iPhone, iPad, iPod Forums at iMore.com

[Madscotsman]

Just had a quick question. I am about to get an Iphone 3G and unfortunately I'm not due for an upgrade for quite some time. So my only option to get the phone at the $199.00 price point is to get a refurb from my premeir account. I was hoping that someone who had gotten a refurb themselves or knows someone who did, could comment on the quality of the phone. Just really want to know if I might be wasting my money here. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Jeremy Sikora]

Personally I would never buy a refurbished phone. But that is just me. You could get it and if it is scratched or has some other issue you can always have them send you another. Just make sure you do it sooner rather than later.

[tony2979]

Got two refurbs about three weeks ago from AT&T. They looked and performed as if they were brand new. Not a scratch, smudge or anything.

I would certainly recommend it based on my experience.....well, the order through AT&T was a nightmare, but thats another story.

[sting7k]

A friend dropped his iPhone 3G (while replying to my text message, lol) last week and cracked the screen. Apple sold him a refurb for $300 the next day. Yesterday he texts me, "The silent switch just fell off my new iPhone".

So I would make sure you give it a good look over and make sure nothing feels loose. He is going back to the Apple store today for another one. Peronally, I do not buy refurbs of any product. You could always get lucky and get one that was used for a day and barely touched. Or you get the bad ones that were broken and repaired, and are now prone to breakage.

[icebike]

There are three big box stores carrying refurbs now.
That's a LOT of refurbs.

My estimate based on family and friends that have iphones is somewhere between 10% and 20% of new iPhones end up getting replaced at the Genius bar.

6 Million iPhone sold. 6 hundred thousand Refurbs minimum.

At the reported manufacturing cost to apple of about 170 bucks, just about any work on these phones beyond a factory software reload would be a waste of money. Even with dirt cheap labor in China.

The oft repeated claim that bad parts are taken out and replacement parts added, and a new case applied seem bogus. That would take longer and cost more than a new phone.

So my bet is that an Apple refurb is nothing but a software reload and 10 seconds on the buffing wheel. The problem that caused the failure in the first place (if there was a failure in the device as opposed to a failure of the user), is still there.

[Jeremy Sikora]

Originally Posted by icebike

There are three big box stores carrying refurbs now.
That's a LOT of refurbs.

My estimate based on family and friends that have iphones is somewhere between 10% and 20% of new iPhones end up getting replaced at the Genius bar.

6 Million iPhone sold. 6 hundred thousand Refurbs minimum.

At the reported manufacturing cost to apple of about 170 bucks, just about any work on these phones beyond a factory software reload would be a waste of money. Even with dirt cheap labor in China.

The oft repeated claim that bad parts are taken out and replacement parts added, and a new case applied seem bogus. That would take longer and cost more than a new phone.

So my bet is that an Apple refurb is nothing but a software reload and 10 seconds on the buffing wheel. The problem that caused the failure in the first place (if there was a failure in the device as opposed to a failure of the user), is still there.

I know you are guessing at the % of phones that get returned... I wonder what the actual number really is. Hmmm I know myself for the first iPhone I had a few because of dead pixels. I think I had a string of 4 phones in 4 days... eventually corporate stepped up and upgraded me to a 16GB for free. I wonder if they even bothered to fix those screens - cause I know not everyone is as picky as me.

[Madscotsman]

Thanks for the input. From what I can gather on the ATT site, the refurbs are supposed to have a 90 day warranty through apple. So I guess if I get a bad one I can run on down to the nearest apple store and try to get it exchanged.

[Jeremy Sikora]

Originally Posted by Madscotsman

Thanks for the input. From what I can gather on the ATT site, the refurbs are supposed to have a 90 day warranty through apple. So I guess if I get a bad one I can run on down to the nearest apple store and try to get it exchanged.

If you are going with a refurb that is the way to go. Good luck! I'm sure everything will be cool!

[Madscotsman]

Originally Posted by Bad Ash

If you are going with a refurb that is the way to go. Good luck! I'm sure everything will be cool!

Thanks, can't wait to finally have an iphone again, my blackberry just ain't cutting it anymore.

[Dooks88]

I find when it comes to apple, their refurbs are very reliable. I currently have 2 iMacs (24 & 20), an ipod nano, and a 16gig iphone 3g. All are refurbs and all look and work like new.