What are the advantages and disinvites of refurbished phones, and how to check if you are buying a refurbished phone?
If you think that smartphones and devices are divided only into used and new, let me tell you that you are wrong, simply, because of the term Refurbished.
You must have heard this term before when you were going to buy a new smartphone or any other device for yourself or a friend. Refurbished phones might be good or bad, and the surprise is you can get a new refurbished phone.
In this article, I will teach you the meaning of a refurbished phone, the advantages, and disadvantages of the refurbished phone, how to check if your phone is refurbished, and finally, if you prefer them over other phones, I will explain how you may get a refurbished phone for yourself.
What is a Refurbished Phone?
Before heading into the other topics I’m going to talk about in this article, we should first discuss the Refurbished Phone Meaning, and whether is it only found in used phones.
First of all, let’s accept that refurbished phones are not as bad as you might think.
Have you ever thought about what happened to the phone you have restored to the company after using it because you have found a problem with the screen, the battery, or any other part of it?
Yes, that’s what you think of now, your phone has gone to the manufacturer so it can be reproduced and fixed.
The result of this process is called a refurbished phone, and it’s some tricky ways manufacturers use to avoid losing a huge amount of money in favor of the phones that are restored to them.
Then, from this, now we know that a refurbished phone doesn’t mean that it’s a used one, it may not have been ever touched by the retailer you buy from, but it’s sold with a title that says “Refurbished Mobile” with almost the same warranty and the same boxing.
Then, what are the advantages and disadvantages of Refurbished phones? That’s exactly what we are going to talk about in the next few lines.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Refurbished Phones
Now, and after knowing that a refurbished phone is not that bad, and it’s sold as a new -and not used- phone, we should talk about the advantages and disadvantages of refurbished phones, why you should go for it, and why you shouldn’t.
The best thing about buying a refurbished phone if it’s not the only available choice is saving more money when compared to buying a new phone.
The title “Refurbished Mobile” forces retailers to sell these phones with a discount due to the common and popular myths about refurbished phones.
The second best thing about buying a refurbished phone is that it guarantees not facing any common problem that anyone has ever faced with this type of phone, because simply, this problem must have been faced before and already fixed, it’s like getting back your mobile phone from the official maintenance service after fixing all the problems in it.
How to Check if have got a Refurbished Phone
Now we have got to the main point of today’s topic, how could you check if you have a refurbished phone or if you are going to buy a refurbished phone?
There are two main ways to do so, the difference between both is that one of them works only on Android 4.0 and lower phones and you can process it without Apps, and the other method is available for both Android 4.0 lower and above operating systems.
So, let’s start to find out if your phone is refurbished or not from the next few lines.
Android 4.0 and Lower refurbished phones
The method of checking if your Android 4.0 or lower phone is a refurbished phone or not is so easy and you don’t have to download an application to process it.
All you have to do is follow these steps:
- Open the Phone application or the dialer on your phone.
- Type ##786# which refers to ##RTN# and a menu should pop up.
Note: In some cases, you might need to use this code instead #*#786#*#.
- After the menu pop-ups, you will find a tap called View, click on it.
- Scroll down until you find Reconditioned Statues.
- You will see one of two answers, No if your phone is a brand new one and it’s not a refurbished phone, and Yes if you have got a refurbished phone.
Now you have learned how to check if your phone is refurbished or not, and you can take the right actions then like replacing it if you have just bought it, returning it and getting back your money, or simply keeping it with you if you have found the above advantages are good for you.
Android 4.0 and Above refurbished phones
The second method is for Android 4.0 and above phones, these phones do not support the above steps, and that’s why you will have to download an application called Phone Info.
Phone Info is a simple and free tool that helps you know many things about your phone like how frequently the phone was used when the phone was manufactured, the Knox Warranty void status, and much other information about your phone.
Also Read: How to Check Is My Phone Rooted or Not
The weak point of the Phone Info application is that it’s designed only for Samsung phones, but many other applications work for the other brands.
After downloading and installing Phone Info, click on the three dashes in the upper-left corner and then click on Refurbishment Check.
After a few seconds, you will get a pop-up message telling you if your phone is refurbished or not and if it’s not refurbished, you will get a congratulations message telling you that you don’t have a refurbished phone.
Check if you have a Refurbished Phone without Apps
Before purchasing the phone, the retailer would not let you open it and perform any of the above methods, so you may luckily and unfortunately get a refurbished phone and discover that when you go back home.
So, for that, these are some steps to check for the refurbishment status of your new phone before having access to its system.
First, make sure that everything is in the box and arranged in a way that’s not unusual, and that nothing is missing like manuals or accessories, also, check if it’s packaged in the original box or if it seems a repackaged one by someone other than the manufacturer.
You can also check and look for scratches, dents, or any physical signs if you have access to the phone in your hands, and you should then investigate with the retailer about these dents or directly refuse to buy this one and search for another.
Conclusion
Knowing that you are having a refurbished phone could be one of the worst news you may ever hear, although it’s not so bad as the myths say, it could be a little confusing when you find that the phone you have just bought as a new phone is refurbished.
Now, with these tools and methods, you will be able to check whether your phone is refurbished or not even before buying it, and they are all true methods that no one can object to so you can take back your money easily with a proof.
Share this article with your friends so you all avoid buying a refurbished phone, and if any of you have got one of these phones, he may feel better when he knows that they are not that bad and that he might have some advantages due to having a refurbished phone in his hands.
