The iPhone 11 was a commendable cheap contender in the 11 lineup. The device doesn’t fall any short of processing power, thanks to the A13 Bionic chipset. Apple has been constantly making advancements with their homegrown chipset and the A13 consumes 40% less power than the A12. The dual camera setup takes more than decent pictures upon which you won’t be disappointed.
Apple have been steadily increasing the price range of their smartphones over the years. If you’re not a regular iPhone buyer, the original price of the iPhone 11 might drive you away. Or if you don’t want to spend a hefty sum right now, the iPhone refurbished unlocked is what you should be looking for. If this term is new to you, we know what kind of questions are popping up in your mind right now. Read through to know more what a refurbished unlocked iPhone 11 offers.
What is meant by refurbished unlocked?
Generally, refurbished phones are not sold with a carrier integrated SIM. Therefore, the term refurbished implies that the device is unlocked. A device is termed refurbished when it was returned by customer, necessary repairs are made, and then again sold in the market. This is how a smartphone ends up being sold as refurbished: A customer buys a brand new phone. They find a defect right after unboxing or certain internal defects starts getting noticeable after a few days of usage. At this point, the customer orders for a return or replacement. They are entitled to get a free replacement if it’s still within the free return / replacement period.
Then the device is collected from the buyer and sent to third party repair shops or Apple’s certified refurbishing center. The device undergoes a thorough diagnosis and all the required repairs are put together. If it’s a few months old, the battery will deteriorate a bit. Such cases need a battery replacement. In most cases, the housing of the handset is replaced so it feels like a new one. A typical iPhone 11 refurbished unlocked will be sold with a warranty of either 6 or 12 months. But a refurbished phone is generally sold in a plain white box instead of the original box.
A lesser known fact about refurbished phones
Not all phones sold under the refurbished are the result of defects and customer rejections. Some of them have served as display models at stores. While some handsets were returned just because the wrong memory size or color was delivered. Particularly, these phones require no repairs. Luckily, if you get one of these, you’re basically getting a brand new, unused device at a discounted price.
What are the perks of buying an iPhone 11 refurbished unlocked?
- Quality
The iPhone 11 is decent in performance and looks. Just know that all refurbished devices are put through rigorous testing procedures and all required repairs or changes are made in accordance with the established standards. When doing the repairs, even if any minor discrepancies are found, the outer shells are replaced. As most devices would have been used for a few months, the quantity of internal degradation is negligible. All in all, refurbished devices do come with a promise of quality.
- Price
First of all, a new iPhone 11 isn’t available in 2022 and even if you were planning to get one in 2019, you would have spent $699. It would have been a scenario in 2019. It’s 2022 now and you can buy second hands from Facebook marketplace or any other online second hand electronics goods portals. Else, you can opt for a refurbished unlocked iPhone 11 on flexible EMI plans.
- Favorable impact on environment
First of all, making a smartphone from scratch requires a large number of rare materials. Whereas, rejected handsets might end up in a landfill unless recycled. When buying a refurbished phone, you’re making a small contribution toward a greener earth.
Is an ordinary second hand iPhone is an inferior choice than a refurbished one?
Obviously it is. You don’t know how long the handset have been used unless the seller shows you a valid invoice. You can safely assume that at that point, the health of the device would have been degraded. You don’t either get the 12-month warranty and you also need to take care of all applicable repairs.