Five of the most reliable refurbished smartphones

Do you long for the luxurious looks and cutting-edge performance of flagship smartphones but draw the line at paying what you consider to be an exorbitant price? If so, a refurbished phone could be the ideal choice for you! There’s no need to worry that you’ll be limited to a device that looks dated and is in poor condition.

Models as young as one year old can be bought refurbished and you’ll have a choice of grade according to quality － pristine, excellent, good or average － depending on how much you want to spend. We’ll take a look atfive of the most reliable refurbished phones, beginning with one that must be top of your wish lists.

Apple iPhone 8

Buying this model makes a lot of sense because a Certified Refurbished iPhone 8 will have minimal to no signs of wear and no hidden damage. Boasting an advanced design, the elegant glass body with colour-matched, aerospace-grade aluminium band still looks classy and feels robust. The device can be charged wirelessly and the screen protects the phone from water and dust.

This handset has long been a favourite with keen photographers, some even buying it in preference to a proper camera. The device features the A11 Bionic processor and a 12MP camera which 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-slo-mo video at up to 240 frames per second. Expect to pay around £300 for this model.

Samsung Galaxy S9

Even though the Galaxy S9 was released only a few months ago, you can already buy it refurbished and save a lot of money. The Galaxy S9 is often positioned by tech reviewers as the iPhone’s biggest competitor and the rivalry continues even in the refurbished market.

The handset was one of the first smartphones to have a dual-aperture camera capable of adapting to various lighting conditions, just like the human eye. So whether you want to shoot scenic landscapes or friends enjoying a night out, you can depend on the Galaxy S9 to take a brilliant shot.

Samsung flagship smartphones have been renowned for their excellent performance and the Galaxy S9 doesn’t disappoint. Fitted with two quad-core CPUs, the phone offers 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, fantastic download speeds and Quick Charge 4+ technology. Expect to pay around £270.

Google Pixel 2 XL

The Google Pixel 2 XL is said by some to represent the peak of excellence: pure, powerful and always up-to-date. The device features a 6” display with Quad High Definition, the Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB of RAM and 64/128GB of storage. It comes with the latest version of the Android operating system, support for Google Assistant and Google Lens and a USB-C port for charging large items such as laptops.

The 12MP camera not only takes stunning pictures but also enables you to upload them directly to Google’s cloud storage so you can save memory on your handset for other items and still be able to access your photos anywhere and at any time. Expect to pay around £220.

Apple iPhone SE

A brand-new Apple iPhone SE is a relatively inexpensive smartphone anyway, but by choosing a refurbished model, you could pay no more than £100 for this competent and compact device. The reason for its popularity is its size. With a display that measures just 4”, the iPhone SE is considerably smaller than most contemporary smartphones, yet still features an excellent 12MP camera, powerful A9 chipset, a fingerprint sensor and runs the latest version of iOS.

A word of warning, though. Not all iPhone SEs look pristine. Because this model is the cheapest way to obtain an iPhone, not all consumers who purchased one have taken good care of it. If you decide to buy a refurbished iPhone SE, don’t be too surprised to see a few scratches and minor dents.

Motorola Nexus 6

This model would suit people who are looking for a reliable smartphone they can depend on but which won’t cost too much. For around £175, the Nexus 6 is a smart buy. The 6” device features the Snapdragon 805 and 3GB of memory and boasts an above-average camera with a resolution of 13MP and the ability to record 4K video at 30 frames per second. It’s even upgradable to Android 7.1.1!

The Nexus 6 has a battery which will run without charge for up to two days of moderate use and up to one day of heavy use. And yes, the Nexus 6 has a headphone jack!

So you don’t have to spend a fortune on a new phone. By buying a refurbished phone and with PAYG, you could afford to upgrade every year. The refurbished smartphone market is growing as consumers realise what good value they are, which means lots of availability and keen prices. Buy from a specialist retailer such as ineedamobile.com which offers a vast range of products at very competitive prices.