What is the difference between refurbished and new phones

The process can also involve original equipment manufacturer OEM parts, as opposed to original parts. With this number, you can also determine whether the phone was stolen or if there was an unpaid balance on the phone.

Companies that recycle and refurbish cell phones often buy, sell and recycle other electronic devices, such as pagers and personal digital assistants. Some organizations sell refurbished mobile phones and donate the profits for charitable causes. Another popular reason for buying refurbished mobile phones is to reduce the amount of waste produced by unwanted , older model phones.

Editorials » Technology » Cell Phones ». Most Popular. Uses of Mobile Phone. It may come with light scratches or heavy cosmetic damage, as well as battery degradation and other wear.

Refurbished devices include some cleanup, repair, or other maintenance : Refurbished units lie somewhere in between used and new. They may be units that were returned shortly after sale, or they may be used items that undergo maintenance before being resold. The manufacturer or seller may have replaced the battery or other components, cleaned up the device, and—in some cases—included a fresh warranty with the product.

This can all vary from seller to seller, though—some refurbished units can be nearly indistinguishable from new ones, while other refurbished units may be more similar to buying used. Pro Tech Toolkit Our best-selling toolkit includes our bit kit and most popular opening tools.

Related Stories. Refurbished can often mean different things depending on where you buy it, so it is important to do your due diligence before shelling out your hard-earned cash on a crappy phone. New devices come straight from the factory: When you buy a brand new phone off the shelf from an Apple store that is sealed in a box, it is a new device. It went straight from the factory to the retail store and then to your hands.

New devices can occasionally go on sale for moderate discounts and generally their prices decrease over time as new models are launched. But they still fetch a higher price than used and refurbished devices. Refurbished devices include some cleanup repair or other maintenance: Refurbished devices are devices that were returned shortly after the sale or they may be used items that undergo repairs before being up for selling them again.

The manufacturer or seller may have replaced the battery and some other components, cleaned up the device, and in some cases included a fresh warranty for a limited period with the product.

This varies from seller to seller but some refurbished units can be nearly indistinguishable from new ones while other units may be more similar to buying used devices. For example, if you want to buy a new iPhone 13 Pro Max it can easily cost you Rs. If you want to save some money by purchasing refurbished phones you need to keep some things in mind. In fact, you will want to do more research when you are buying a refurbished phone than you do when buying a new device.

Check for a warranty: If the phone you want to buy has no issues, the smartphone maker or retailer will include some kind of warranty with the purchase. Try to buy one from a company that originally manufactured the phone: Many times the phone manufacturer will have some handsets that are in good condition.

The original owner may have returned the phone for some unknown reason. These devices are often up for resell by the manufacturer as refurbished phones on their official website. This is probably the easiest and best way for you to save some money. Always read the details: You should pay attention to the reading materials when you make any large purchases but it is more important to do that when you are buying a refurbished phone. Some common Red flags are, phones marked as non-returnable, no warranty, visible dents.

There are websites like OLX that offer refurbished phones put up by their original owners. It is trickly to buy phones from sites like OLX and Quikr. It can even be stolen or may have some defect.

People often get easily scammed into buying defective refurbished phones from these sites. The biggest risk of buying a refurbished smartphone from platforms like OLX and Quikr is you often get a stolen smartphone from the seller.

If you are willing to do a little more research and take a risk on merchants you may not be familiar with, eBay is a great place to check out a ton of offers. Again, our rules for buying such phones really matter when you dive into the murky waters of eBay.

Make sure the phone you are buying has some kind of warranty, and be sure to check out any fine print before spending your hard-earned cash. Walmart is one of the largest retail chain stores, and chances are you have a store nearby. If you trust the brand, they also offer refurbished phones at great prices.

Their selection is pretty wide too. And you get a day minimum warranty on these products and accessories so that you can shop in peace. If you are a Samsung phone fan, you might be pleased to know the company has its own refurbished phones. At a significant discount too. Next: These are the best Samsung phones you can buy. And the company offers a one-year warranty, new headphones, and a charger. Hate it or love it, Apple is known for its quality customer service, making them one of the best refurbished phone sellers.

Especially if you are an iPhone fan. Also: Which is the best iPhone for your needs? All Apple refurbished products come with a standard one-year limited warranty. Refurbished phones: What are they and where can you get them? Refurbished phones are often as good as new ones, but much cheaper! The Best. By John Callaham Senior Writer. He has been writing at AA for over four years.