We may have seen reconditioned mobiles for sale in online and physical stores, with a lower price than new units and, in principle, offering all the guarantees from the seller. So we are going to explain what reconditioned mobiles are and if it is worth getting one.
A refurbished smartphone is halfway between a new one and a second-hand one . That is to say, it has been able to have more or less use, but it has always been reviewed by a professional, and has a one or two year warranty.
In any case, the definition of refurbished depends largely on each store. In some, they call the mobile phones that have been opened and returned by customers , including the 7, 15 or 30-day trial period.
There are even stores that sell within the reconditioned products whose box is damaged, or unsealed, but nobody has really used them.
In other cases, smartphones are quite close to second hand, although always thinking that there is a professional seller in the middle who has checked their condition and offers a guarantee if they break down.
In this second mode, mobile phones that have been used for months by customers are sold , after reviewing them, cleaning them thoroughly and changing a component , if necessary. Especially when they are high-end mobiles, especially iPhones, whose price drops slowly over time.
These units can have various origins. Although there are users who sell their phones in exchange for money and then end up entering the reconditioned market, most come from some “renewal plan” , whereby brands apply a discount on their latest launch if the previous model is delivered.
In some cases, refurbished devices come from physical store displays . Something similar to cars “kilometer zero”, but thinking that these terminals can spend many hours on, so they are far from a new one.
How is a reconditioning done?
The process of “putting to new” (as many brands call it) differs according to each case, but in general it should follow some minimum standards to talk about reconditioned phones and not simply second-hand.
Of course, this system applies to mobiles with a certain use, not to those from returns, which should arrive in good condition. These are the key steps when reconditioning mobiles:
- Review of correct operation.
- Repair of malfunctions (and aesthetics in some cases).
- Cleaning and sanitation.
- Update to the latest version of the operating system.
- Safe packaging of the device (normally, not the original one).
- Warranty from the seller or manufacturer.
In some cases, other modifications can be made, for example, the change of certain delicate components (such as battery or case) , something that Apple does in its official reconditioned ones.
Any website or physical store dedicated to refurbished will guarantee a correct operation, but on the external aspect we will find different situations.
Some specialists offer pristine mobiles, but most classify them according to their external condition . They may have small, almost imperceptible marks, or scratches that denote that they have been used. Of course, the better the aesthetic aspect, the higher the sale price will be.
Where to buy refurbished mobiles
Today, many general stores have a section for reconditioned products , with different approaches. We are going to see three well-known options where to find mobiles at a more adjusted price:
Amazon
Amazon has sections dedicated to refurbished products, not just technology, but many categories. The difference between Warehouse , coming from returns or damaged boxes in the warehouse, and Renewed , where they have been used, but have undergone a process of restoration and “replacement”.
The most popular mobiles in Renewed are the iPhone, as their high official price and the fact that the range is only updated once a year make them in high demand as refurbished.
Web: Amazon Renewed – Used and Refurbished
Web: Amazon Warehouse – From Returns
PcComponents
In the case of PcComponentes, all their reconditioned mobiles come from returns , have less than 30 days of use and are in perfect condition. Those that suffer some cosmetic damage are sold as “Rake”, with a price that is reduced more, depending on the condition of each unit.
While the reconditioned have a 2 year warranty, in the Rake section it is only 1 year, a very important difference.
