola phone made in 2023, like the Moto G Play, it will come with Android 12 out of the box, with only Android 13 available as the next update.
Since the phone only had one major update available, that would be Android 13. If you got that old phone back somehow, you’re about three years, almost four, behind the current version of Android. While this isn’t a big deal for everyone, it can get even more complicated with security updates because once they’re done, you no longer have the most up-to-date protection or latest patches to keep your device from being hacked (cybercriminals love to exploit old security protocols and unprotected devices). This is terrifying, considering the amount of personal data most people store on their devices.
Fixed with third-party components
Of course, purchasing a refurbished phone that contains third-party components will depend entirely on where you buy it. For example, you can purchase a pre-certified phone from a major manufacturer that must technically include genuine parts, carry a label like “restored like new,” and show no or minimal wear. But in the most common cases, you will purchase a refurbished phone from an independent seller, either through the carrier, a retailer, or a third-party provider/individual.
Parts purchased to restore these phones cannot be guaranteed to be authentic; these are sometimes called spare parts. If this includes an interactive component, like your phone’s screen, you may notice loss of touchscreen functionality and visual degradation, and this may also void your warranty (if it qualifies for warranty coverage). You usually don’t know the quality of third-party materials either, as it can vary between suppliers and affect the longevity of the hardware (like the battery).
Trade-in and resale value may be lower
It all depends on how you acquired the refurbished phones, including their condition and any new parts or components not included with the original device. These factors, however, can affect the resale value of your phone and may exclude it from official exchange programs if it uses third-party parts (this varies depending on carrier or manufacturer guidelines).
Of course, the resale value will only increase if you can sell the phone in its original packaging and still have the warranty, but the risk of buying a refurbished phone is that you are assured of neither. With so many great trade-in opportunities offered by smartphone manufacturers, you’ll want to trade in a phone that’s in mint condition (showing minimal wear/damage) and still using original parts, so you can secure the credit to get a newer one at a reasonable price.
