Consumers’ association: refurbished iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and 7 yield little benefit

The Consumers’ Association reports on the basis of a sample that the quality of eighteen refurbished iPhone 6s phones examined differs considerably. In addition, the price of a refurbished iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and 7 is often not much lower than the new price.

According to the Consumers’ Association, the highest average saving amounts to 18 percent compared to the new price of the device. That was the case with a refurbished iPhone 6s of 128GB. Other iPhone variants, such as the 6s Plus and 7, provide a lower saving and are therefore less advantageous. The organization was not able to make a comparison for all devices, because in some cases no new price was known in November.

In addition, the Consumers’ Association conducted a sample in which the organization purchased a total of eighteen refurbished iPhone 6s devices with 16 GB from nine different stores. These were all in ‘as good as new’ condition, according to the sellers. The Consumers’ Association reports that the mutual quality differs, however. The condition of the devices was generally good, but with four phones ‘substandard’, for example due to a loose screen or clear signs of use. For all devices, the quality was lower than a new device, which is no surprise with a refurbished model.

Also, the devices would not in all cases have a new battery. The Consumers’ Association states that the provider determines when this is necessary and that the tested devices were on average at 87 percent of their original battery capacity. According to the test, the quality of the screen and camera are ‘often okay’ and the differences are usually minimal. Finally, the Consumers’ Association reports that 500 of its 11,000 panel members have a refurbished device, which amounts to approximately 4.5 percent. Three quarters of them say they will purchase such a smartphone again in the future.

Image via Consumers’ Association