Until this year I was buying new, but a couple of years old. I had been buying new iPhone since the first version which I bought from the USA, and had many hoops to jump through to get it functioning with an AU sim, but I loved it (and I still have it even though its well past its useby date. Battery is still good. Once I had to stop work I also had to pull the plug on new iPhones, just was not doable on a pension. This year, though I have bought new twice!! The first was a mistake. I should have waited til I had the funds for my current phone, an iPhone 12 Mini. The other was sold to Mobile Monster for a reasonable price, rather than doing the gumtree dance, and was immediately put toward the new phone. MM is the buying arm of Ozmobiles. Iâd be happy to buy a refurb from them and will likely do so if I canât come to terms with the new phone (should have returned it for a refund within the 14 days window, but I was undecided. I miss the Home button)
For the last 7 years since I retired, I have been buying used phones from Certified Tech Direct (I have no connection or affiliation whatsoever with them). I tell all my family members to buy from them. The phones come unlocked, factory reset, with a 12 month warranty. They have all been in excellent condition. Now I would not bother or take the risk with eBay or Gumtree. On delivery, I download and run a phone test app that tests every function, including the touch screen surface. I received one phone that had a dead spot on the screen, and they quickly replaced the phone under warranty with no fuss. I always go for the most recent high-end model with the most system RAM. internal storage, and a microSD slot to get the greatest longevity out of the phone. Manufacturers business model is to create built-in obsolescence by minimizing system RAM, internal storage size, and dispensing with microSD card slots. I go for Android due to the breadth of apps available, the open technology, and fewer restrictions on interoperability. Android is inherently quite secure due to operating system architecture - all apps run in their own virtual machine. I go for Samsung so I can use the Samsung Knox app for business class security for doing internet banking etc.
That is a premise, but you might enjoy this article
Another decision which way to go is whether one is more amenable to Apple or Google owning âyour lifeâ whether for marketing databases, contributing to those who do, or just taking their cut off the top. 
Great article ⊠every smartphone owner should read it. This heading sums it up: âThe Short Version: Android Is SecureâŠUsers Arenâtâ. I was aware of all those considerations, and personally chose to manage and mitigate Android ecosystem risk rather that live with the restrictions of the iOS hardware and software âwalled gardenâ. There is risk - I was subjected to a multi-pronged cyber-attack across multiple devices and systems a couple of years ago, and my Samsung phone was bricked by cyber-criminals. I had to reinstall the operating system. I managed to deal with the attack and have not had problems since.
Oh yes indeed! The same applies to any operating system⊠when people do dumb things⊠ouch.
And then there are those of us who donât mind those restrictions. I donât feel restricted because I just want to use my phone as a phone and messaging machine⊠and be safe. So far so good. Iâve got 3 stray android phones which are rootable and can have âstuffâ added to them, but in the end, I realised I really donât care about all that, anymore. Needed to, in the early days of the iPhone OS, but not for a few years now.
Boost have iPhone available im not sure what they are like. Other people on here mentioned they had issues. Maybe some are different.
passerbye
We purchased 2 refurb iPhoneXS from Boost last year - no issues they were described as having minor scratches and thatâs all they had wrt issues.
They were âcleanâ no data installed and easy to set up using the latest IOS and we successfully migrated all settings and apps from our iPhone 4âs.
They have worked fine for over a year now. Buying 2nd hand has always been a bit of a lottery, so you are unsure, probably your only option is to buy new.
Yes. Provided the refurbishment included the battery
I have one that my daughter gave me, a refurbished Apple 8 plus and I am very happy with it. She got it through some issue she had but had insurance and got a newer phone for herself but got this one for $500, maybe some kind of excess thing -I can no longer recall. I have never had a new phone. I get everybodyâs hand me downs as a rule, so this was a step up for me!
I did: and it has been a very positive experience. Again, an Apple device. There seems to be a real market for refurbished iPhones.
No! And I would not offer my phone for refurbishment. Iâm concerned about data left behind and breaches of privacy
I was looking it doesnât mention if the phone is unlocked as i use pre paid that is not clearly defined otherwise migjt buy one. Wjy it is not around far more to reduce waste is beyond me. I applaud the idea but it should be automatic to reuse all
Choice has done a, story about refurbished phones Amazon uses a place who repairs and checks it out. I guess it depends on how much risk one wants to take. Another thing that rhey says is 5g is coming and some refurbished phones are not compatible got no idea how can make that happen. Anyway.
No need to be too concerned about 4G going. At least not until sometime weâll into the future, 2030+.
âhttps://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/Guides/5g-in-australia-what-you-need-to-know
While 5G will succeed 4G, it will not replace it. 4G and 5G networks will exist simultaneously, and 3G networks will keep kicking around for some time. Telstra is currently the only telco to have provided an end date for 3G , and plans to keep the network active until June 2024.
Our recent travels through regional Vic and NSW, and even at our home in Qld experience includes numerous instances of service falling back to 3G. When at home our 4G service often falls back to 3G.
Note:
5G plans are typically more expensive.
Therein lies a problem for some of us or many of us. 4G cover is spotty enough so my 4G routinely degrades to 3G with a GPRS service modem only having 0 to 1 bar of 3G from time to time and my mobile unable to make or keep a call.
Unless they upgrade 4G prior to shutting down 3G there will be nothing to drop back to. Phones are not the real problem.
Update: So despite my earlier post, i bought a refurbished phone late last year - convinced by my partner it was a great deal.
NEVER EVER shall i purchase another refurbished phone!
Iâm sure its the company i purchasers from that makes me say that - they did not get a glowing review!
So i placed the order during the black friday sales, the phone delivered was not what i ordered (ordered 256GB and got 128GB) Unfortunately this canât be checked until you load the phone with your personal data
After much to and fro another phone was sent
This time it was severely marked with dents & scratches (I chose premium and not happy with i received)
Again after much to and fro another phone was sent and finally received 4 March!
In store and no refurb for me!
I donât think I mentioned earlier that I once bought an iPhone 4S from EBGames. It was horrible. Damaged and discombobulated. They didnt want to know, because, well, it worked.
Most recently, itss an iPhone 11 Pro (not 5G compatible which is what I wanted) and except for a battery on the brink, its a really nice phone. a bit heavier than what Iâm used to but you cant have everything. Ozmobiles from their âexcellentâ category. Clean as a whistle and works as it should. Battery lasts a day and if I use it more heavily, I have a Moki battery pack for recharging, anyway.
Choice recommend buying from Amazon renew with mobiles recycle or second hand. I notice quite a few different places selling second hand. Would have to choose a good place to buy. Can be a good buy instead of full price.
Well, in the end, I found the iP11pro to be too heavy for me. It was a good experiment, it tells me that updating to any of the current crop is not necessarily a great idea. So I sold it to Mobile Monster and bought from Ozmobiles an SE2. I wonât ever buy new again. Apart from the financial challenge, Iâm finding the Ozmobile product to be excellent. Twice now, perfect, almost. The 11Pro had a battery at 85%, it was rated Excellent by them, not a scratch on it and everything worked as it should. This time I had to go to Very Good, the screen has a tiny scratch that can hardly be seen, and the battery was replaced by Apple in Feb this year and still at 100%. Itâs perfect.
I purchased from a company named âgreen gadgetsâ I think these businesses are more reliable and quality controlled than someone who damaged their phone and had it repaired cheaply to resell as ârefurbedâ
