Apple iPhone 12 price makes refurbished iPhone X and XS models better value
Apple has unveiled a suite of new iPhones, but if you want that new-phone feel without the price tag, here’s how to upgrade and still have money.
Apple is preparing to launch its new iPhone 12 models, which will be the first iPhones to take advantage of new 5G mobile technology.
This is the headline feature of Apple’s new phones and will most likely bring more people on to new networks by Telstra, Optus, and eventually TPG Telecom, but outside of 5G there isn’t much hugely new about 2020’s iPhones.
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One thing many people will be disappointed to find hasn’t changed is the price: The iPhone still starts at $1199 and goes up from there.
That’s for the mini model that hits stores next month, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro that go on sale Friday start at $1349 and $1699.
If you simply want a new iPhone then you should be prepared to take a sizeable hit to the pocket, but what if you actually need one, and can’t afford to spend the high prices brand new models demand?
Maybe your current iPhone is getting too old and has become too slow, maybe you’re running out of space or your device has been sufficiently beaten up that it’s time for an upgrade.
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Roughly half of the smartphones used in Australia are iPhones, and while you can save money by switching to (not always) cheaper Android phones, if you’re used to the iPhone experience (and particularly if you’re already ensconced within the Apple “ecosystem”) you might not be too excited about walking away from the familiar device.
Luckily there are several ways you can get a new phone feeling without spending the earth to do it.
APPLE IPHONE SE
Apple’s preferred method for you to get a cheaper iPhone would still be to buy a brand new one.
To that end, in April the company introduced a new iPhone SE, the “cheaper” iPhone which now costs $679.
Like the previous SE model, the new one takes the internals of a modern iPhone and hides them inside an older housing.
This year’s iPhone SE is functionally very similar to the iPhone 11, but in the body of an iPhone 8.
With that you don’t get a full-screen OLED display and you don’t get Apple’s Face ID unlock system, or the new gesture navigation system.
You do get Touch ID still and you get to retain the Home button if that’s your cup of tea.
Apple also recently introduced the Apple Watch SE, which provides a cheaper way to get into the wearable game too.
Apple will also give you a trade-in credit if you bring your old iPhone in.
Eligible devices get an Apple Store credit which will bring the price of a new iPhone 12 or 12 Pro down the $969 or $1259, depending on what you trade in.
REFURBISHED
Apple’s refurbished store has been gutted to only deal with overhauled Mac computers for now, so buying a refurbished iPhone directly from the company is not currently possible.
There are thankfully other options.
The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Boost Mobile sells refurbished smartphones, including iPhones, that have been given new life by Sydney refurbishment specialists Alegre.
A refurbished iPhone X, which was released around three years ago, starts at $699 via Boost.
For that you still get the full-screen OLED display with Face ID, wireless charging, and dual cameras.
The newer iPhone XS starts at $779 if you want a slightly newer phone that stands up a little better to water and dust, and an improved camera sensor.
Until November 1 the MVNO is also donating the profits from refurbished sales to the charity SurfAid to provide clean drinking water to Indonesian villagers.
Macquarie Bank-backed MVNO Nu Mobile also sells refurbished phones (understood to be ex-lease devices), starting at $749 for an iPhone X with “minor scuffs” and with iPhone XS devices starting at $839.
Both providers will be able to sell you a plan, but you can also get just the phone itself if you’re already happy with the mobile service you’re paying for.
SECOND-HAND
Options on the second-hand market are more plentiful and usually cheaper, as it cuts the refurbishers out of the deal.
This also means there’s less of a guarantee that your phone will work as it should and less you can do to remediate the situation if it doesn’t.
Refurbished phones are cleaned, polished and tested before being sold, whereas phones sold on second-hand marketplaces like Gumtree, eBay or Facebook Marketplace could have unrecognised (or simply ignored) faults or dubious origins.
One thing to avoid is any phone that is “iCloud locked”, which usually happens when a device is lost or stolen and the previous owner uses the Find My feature to lock the device.
Buying one of these phones is a waste of money at best and potentially illegal at worst.
You’ll also want to be safe if you’re meeting up with the seller directly, as smartphones are sometimes used as bait to attract buyers who are then attacked and robbed when they meet up to complete the sale (a scam that sometimes works in reverse, requiring caution on both sides of the transaction).
Apart from that, you’ll just have to use your best judgment in deciding whether you’re looking at a good deal or one too good to be true, and shop accordingly.
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