Used Smartphones Are Increasingly Popular To Buy, Even Though They Are Refurbished

Smartphone illustration (Irvan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Let's agree if smartphone sales continue to increase. Many brands and vendors have launched a variety of the latest models, with more varied prices.

But interestingly, there are also many people who are deliberately looking for used cellphones at more affordable prices. Even according to Asia One's report, sales of used smartphones in 2019 reached 206.7 million units worldwide.

Data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) shows a sales increase of 17.6 percent year over year. In addition to relatively cheaper prices, usually the quality of used cellphones is still very good and can last for several years.

Refurbished products are still an idol for many people. Generally, this refurbished product has the same quality as a new cellphone because it has been officially overhauled by the vendor.

Even Apple, though, still officially sells refurbished iPhone products on their website. Of course, at a competitive price, so the device is still prime enough to use.

The terms reconditioned and refurbished are literally renewed again, because they suffer minor damage to be sold again to consumers. Simply put, a refurbished smartphone is a new cellphone that is still worth selling.

With the record, the product passed quality control, without physical or system deficiencies, and was marked "refurbished". As an example of Apple in its iPhone products, usually reconditioned iPhones are marked with the label "Apple Certified Pre-Owned" on the sales box.

It should be noted, refurbished or reconditioned smartphones that are currently sold in the market generally come from two sources, namely distributors and factories. Where the factory refurbished smartphone is the result of official repairs from the brand in question, so there is an official guarantee.

Meanwhile, reconditioned cell phones from distributors are the result of repairs from third parties. So that the warranty offered is no longer official, but from the distributor itself.

Advantages of Reconditioned Cell Phones

The advantage is, of course, the price offered is cheaper than the initial price the product was released. Reconditioned smartphones, of course, still have high quality and standards in accordance with the production procedures of the brand concerned.

However, it should be noted, buying a refurbished or reconditioned smartphone must be extra careful and most importantly understand, if the cellphone is not completely new. Buyers must be ready to accept all the risks that occur when buying a reconditioned smartphone, both from the factory and distributor.

Illustration of refurbished cell phone (doc. Uswitch)

In the market, all refurbished cell phones have their own level of quality. It depends on the condition of the cellphone when it was first sold or updated by the store or manufacturer from grade A to D, as summarized from the Uswitch page.

Generally, Grade A is a cellphone with almost like new quality when it is first sold. Meanwhile, Grade B is a cellphone with minor damage or used usage, but not until the spare parts are damaged.

Meanwhile, Grade C is a cellphone that has a number of defects and needs to be repaired. Furthermore, Grade D is a cellphone that has undergone many repairs and replacement of spare parts, such as the screen, battery to the cellphone body before finally being eligible for resale.

But not infrequently, to make it easier for traders to sell, they usually mention the quality of their cellphones based on the 'Perfect', 'Almost Perfect' and 'Perfectly Fine' categories. The goal is to recommend buyers to find out the quality of reconditioned smartphones being sold.

Most Refurbished Mobile Brands

Summarized from various sources, the Apple and Samsung brands sell quite a lot of refurbished cellphones on the market. Even used cellphones from the manufacturer's output are still quite in demand on cellphone trading sites.

Quoted from Android Central, buyers are most interested in reconditioned cellphones such as iPhone 8, iPhone SE (Gen-1), iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Samsung Galaxy S9. Even though it is not a reconditioned cellphone, in 2020 there are also buyers who are still eyeing used cellphones such as the Google Pixel 2 XL, Google Pixel 3A and Motorola Nexus 6.

Refurbished iPhone sold by Apple (dock GSM Arena)

Before buying a refurbished smartphone, here are four tips that must be considered, in order to keep getting a cellphone at a low price and maximum quality.

Know in advance what refurbished smartphone brand to buy. Buy a smartphone from a trusted place or seller. The accessories provided are OEM quality, such as a cable or charger adapter that is no longer original. Distributor warranty and repair service

In the end, many people have started to realize that smartphones are functional devices, not just prestige. So even though the smartphone used is no longer new, as long as the quality is still functioning properly, of course they will still be happy to use it.