What to Look for to Get the Right Refurbished Android Phone Buy

There are those who, when it comes to changing mobile phones, do not opt ​​for a new phone, but opt ​​for a refurbished model: on the one hand, it is a more sustainable option to change terminal by giving a second life to a device that has already been used, on the other hand you save a lot of money. Now, like when you buy a used car, it’s a field full of mines decisions to make your purchase a success. Keep reading to find out what is important when buying a refurbished phone.

Refurbished vs Used

While it is true that many of the points we are going to see in this article on refurbished phones apply on occasion, There are significant differences between the two states..

A refurbished phone is a terminal that has been returned to the store or brand by the buyer. It may be because you were not satisfied with your purchase, because there was damage to the packaging, but also because of a problem. In this bag of refurbished phones there is also an exhibition (something that is specified), predictably with many hours behind them, although apparently they look almost new.

In any case, before putting them back on sale as refurbished, its condition is checked and the corresponding maintenance is carried out to ensure its proper functioning. Accordingly, companies may offer some type of guarantee.

Since a screen phone is not the same one that was left in the store due to a slightly broken box, the usual thing is that stores categorize refurbishments into grades or conditions. Thus, El Corte Inglés opts for the letters from A to D and the extras of “brand new” and “almost brand new”, Amazon opts for “new”, “like new”, “very good” and “good condition” . It doesn’t hurt to take a look at store reviews to know what you can expect from the condition of the phone.

Another different issue is with second-hand phones. In this case, they had (at least) one owner who has been using it for some time and chose to get rid of it, either directly, on platforms such as Wallapop, Milanuncios or Vibbo, or through an intermediary. In that case condition assessment is a bit more subjectivebecause it will depend on the good faith and knowledge of the seller.

If you opt for the second handIdeally, you can take a look and try it yourself before you buy, have some guarantees from the platform, and if it’s still on time, have the seller give you the invoice. purchase in case you need to perform the warranty.

What warranty do you have?

While a second-hand phone may still have an active warranty against factory failure (which we remember is three years from when the regulations contained in the BOE- Royal Decree-Law 7/2021 of April 2021), for which we insist, you will need the original owner to provide you with the invoice or purchase receipt, refurbished products have their own warranty.

The old consumer law does not apply to refurbished products, in which case the legal warranty is at least 12 months, although some stores extend it up to 36 months, i.e. three years as if it were a new product. It is therefore a good idea to know the extension of the guarantee offered by the store in question for this product and to register the corresponding ticket.

An important difference between new and refurbished phones is that if you are using the warranty, in the second it is not possible to claim the replacement.

How many years has it been on the market?

Maybe someone will buy a Samsung Galaxy S22 today or would have bought it when it went on sale. In practice, in the second I would have used it for another year, which should worry you if you buy on the second-hand market, both because of its deterioration due to the guarantee. In refurbished, what is really relevant is the model year..

It may be that before putting a refurbished phone on sale they had to change the screen, the battery or some other element, but the essence of the hardware that it will integrate will be the same. And if the hardware is obsolete, it will not be a good buy even if it is new. In these times, finding out the year and specs of a phone is as easy as googlearlo and take a look at the manufacturer’s website. What is no longer available? Quiet, you will surely find one of the many product positions we have at Xataka.

So there may be a phone that is two years old that will regulation and another with three-year-olds who have a smooth experience. A general recommendation is bet on high end phones. First, because from the start it’s rare find modest models, but second and main reason, because they better resist the passage of time.

Although theirs is that the apps and services of the future will be more efficient in their operation and power consumption, so without much thought we may mistakenly believe that they can run well on a device with some time on the market and equipment caught up, surely this is not the first time that you update an application on a phone that is already a few years old and find that it is worse. Without stopping or diving into technical details such as architecture or components, it is important to be clear that new software goes better with new hardware, because it was designed for that. And if the hardware isn’t new, at least have plenty of RAM and have a powerful chip under the hood, because they age better.

How old is a phone? There’s no clear, closed number here like for the warranty, so from personal experience and in general, I’d recommend a top-of-the-line model that’s been on the market for two years or less. But all is not black or white, because another fundamental problem comes into play: the time of updates.

Operating system and years of updates

Traditionally, iPhones have been the kings of the refurbished market because they meet many of the above premises, namely that they’re high-end, it’s easy to tell what year they’re from, and best of all: they offer five years of updates. . And Android manufacturers? She put her batteries, partly forced to see the wolf’s ears with the wishes of the EU, but it is difficult: the fragmentation works against her.

Rely the latest version of Android allows us to enjoy all the news, both in terms of security and the available functions your phone can perform. It’s important not to confuse these with system-specific or security updates, which work independently, for example, which means Samsung updates a GPS issue in eight-year-old phones. One thing is a small update that does not change the version of Android and another is a new version, with all the development and optimization that goes behind it.

When these updates are no longer available, your phone is more vulnerable to potential issues and attacks. Ultimately, buying a phone without active update support is not a good idea. For this reason, it is essential that you make sure of the current version of the phone you are interested in and how many years of updates it has left.

How many years of updates do major Android manufacturers offer?

• Google: All Pixels released since the Google Pixel 6 will receive three years of major updates and five years of security patches. Older models, like the Google Pixel 5a, both get three years of support.

• Samsung. Upgrade policies depend on the model you choose. So the high-end and high-end models get four years of major updates and five years of security patches. In the case of the medium range, it will be two years. In [este enlace](Samsung has updated the page with information about its security patches, ending ambiguity over how often devices will eventually update in low range or in their fourth year: twice a year. .) You can check how often and which models get their security updates.

• LG. Although it no longer manufactures phones, it promises to offer three years of updates for the LG G, V, Velvet and Wing and two for the others, the same periods and for the same devices in terms of updates of security.

• nokia. It provides three years of Android updates for Nokia X10 and X20 and two for the rest, the same periods and patterns for security updates.

• OnePlus. For 2023 flagships, it promises four years of major updates and five of security updates. Compared to previous years, it offers three years of Android updates for its high-end, two years for the mid-range and one for its entry-level. As for security updates, there are four for the top of the range and three for the others.

• Oppo. It offers four years of system updates and five of security patches for flagship models from 2023. For the rest, in principle, it will be two years of core Android updates and three of security.

• Long live. Three years of Android updates for the new Vivo, and two or less for the rest. As for security updates, there will also be three for Vivo and there is no information on the rest.

• Xiaomi. It offers three years of Android updates for its top of the range (Xiaomi 11T and later), and two or less for the rest. In the case of security updates, it’s four years for the top of the range and at least two for the others.

• Realme, Huawei, Honor, Sony and Motorola. No news, so you can expect your top of the range to receive up to two years of Android updates. The outlook looks worse for its mid and low ranges.

Where to buy a refurbished phone

Considering all the above, buying a refurbished phone can be a success with which you can also save a lot of money. Of course, for added peace of mind and security and to be clear that nothing is a 100% guarantee of success, better bet on a well-known store with a clear refurbishment policy. Here are some of the most important: