- Apple has added the iPhone 15 lineup to its official refurbished store pages in the US and UK
- Customers can now buy official Apple Certified Refurbished iPhones for substantial discounts
- Discounts range from $110 / £110 for the base model iPhone 15 to $230 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max with 1TB of storage
Apple has updated its Certified Refurbished Store in both the US and UK, adding the entire iPhone 15 lineup to these discounted online stores.
The iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max will now be available in Apple-certified refurbished condition via the online store in both countries, subject to availability.
As is standard for Apple Certified Refurbished products, customers can expect some reasonably impressive savings on the refurbished iPhone 15 lineup.
The cheapest model in the lineup – the iPhone 15 with 128GB of storage – checks out at $619 / £589, a saving of $110 / £110 from the launch price of $829 / £799 (keep in mind that refurbished iPhones are unlocked, which adds a small premium to the US starting price).
At the top end, the iPhone 15 Pro Max with 1TB of storage comes in at $1,269 – that’s a solid $230 off the new price.
There are currently no 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max models available on the UK certified refurbished store, but looking at the other models we’d expect a mirrored discount of £230, resulting in a price of £1,269.
So, is that a good deal? Or are you better off looking elsewhere? That depends on a few key factors.
Firstly, when it comes to Apple Certified Refurbished, price isn’t the full story.
As we recently highlighted as part of TechRadar’s Sustainability Week, Apple Certified Refurbished iPhones are all fitted with a new battery and new outer shell, as well as any necessary internal components, which are always official Apple or other first-party parts.
The refurbished handsets are then packaged in new boxes with new cables and accessories, and once purchased are covered by a one-year warranty with free delivery and returns. This is a pretty robust process that adds a lot of value, especially compared to buying second hand via a marketplace like eBay.
Of course, Apple will still sell you a brand new iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus if you want one, but I’d suggest saving your money and buying from the Apple Certified Refurbished store instead, unless the latter is lacking your desired color or storage option.
As for third-party retailers, the story is a little more complex. In the UK, Amazon offers the iPhone 15 for £598, while the US, the only listings I could find were for renewed phones – Amazon Renewed is generally considered to be at a lower standard of quality than Apple Certified Refurbished.
Best Buy has the iPhone 15 new for $579.99 in the US, but only if you get it carrier locked – it bumps up to $679.99 for the unlocked model. And back in the UK, John Lewis offers the iPhone 15 starting at £599, albeit with a two year guarantee from the retailer as well as Apple’s one-year warranty.
With other models, retailers come closer to matching the Certified Refurbished price – John Lewis has the iPhone 15 Pro Max with 1TB of storage for £1,299 in the UK, but I couldn’t find any equivalents in the US, where most options are carrier locked.
This is all to say that there are plenty of options available, and though the Apple Certified Refurbished store offers great value with a solid first-party warranty, it’s important to consider which is right for you.
However, with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max officially discontinued and the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus likely to follow later this year, this could be an opportune moment to pick up one of the best iPhones in recent memory.
Would you buy a refurbished iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.
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