New vs Refurbished Smartphones: What to Know Before Buying

1. What Refurbished Means

A refurbished smartphone is a device that has been previously used (or in some cases, unused but opened), returned, inspected, tested, and resold. The refurbishment process can involve replacing faulty components, repairing cosmetic damage, and restoring the device to factory settings.

Refurbished devices are distinct from:

• Used (gebraucht): Sold as-is, no professional inspection, typically sold between private individuals (e.g., on eBay Kleinanzeigen, Willhaben).
• Open-box (Ausstellungsgerät): Opened, possibly displayed, but not used. Often sold by retailers at a small discount.
• Refurbished (generalüberholt): Professionally inspected, tested, and certified. Sold by specialised refurbishers or through manufacturer programmes.

2. Grading Systems

Refurbished devices are assigned grades reflecting their cosmetic condition. Grading systems vary by seller, but common European conventions include:

Grading applies only to cosmetic condition. All grades should be fully functional; a device with hardware defects should not be sold as refurbished.

3. Certified vs Uncertified Refurbished

Certified programmes

Manufacturers offer official refurbishment programmes. Apple's Certified Refurbished programme replaces key components (battery, outer casing) to bring devices to near-new condition and includes a full warranty. Samsung and other Android manufacturers offer similar programmes.

Third-party certified refurbishers (such as Back Market, rebuy, Swappie) operate quality standards and provide warranties. Standards vary; check the specific warranty terms before purchasing.

Uncertified (private sales)

Private sales platforms (eBay, eBay Kleinanzeigen, Facebook Marketplace) offer lower prices but no inspection guarantee, no warranty from the seller beyond the minimum legal requirement for private sales, and higher variability in quality.

4. What to Check When Buying Refurbished

When purchasing a refurbished smartphone, verify the following before finalising the sale:

• IMEI number: Check the IMEI against blacklists (e.g., via your carrier or public databases) to confirm the device is not stolen or blocked.
• iCloud / Google account lock: Ensure the previous owner's account has been removed. An activation-locked device cannot be used.
• Carrier lock: Verify whether the device is network-locked. (See the carrier-locked guide.)
• Screen quality: Check for dead pixels, burn-in (common on OLED displays), or unresponsive areas.
• All buttons and ports: Test volume, power button, SIM slot, charging port, and headphone jack if present.
• Camera and speakers: Test both front and rear cameras; check speaker and microphone function.
• Original or replacement parts: Third-party screen replacements may affect Face ID (on iPhone) or produce different colour profiles.

5. Battery Health

Battery capacity degrades with charge cycles. On an iPhone, you can check battery health in Settings → Battery → Battery Health & Charging. On Android, battery health information is available through manufacturer service menus or third-party diagnostic apps.

Reputable refurbishers replace batteries below a certain threshold (commonly 80% or 85%). Confirm the battery health before purchasing, and check whether the warranty covers battery replacement.

6. Warranty on Refurbished Devices in Germany

Commercial sellers of refurbished devices in Germany are subject to the statutory 2-year Gewährleistung (legal guarantee) under § 438 BGB, the same as for new products. However, for used goods sold commercially, sellers may shorten this period to 1 year by explicit contractual agreement.

Manufacturer-certified programmes may offer additional warranty coverage. Third-party refurbishers typically offer 6–24 months of their own warranty, which supplements the statutory rights.

For full details on warranty rights, see the Warranty Rights guide.

7. New vs Refurbished: Summary