The most popular smartphone brands are constantly releasing new models of their products and pushing people to upgrade. We all know that this can’t last long, since it has a huge environmental impact, even though we do not hear much about it in the media.
While some people just can’t avoid buying the latest smartphone as soon as it comes out, there is still some hope. In Canada, as well as in many other countries, a new growing market for refurbished tech products is rising.
There are some reasons we can easily identify behind the success of the refurbished new trend. The main cause is probably related to the fact that there’s a growing public awareness among young people regarding the importance of recycling and reusing products, but also it can be explained by the fact that refurbished tech products are actually a great deal.
In Canada, there are many retailers that specialize in refurbished smartphones, such as SecondCell, which has very convenient offers in both iOS or Android phones, tablets, and accessories. Just by getting into the website, you will be able to find out about how you can get the latest smartphone spending less money.
In this article, we will go through some information about refurbishing and what to expect of second-hand smartphones.
What does refurbished actually mean?
A refurbishment process implies testing and, if it’s necessary, repairing a gadget to sell it as a like-new product.
When the company in charge of refurbishing has a reliable reputation and takes its job seriously, the restored products are almost indistinguishable from new ones. Of course, there might be some aesthetic differences that will for sure be reflected in the final price.
When going through a refurbishment process, each smartphone gets all its components checked to obtain a certification. This means that the microphone, touch ID, face ID, Front, and rear camera, flash, backlight, LCD, touch and buttons, speaker quality, vibrator, GPS, wireless connection, Bluetooth, gyroscope, proximity sensor, USB and charging ports, battery wear rate, iCloud Lock, Google Lock and Network unlock are tested.
Moreover, some refurbishing companies even grade their products on a scale to clearly communicate about their physical state of them and, by doing so, allow their customers to make an informed decision on each purchase.
Many people have concerns about battery performance when purchasing restored phones, but, most dealers can guarantee at least 80% of their original capacity, so it’s very unlikely to end up with a dead battery issue when buying secondhand.
A refurbished product can offer the same performance as a new one, so there’s actually no functionality reason why you should not choose to reuse a restored smartphone and save you money for other purposes.
Where do refurbished smartphones come from?
In Canada, most refurbished smartphones are products that were sold by their previous owner to a company dedicated to recycling tech gadgets or to the original manufacturer.
Well-established retailers do check that their products are not declared lost or stolen before putting them for sale, so buying refurbished is completely safe and it should be more encouraged given the environmental crisis we are going through and the green commitment each country has subscribed.
It’s always recommended to go to reliable dealers in order to avoid any issues regarding the refurbished product origin.
Do refurbished smartphones have any warranty?
Refurbished retailers offer similar conditions to customers to any tech store. Most second-hand tech dealers offer a 90 to 180 days warranty in case a problem with the product appears.
In addition to that, customers are allowed to change the product within 30 days of the purchase if they are not satisfied with it, and clients who wish their money back after that period of time will be eligible for reimbursement, although some fees are applied depending on the case.
To sum up, even though there’s an undeniable pleasure in purchasing a brand new product, it does have some environmental consequences, as well as an economic impact on our finances. Refurbished products are a very convenient option to access the latest technology at a better price and in an way. So, if you’ve never visited a second-hand retailer, it’s time to give it a try.