Should I Buy A Used Phone

Smartphones are a fundamental part of modern life merely with prices routinely in backlog of £ane,000 for the latest high-end handsets, should you be because cheaper secondhand or refurbished models instead?

These have the potential to be good for your wallet and the planet, as any device that is given a 2d life instead of existence recycled reduces its lifetime ecology impact and, with it, your footprint.

Among those probable to be mulling over their mobile phone options at the moment are many parents of children going back to school subsequently the summer break. Starting secondary schoolhouse in particular is traditionally a fourth dimension when many kids receive their kickoff – or an upgraded – phone.

But when buying secondhand, there are some potential pitfalls to avoid, then here'due south what yous need to know to catch yourself a bargain.

Secondhand, pre endemic or refurbished?

Second-hand smartphones come in a plethora of different types, conditions and prices. — Secondhand smartphones come in a plethora of dissimilar types, weather condition and prices. Only avoid those marked 'for spares or repair'. Photo: Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images

There are several different types of secondhand phone. At that place are the preowned or used phones that are sold on when no longer wanted, typically via websites such equally eBay or certain loftier street retailers.

And so there are those that are refurbished or reconditioned, which broadly come in two dissimilar types: manufacturer-refurbished and retailer-refurbished.

The first is a device that has been fully reconditioned to be "as new", typically including a new bombardment and often a new outer casing. These are the most expensive type of secondhand phone and usually come with new accessories and a full warranty. If you just want a new phone with a lower ecology footprint than make-new, this is the option to go for.

Retailer-refurbished devices are a step down. They are secondhand phones that have been tested to check they piece of work and repaired if necessary but they vary in condition. There are a great many more than retailer-refurbished models, and they are typically cheaper than manufacturer-refurbished phones. They are often sold using grades, which draw the external condition of the phone.

While the grades of secondhand phones are non legal definitions and therefore vary betwixt retailers, here's what you can roughly expect:

Form A – near identical in condition to a new phone without marks on the outside, oft with the original box and accessories. These are often customer returns rather than trade-ins.
Grade B – in total working society but non in perfect nick. Typically at that place will be low-cal scratches, dents or nicks. They may come with original accessories.
Form C – in total working gild only visibly worn and typically sold without their original accessories.
Class D – also known every bit "for spares and repairs" or similar. These are broken devices sold for people to set or gut for parts.

If yous are thinking about a phone for your child, some would argue that yous should get them a cheap handset that isn't going to attract attention and appeal to thieves.

Parents often use returning to school equally an opportunity to upgrade their own phone and laissez passer on their well-used handset to their child, and in many cases that may well be the best bet as long as it is still supported with security updates – although many kids would doubtless have something to say about that.

What protections do you get?

Beware any private sale that doesn't have a thorough description of the condition of the phone or show a picture of the screen. — Beware any private sale that doesn't have a thorough description of the status of the phone or show a picture of the screen. Photograph: Paul Airs/Alamy

Secondhand not-refurbished phones are typically the cheapest merely exist very careful when buying from private sellers as your legal protections are unlike to shopping with a business concern.

A private seller must not misrepresent the phone only they exercise not have to disclose faults either. They are unlikely to provide a warranty but you will exist still covered by any manufacturer's warranty that is left – unless, say, the previous possessor had a repair washed that voided it. It is as well worth ensuring that the phone you are buying isn't stolen by checking its 15-digit identification number, called the IMEI, against a database of stolen phones through a service such as CheckMEND or similar.

Make sure yous inspect whatsoever listings advisedly, read reviews or feedback of the seller and enquire questions if in doubt.

Your rights when buying secondhand or refurbished from a concern are similar to when ownership new. Nether the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have 30 days to render the phone if it isn't as described or fit for purpose, and if the phone develops a fault within six months, it is up to the retailer to prove it was mistake-free when sold. Retailers will typically provide a 12-calendar month or longer warranty, too, and you may all the same exist covered by the original manufacturer'due south warranty, if there is whatsoever remaining.

What to look out for

The charging port is one of the few wear points on a modern smartphone, so check its condition. — The USB-C or Lightning charging port is one of the few wear points on a mod smartphone, so cheque its status. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

When buying a secondhand or refurbished telephone, there are a few things to proceed an eye out for:

Battery health Batteries wear out faster than the residual of the phone, typically just maintaining up to 80% of their original capacity after 500 full-charge cycles, or about 2 years charging every night. Has information technology been replaced?
Charging port Check for signs of damage as the charging port volition be 1 of the outset parts to clothing out or break.
Buttons Bank check all the buttons work, fifty-fifty when you don't press as well difficult, as a faulty button could render the phone very hard to use and may be expensive to fix.
Network locks Cheque the phone works with the mobile phone provider of your option as some smartphones are originally sold locked to certain providers and must be unlocked earlier being used on another.
Repairs using unauthorised parts Not all repairs are done by the manufacturer or using certified parts, which tin can cause problems.

Where to buy

CeX is one of a handful of second-hand goods stores still on the high street that has a range of used smartphones both in-store and online. — CeX is ane of a handful of secondhand goods stores withal on the high street that has a range of used smartphones in-shop and online. Photograph: Artur Widak/NurPhoto/King/Shutterstock

The consumer torso Which? published an article final month that mentions a number of names including the secondhand goods chain CeX and the retailer Game.

The latter's website this week featured a range of refurbished handsets from companies such as Apple and Samsung. Game says information technology conducts 20 checks on all its refurbished phones, and that all preowned handsets come with a 12-calendar month warranty.

Also mentioned by Which? is Envirofone, one of the all-time-known names in this sector, which says it stocks "a colossal range of refurbished phones at a fraction of loftier street prices" and also provides a 12-month warranty. This week its website was list phones made by Apple, Google, OnePlus, Samsung and Sony, among others. Envirofone'southward original parent company, Redeem, went into administration in July last year but the UK assets, including the Envirofone brand, were chop-chop snapped upwards by the IT group TES.

Another well-known seller of refurbished smartphones is the website musicMagpie, which again offers a 12-month warranty. Information technology says information technology is "one of the Britain's biggest sellers of refurbished iPhones, with over 150,000 devices sold a year".

Back Market, meanwhile, is essentially a marketplace for smaller refurbishers, and its website was this week listing more than i,300 smartphones with an average price of £228. It offers a "12-month minimum" warranty.

When looking into retailers and websites, check out the reviews on sites such as Trustpilot. On Trustpilot this week, Envirofone, musicMagpie and Back Market all had "first-class" scores of four.6 to 4.seven, while CeX had a score of 4.three.

Which? points out that in improver to the various retailers and websites, almost major UK networks will too take deals on refurbished handsets, although you lot will be tied into a contract with that network.

Beware old phones

The iPhone 6 may still work just fine, but its software is no longer supported and therefore vulnerable to security bugs that make it a risk to use. — The iPhone 6 may still work fine merely its software is no longer supported and therefore vulnerable to security bugs that brand it a risk to use. Photograph: Michaela Rehle/Reuters

1 of the biggest problems with buying secondhand or refurbished models is that smartphones have a limited software back up life.

Disappointingly, most manufacturers volition only provide updates for their smartphones for iii years from release – not from the point you purchase it. The exceptions are Samsung, which provides at to the lowest degree four years of updates for a large range of its flagship and mid-range smartphones launched since 2019, and Apple tree, which typically supports all of its smartphones for at least five years from release.

Smartphones contain a treasure trove of data relating to every attribute of modernistic life, so yous should not be using a model that no longer receives updates every bit information technology will be vulnerable to hackers.

"Malicious actors are becoming better at exploiting devices left to historic period without protection, and this is not something to exist taken lightly," says Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at the internet security and antivirus company ESET.

"Telephone updates do far more than many people may ever realise, as they patch multiple bugs in the background which have come to the attention of developers. In one case security updates are no longer applicable, your phone enters a danger zone, making information technology a case of not if simply when." Unpatched devices remain vulnerable to things such equally information theft and other serious problems.

Earlier buying a secondhand smartphone, find out when information technology was start released and how long information technology will receive updates for as many two-year-old smartphones could effectively but be safety to use for a unmarried year.

Before you start using a pre owned phone

Make sure the phone you've bought has been factory reset to erase all previous data and allow you to set it up as new. — Brand sure the phone you accept bought has been mill reset to erase all previous data and allow you to set it upward as new. Photo: Kiichiro Sato/AP

If you end up buying a preowned or used telephone, the UK's National Cyber Security Center offers advice nearly what to exercise before yous start using information technology.

It says it is a good idea to erase all the personal data on it (of course, this may have already been done) past performing a "factory reset". This reset will delete the previous possessor's data and settings, including messages, contacts, photos, browsing history, wifi codes, passwords and whatever apps they installed. This volition besides ensure your phone is in the best possible state earlier y'all showtime using it.

All the same, if you buy a secondhand telephone that'southward not refurbished, you need to make sure it doesn't have an activation lock still on it. All Apple tree phones and well-nigh proficient Android phones cannot be gear up upwardly once more after a mill reset unless the telephone has been removed from the previous owner's account and the activation lock has been deactivated. It is a system that stops thieves resetting stolen phones and selling them on.

The ethical and repairable alternative

If you want the most ethical new smartphone you can buy, the Fairphone 3+ is it. — If you want the about ethical new smartphone you can buy, the Fairphone 3+ is it. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

If your motivation for buying a refurbished phone is more to practice with the surroundings than the cost, the Fairphone iii+ is a viable alternative, costing £399.

Fabricated past a Dutch social enterprise from recycled materials, Fairtrade gold and disharmonize-free minerals, the Fairphone 3+ is the almost ethical smartphone yous can purchase. It has a user-replaceable battery, just similar the good old days, and is made of modular parts that you lot can swap out yourself with the included screwdriver if something breaks. It volition even get five years of software support from release, meaning you should get at to the lowest degree four more than years of use.

Top picks and how much they cost

If you are convinced that a refurbished phone is for yous, make certain you store effectually and buy direct from a reputable retailer such every bit Apple, a mobile telephone network such equally O2 or a specialist refurbisher such as musicMagpie. Here are my picks of the currently available models.

iPhone xi Pro

iPhone 11 pro — The iPhone eleven Pro was the pick of 2019'due south Apple smartphone lineup and is available refurbished directly from the manufacturer. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Price: £759

If you desire a manufacturer-refurbished iPhone, the Apple refurbished store is the only place to become them. Stock varies, with the best available at the time of writing being 2019'southward iPhone 11 Pro at £759 with 64GB of storage. At the time of its release in September 2019, it cost £1,049 and was the best modest phone bachelor. It has a five.8in screen, 12-megapixel triple rear photographic camera, reasonable battery life when new, and Face ID face recognition.

It will probably receive software updates until at least September 2024 – and probably beyond that date – meaning you volition get iii-plus years out of it. Note that information technology does non have 5G.

iPhone SE (2020)

Price: £248-£320

The all-time-value Apple telephone is the iPhone SE (2020), which still has an older design but was released in April 2020 and should receive updates until at least September 2025.

It was an accented bargain when new, costing £399 for 64GB, and matching the iPhone 11 on processor and software. Information technology has a comparatively small iv.7in screen, the old-style iPhone dwelling push with Affect ID fingerprint scanner, a day's bombardment (when new) and a simple 12-megapixel photographic camera on the back.

Shopping around, you tin can find it retailer-refurbished for every bit low as £248, with "pristine" examples effectually the £320 mark. You should go at least 4 years of software updates. The battery can be replaced by Apple for £49 to go on it going longer down the road. Annotation that information technology does not have 5G.

Samsung Galaxy S10e

Price: £170-£300

One of the best-value retailer-refurbished Android phones is the Samsung Galaxy S10e. Information technology was skillful on release in March 2019, featuring a smaller blueprint, a more reliable traditional fingerprint scanner and a decent photographic camera on the back.

New, it had a solar day's bombardment, solid performance and a good screen. Samsung'southward four-year software update policy means it should receive support until at least March 2023, pregnant yous should get about two years utilize out of information technology. Prices range from about £170 to £305 for pristine examples. A battery replacement by Samsung volition cost £99, or about £threescore at third-party repair shops.