Do you enjoy the breezy performance and cutting-edge features of flagship devices but hate how much they tend to cost? If so, refurbished phones might be an ideal choice for you. We’ve selected the seven best refurbished phones that you can buy on Amazon, starting with a phone we expect is on the wish-list of many readers of this site.
At A Glance: 7 Best Refurbished Phones in 2020
Product | Brand | Name | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Apple | Apple iPhone 8 4.7", 64 GB, Fully Unlocked, Gold (Certified Refurbished) | Check Price on Amazon | |
SAMSUNG | Samsung Galaxy Note9 Factory Unlocked Phone with 6.4in Screen and 128GB | Check Price on Amazon | |
SAMSUNG | Samsung Galaxy S9 G960U 64GB - Unlocked Purple (Renewed) | Check Price on Amazon | |
Apple | Apple iPhone SE 2nd Generation, US Version, 64GB, Black - Unlocked (Renewed) | Check Price on Amazon | |
Apple iPhone X, GSM Unlocked, 64GB - Space Gray (Renewed) | Check Price on Amazon | ||
Google Pixel 2 XL 64GB Unlocked - Black (Certified Refurbished) | Check Price on Amazon | ||
Motorola | Motorola Nexus 6 GSM Unlocked Cellphone, 32GB, Midnight Blue (Certified Refurbished) | Check Price on Amazon |
* If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more details, please visit our Privacy policy page.
Best Refurbished Phones
1. Apple iPhone 8
If there’s one phone that makes a lot of sense to buy refurbished, it’s the iPhone 8. When you get a Certified Refurbished iPhone 8, you can expect to see minimal to no signs of wear and absolutely no hidden damage. Because the iPhone 8 was so far ahead of its time, its beautiful glass body with a color-matched, aerospace-grade aluminum band still looks and feels irresistibly luxurious and solid. It also allows the phone to be charged wirelessly and protects it from water and dust.
The iPhone 8 has always been a photographer’s phone, with some even buying it as an alternative to DSLRs. Even though the rather small camera sensor on the back has “only” 12 MP, it still produces some of the crispest and most vivid images of all smartphones. It also shoots 4K video at up to 60 frames per second and ultra-slow-motion video at up to 240 frames per second.
Even though it’s been nearly a year since the iPhone 8 was released, we have nothing but good things to say about its performance, and we expect that things will stay like this for quite some time considering how capable the Apple A11 Bionic chipset is.
Buy it now: here
2. Galaxy Note 9
If you’re looking for something on the larger size, you might want to consider a Galaxy Note 9. It comes with a massive edge-to-edge display, and of course, has the curved edges, which open up some additional functionality (i.e., swipe up, and access shortcuts like People’s Edge).
And with the large screen, it also comes with the S-Pen, which is a stylus that allows you to takes notes easier, create spreadsheets, and navigate your smartphone.
The Galaxy Note 9 also has a massive battery, which is perfect for power users that need their phones to last longer and well into the evening.
Buy it now: here
3. Samsung Galaxy S9
The Samsung Galaxy S9 was released just a few months ago, but you can already get it refurbished and save a lot of money. Tech reviewers often position the Galaxy S9 as iPhone’s biggest competitor, and the rivalry continues even in the refurbished market segment.
The Galaxy S9 is one of the first smartphones with a dual-aperture camera capable of adapting to various lighting conditions just like the human eye. Regardless of whether you enjoy shooting picturesque landscapes or people at parties, you can count on the Galaxy S9 to take a nice shot.
Flagship smartphones from Samsung have always been known for their excellent performance, and the Galaxy S9 is no different. It comes with the Snapdragon 845 chipset from Qualcomm, and offers XR-ready levels of performance, up to 1.2 Gbps peak download speeds, and Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ technology.
Buy it now: here
4. Apple iPhone SE
The Apple iPhone SE is a relatively affordable smartphone to begin with. When you opt for a refurbished model, you can pay less than others in its class for this still competent and astonishingly pocketable device.
The main reason why so many people buy the iPhone SE is its size. With a display that measures only 4 inches, the iPhone SE is considerably smaller than most smartphones today. Yet, it still features an excellent camera, a powerful chipset, a fingerprint sensor, and run the latest version of iOS.
Just be aware that not all refurbished iPhone SEs look precisely pristine. Because the iPhone SE is the cheapest way to get an iPhone, many people who have purchased one didn’t take good care of it. If you decide to get a refurbished iPhone SE, you should be prepared to encounter at least a few scratches and dents.
Buy it now: here
5. iPhone X
The iPhone X is still an amazing handset in 2024, and if you get it on a refurbished deal, you’re making out pretty good. The iPhone X ushered in Apple’s all-new design philosophy going forward — a nearly -all-screen design, as well as a glass back with the vertical dual-lens camera.
It’s a great phone and has some excellent battery life. It’s nearly two years old now as we near a new set of iPhone models this year, but it is still a fantastic performer. The Face ID module is nice in particular, allowing you to quickly unlock your phone, verify payments, and even log into accounts without any hassle.
Buy it now: here
6. Google Pixel 2 XL
So many iOS users have given up on Android because they didn’t experience it in its pure form. The Google Pixel 2 XL is what more Android smartphones should aspire to be: pure, powerful, and always up-to-date. It comes with the latest version of the Android operating system and support for Google Assistant and Google Lens.
The Pixel 2 XL has one of the best camera systems of all Android phones. It also harnesses the power of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset, which, while not as powerful as the Snapdragon 845 inside the Galaxy S9. also still meets the hardware requirements of even the most demanding apps and games in Google’s app marketplace.
The Pixel 2 XL also takes stunning pictures and gives you the option to upload them directly to Google’s cloud storage space so you can save storage memory on your device for other things. Besides, you still be able to access all your memories from anywhere and at any time.
Buy it now: here
7. Motorola Nexus 6
We recommend this refurbished Motorola Nexus 6 to people who are looking for a reliable smartphone they can depend on, and that won’t cost too much money.
For less the price, the Nexus 6 could hardly be more attractive. This 6-inch smartphone has a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels, is upgradable to Android 7.1.1, comes with the Snapdragon 805, has 3 GB of memory, and boasts an above-average camera with a resolution of 13 MP and the ability to record 4K video at 30 frames per second.
The Nexus 6 has a 3220 mAh battery to keep it running without charge for up to 2 days of moderate use and up to a day of heavy use. And before you ask: yes, the Nexus 6 has a headphone jack.
Buy it now: here
Best Refurbished Phones Verdict
It can be hard to nail down what the best refurbished phones are because of how fast the industry moves; however, in 2024, there are still a few nice options, as you can see above. Many of these are now called “renewed” to hopefully get rid of the bad stigma that is attached to many devices today.
That said, you’re not usually going to find this year’s devices on a refurbished list until the next-gen phone launches. But, if you can snag last year’s phones as a refurb, you’re usually getting a great deal and a great phone.
Product | Brand | Name | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Apple | Apple iPhone 8 4.7", 64 GB, Fully Unlocked, Gold (Certified Refurbished) | Check Price on Amazon | |
SAMSUNG | Samsung Galaxy Note9 Factory Unlocked Phone with 6.4in Screen and 128GB | Check Price on Amazon | |
SAMSUNG | Samsung Galaxy S9 G960U 64GB - Unlocked Purple (Renewed) | Check Price on Amazon | |
Apple | Apple iPhone SE 2nd Generation, US Version, 64GB, Black - Unlocked (Renewed) | Check Price on Amazon | |
Apple iPhone X, GSM Unlocked, 64GB - Space Gray (Renewed) | Check Price on Amazon | ||
Google Pixel 2 XL 64GB Unlocked - Black (Certified Refurbished) | Check Price on Amazon | ||
Motorola | Motorola Nexus 6 GSM Unlocked Cellphone, 32GB, Midnight Blue (Certified Refurbished) | Check Price on Amazon |
* If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more details, please visit our Privacy policy page.