Adrian Weckler
Is it worth buying a second hand phone? Do the environmental benefits
and financial savings outweigh the nagging worry about something being
off? Is it safe to go hunting through small ads, or should you lower the
risk by buying from established used tech retailers?
There are multiple online retailers that specialise in selling used
phones, including Swappie, Refurbed, Mint+, Phonely and even Apple’s own
certified refurbed online store. Then there are physical outlets, such
as CEX, Gamestop and others.
But how does the process work? And what are the guarantees?
Swappie is one of the two or three largest of the online refurbed phone
sellers.
Its process is relatively clean and quick. Like other platforms, it
allows a prospective buyer to pick the condition of the phone, as well
as its relative specification levels. An iPhone 14 Plus with 512GB of
storage, for example, which would normally cost €1,569 new, costs from
€1,139 at Swappie if the platform’s ‘excellent’ condition status is picked.
What about battery, though? One of the biggest issues in any
rechargeable used tech is battery life. Batteries degrade with every
charge; it’s normal for a one-year old phone, that was recharged every
night, to have around 80pc of the initial battery life out of the box.
This factor is exacerbated when buying privately through online ads.
Professional retailers often swap the battery in for a new one.
In general, used phone resellers guarantee at least 80pc for all the
phones they sell. Swappie has a 100pc capacity battery option for most
of its phones, but this bumps the price up more; an iPhone 14 Plus with
512GB of storage, that would cost €1,569 new and €1,139 at the
‘excellent’ condition status, costs €1,219 with a 100pc capacity battery
and a ‘buyback guarantee’.
That’s still more than €300 cheaper, though, a hefty saving on buying it
new. For those who think of such things, it’s also a environmental
gesture in not buying something new, but consuming something that was
already made.
So is it worth it?
I tried Swappie’s process by ordering an iPhone 14 Plus online and had
no problems. The device came in a Swappie-branded box with the usual
charging cable and sim-tray fork. The phone itself, upon close
inspection, looks absolutely new and, so far, works absolutely fine.
https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/news/second-hand-tech-offers-a-cheaper-way-to-get-your-hands-on-a-phone-and-help-the-environment-42400176.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=IN:Technology&hConversionEventId=AQEAAZQF2gAmdjYwMDAwMDE4Ny0xMzdmLWI4NTgtOGQ1Yi05YzU4YjIxM2JjMDHaACRkNDA3ZDE2NC03MDg1LTRkY2QtMDAwMC0wMjFlZjNhMGJjZTPaACQ4YWI0OTNkOS1kN2IzLTRlZTMtYmJiOC01OTIwYTIyNDgyMmJbC0T5Lmxx5SdiwRx3zNCLJE28N1qBd6ocogFSXM2DfA
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