Whether it’s a drop to the sidewalk or simply old age, one day, your trusty iPhone will meet its match. And when it does, you’ll have to find its replacement.
Try not to wince at the cost of a new iPhone. It’s high enough you might immediately go searching for a personal line of credit to help bridge the gap between your savings and an Apple-sized bill.
But pause your search for a low interest personal line of credit until disaster strikes. Instead, check out these tips for buying a refurbished iPhone. It’ll keep your personal line of credit limit free for when things go pear-shaped, and you’ll keep more of your cash in your pocket.
What is a Refurbished iPhone?
When looking for a refurb, it’s easy to get distracted by imposters. A lot of people talk about used and refurbished gear as if these terms are interchangeable, but they are not.
Each term has a distinct meaning that we’ll go over below.
Used
This one is easy. It’s simply a phone someone else has owned. They may have had it for a couple of weeks, several months, or even a few years before they decide to get rid of it.
Refurbished
A refurbed phone may be returned within a carrier’s trial period, or it may be a bad Christmas gift returned straight to Apple within its return policy time limit. It could also be an iPhone that failed an impromptu drop test, and the owner exchanged it for a new one.
Its past doesn’t matter because refurbishment means two important things:
- The manufacturer repairs the issue.
- The manufacturer puts it through extensive testing to ensure the device works as if it’s right out of the box.
This process gives you some guarantee the electronic won’t fail, which is something you can’t get with a used iPhone bought over Craigslist.
Even still, it’s important you purchase a certified refurbished iPhone carefully to make sure you get the real deal and not some imposter.
How to Make Sure You Get a Certified Refurbished iPhone
Anyone can call their phone refurbished when selling it through a classified ad site, but there’s no way of knowing if they reset and repaired the item properly.
A trusted retailer, on the other hand, must go through reasonable steps to repair the item and ensure it’s back to factory settings — whether the phone had buggy software or a shattered screen.
Choosing your store wisely will be a big factor in the quality of the handset you receive, so make sure you stick with trusted names like Apple, Best Buy, Walmart, or one of the major cell phone carriers.
It’s no coincidence these stores also have generous return policies and warranties, which will help you in case you run into trouble later on.
A New-to-You Phone Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank
When your iPhone breaks down, it’s hard to say goodbye to your old friend. As your partner in crime, it was always in reach, ready to screen videos, play games, or just send off a message to the group chat.
Make sure its successor can follow in its footsteps. Research your options for certified refurbished iPhones, and you won’t have to tap into a personal line of credit to get a phone back in your hand.