Last Updated on 25 August 2025 by Dan Wilderness
Hello everyone! We love the latest tech – but the latest phones have become increasingly expensive over time, especially if upgrading to the latest model. There’s another alternative though if you have your heart set on a new model though, and that’s to take a look at a refurbished mobile phone.
Today we’re taking a look at what a refurbished mobile phone is, how much it can save you and review if it’s a good idea that can save you money or not.
(Please note: The Financial Wilderness may also receive a small payout if you make a purchase through a link on this site. We’ve done our research into all providers listed and but can’t take any responsibility for individual transactions with them as the quality of phones and policies can vary. You can read more about our affiliate policy on our disclaimers page.)
What is a refurbished mobile phone?
Firstly, a refurbished mobile phone is not always the same thing is a used mobile phone, although some firms definitely use the term as marketing spin!
At it’s best, a high-quality refurbished phone will sit in one of a couple of categories – where it’s been returned shortly after purchase by the original, or it’s had a minor fault which has been discovered and rectified.
Then there’s a group down in the form of phones which have been part of a trade in scheme where they are a bit older and had slightly more use – but the key bits like the screen, battery and if appropriate camera have been replaced and are new. In the best cases, these can lok
In contrast, a used phone will simply be the phone in the condition it was sold to the vendor in.
How much money can I save with a refurbished mobile phone?
This question depends on if you’re looking to maximise saving money at trade off to some cosmetic quality.
The reason for this is that with most sites that offer refurbished phones, you can select a range of qualities – as you’d expect, the higher the quality, the higher the price.
Below, we’ve listed the expectations of what you should get at each price point, and the relevant savings.
Important: Each refurbished phone company has their own categorisation and there may be slight variation in expectations with each, so you should check it on any site you buy from first to make sure what you’re getting suits you! There’s no standardisation set on the approach.
We’ve used an Apple IPhone 14 to conduct our test, which is at the time of writing is the second to latest IPhone model. We’ve compared this to the best handset-only deal we were able to find from a reputable site.
(All prices are at time of writing)
Brand New Handset Price
The best deals we could find were for £599 at Mobiles.co.uk, Carphone Warehouse and Amazon.
Excellent Condition Refurbished Mobile
An phone described as in excellent condition should be viewed as effectively like new, and arrive in that condition with no degradation. You should not be able to tell in any way you’re purchasing a refurbished handset.
We were able to find one for £529 at Amazon, a £70 saving on buying the phone new.
Very Good Condition Refurbished Mobile
A phone in Very Good condition may no longer have the original box from Apple. You may see a couple of small scratches on the body, but not on the screen at this level – I.E a close inspection would cause you to assess it has been used, but not heavily.
If you’re planning to put the mobile
We were able to find one for £445 at Back Market, a £154 saving on buying the phone new.
Fair / Good Condition Refurbished Mobile
A phone in Fair or Good Condition is likely to be more obvious in showing it’s signs of use. At this level you may begin to see some fairly significant scratches or dents in the body, and some scratches in the screen as well.
You’d also want to read the terms carefully and see if you’re getting any extras like charging cables at this level.
We were able to find one for £400 at MusicMagpie, just about a £200 saving on a new phone.
Can I get a refurbished mobile phone direct for the manufacturer?
Yes you can! Both Apple and Samsung have a programme for selling refurbished phones, however you’ll find prices will generally be a bit higher than you’re likely to find elsewhere.
On the flipside, when it’s direct from the manufacturers, you’ve also got higher assurances of quality. With both Apple and Samsung, anything you buy will be in Like New condition.
You can find the Apple Certified Refurbished Shop here and the Samsung Certified Renewed Shop here.
What should I look for when buying a refurbished mobile phone?
There’s a couple of factors we’d suggest taking a stronger look at when buying a refurbished phone than if you were buying a new product.
In our table of refurbished retailers below, we’ve also included what we know about the policies of each.
Warranty
Given the phone isn’t new, having a reasonable warranty makes sense. We found most retailers were offering at least a one year warranty, with GiffGaff in some cases offering 18 and 24 months on specific phones.
Return Period
In buying a refurbished phone you want to be sure it’s arrives in the quality you’ve expected and paid for. Some retailers offer an additional returns period to identify any faults.
Most only offer the statutory 14 day returns period here, with you often having to pay for return delivery. There are a few providers that do offer slightly better terms, but they’re not common.
Where can I buy a refurbished mobile phone?
Here’s a list of refurbished mobile phone providers which have a more extensive history and generally positive reviews. Where known, we’ve captured their warranty and return procedures as well:
| Back Market | One-year retailer warranty | 30-day returns |
| Amazon* | 1 year (but can depend on seller) | Amazon Renewed Guarantee |
| Music Magpie | One-year retailer warranty | No, only statutory |
| Mobiles.co.uk | One-year retailer warranty | No, only statutory |
| Fonehouse | 30 day warranty with Fonehouse, 12 month warranty with the manufacturer | No, only statutory |
| Giffgaff | Minimum one-year retailer warranty (Longer warranty may be available depending on the condition of the refurbished phone) | 21-day return, or 30 day faulty return |
| The Big Phone Store | One-year retailer warranty | 14-day returns |
| Reboxed | One-year retailer warranty | 30-day returns |
- Regarding Amazon, refurbished phones are often not from Amazon directly (although benefit from the Amazon Renewed Guarantee) but from partner sellers – we would recommend looking at the reviews for any partner you’re buying from).
Is a Refurbished Mobile Phone worth it?
In terms of making savings if you’re after one of the most recent models, a refurbished mobile phone is absolutely worth considering.
Especially if you’re planning to put it in a case regardless, an option where there’s some scratches on the back but not the screen ultimately isn’t going to make that much difference to you.
If you’re not willing to make that compromise, the official reseller programmes from Apple and Samsung are well worth considering as these are returned phones in an “as new” condition whilst still making some savings and having a guarantee of reliability from the manufacturer.
Can I buy other refurbished devices?
Yes! Whilst we’ve mainly focused on phones in this article, most of the above sites also sell refurbished laptops, tablets and related accessories like AirPods.
What are alternative to a new or refurbished phone?
If you are generally happy with your existing phone and it’s specifications, but the battery life is beginning to degrade it’s often a much cheaper approach to look at getting a battery replacement instead.
Any questions?
If you have any questions regarding refurbished mobile phones, or have experiences good or bad with buying them we’d absolutely love to hear from you! Just drop us a note in the comments below.
And that’s it!
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