Top 10 Refurbished Phones 2021

2021 is looking like a much rosier year than 2020, so what better way to celebrate than with a new smartphone? You could buy new, but my preferred method is to pick up a nearly-new phone at a big discount by going for a refurb model instead. Each time, I’ve gotten a phone indistinguishable from one that I’ve used myself for a few weeks, thanks to giffgaff’s careful cleaning, but I’ve definitely been able to spot the extra cash in my bank account!

You also get a bit of a good feeling in your stomach after going refurbished - after all, buying used you’re also ensuring that a perfectly good smartphone stays out of a landfill. The Earth will thank you.

To help you get started, here are ten of our absolute favourite second-hand smartphones available from giffgaff’s online marketplace. Let’s take a look!

1. iPhone XR (from £449)

The iPhone XR has become one of Apple’s most popular models, thanks to its inclusion of high-end specs and features at a considerably lower asking price than a normal flagship iPhone. Apple made some very clever cuts to achieve that lower bill of materials cost, such as swapping the OLED screen on the iPhone X for a more traditional LCD screen on the iPhone XR, but you still get the same A12 Bionic processor and the same innovative ‘notch’ design as the flagship that debuted the year before. The refurbished model takes that value to the next level, with an asking price of just £450. That’s a cool £50 discount for a carefully refurbished “like new” example that probably sat unloved in a drawer before being returned. Now, it’s your turn to be the owner that this plucky young iPhone needs!

2. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (from £899)

That’s right folks - you can pick up Samsung’s 2020 flagship, which retailed for a truly ludicrous £1200 just a few short months ago, for £300 less in like new condition. This phone is also better than its successor, the S21 Ultra, in a few critical ways - including its inclusion of a Micro SD card slot for expandable storage, something that was excised from the 2021 model. The screen is also slightly larger, yet uses the same dense 3200x1440 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Combined with the powerful 5G-capable Exynos 990 processor, 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and you’re left with a dazzling display of what modern Android flagships are capable of. The cameras are impressive here too, with three on the back and one up front, including a 108-megapixel monster with a bright f/1.8 lens. This is by far the most powerful phone on this list, so if you want all the specs at three quarters of the price, this is the way to go!

3. Google Pixel 3 (from £259)

The Google Pixel 3 marked a new high point for Google’s photographic prowess, and it still ranks among the best smartphone cameras in the world. Only nowadays, the Pixel 3 is an incredibly affordable £259, making it a great value option for anyone that wants to take great photos, use their phone for normal phone stuff and doesn’t care about much else. That’s not to say that it disappoints elsewhere, either. Performance is fine and it has plenty of features thanks to an upgrade from Android 9 to Android 11. Pretty much the only mark against it is the old-school design, with a bezel top and bottom rather than a trendy pinhole cutout or notch, but given that plenty of people prefer this style, I’d say that the Pixel 3 is one of the out-and-out best value options on this list.

4. Samsung Galaxy S9 (from £219)

This is an absolute corker. The Galaxy S9 remains my daily driver, and it’s seen a number of updates over the years, bringing it all the way to Android 10. I bought mine for nearly £700 in 2018, but now you can pick one up for just £219 (!!) when you get it refurbished from giffgaff. That’s exceptional value for a phone that still performs great, with a sharp 5.8-inch AMOLED screen, dual 12-megapixel rear cameras and 64GB of storage plus Micro SD card expansion. The phone is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance too, granting it battle-tested durability - I recently fell into deep mud with the phone in my hand, washed it off under the tap, left it in rice for a few days and it’s still working as good as new. For just over £200, that’s a fantastic bargain and this one comes highly recommended!

5. iPhone SE 2020 (from £369)

The iPhone SE is another great budget option from Apple, available at less than £400 when you choose a 64GB model (or double the storage for £50 more). This phone mimics the appearance of older iPhones like the iPhone 6, yet comes with the same A13 Bionic processor as the iPhone 11 - pretty mental, right? If you prefer a smaller-sized iPhone with reliable Touch ID fingerprint unlocking and bezels you can actually grip, then this is a canny way to save (more than a) few pounds and get the iPhone of your dreams too.

6. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 (from £559)

Samsung’s Galaxy Note series has been a go-to choice for spec nerds and artists alike, thanks to the firm’s insistence on packing their September smartphone with the very best components available and the ever-handy S Pen stylus. The Note 10 was a particularly strong year, with base storage jumping to a lofty 256GB from 128GB the year before, while critics loved the powerful Exynos 9825 processor, 8GB of RAM and triple rear camera setup. Note that this is the middle-of-the-road Note 10, rather than the Note 10 Lite or Note 10 Plus, so you’re getting the best bang for your buck from this particular configuration. A great choice for any Android fan!

7. iPhone 5S (from £79)

Here it is: the cheapest refurbished phone available on this list, and it’s an iPhone. Apple’s smartphones tend to hold their value well, and even this 2013 model is actually worth using in 2021. The screen is a little small, and Apple’s newer models certainly offer more horsepower, but if you just want a pretty phone with access to the legendary App Store, you could do a hell of a lot worse. You’ll only be able to upgrade to iOS 12.4 (compared to the most recent 14.4 release), so some new apps may be beyond your grasp, but for the basics this is a very strong choice given the price!

8. OnePlus 5T (from £199)

OnePlus debuted with a “flagship-killer” moniker that was totally fitting, as the company offered budget phones with some of the specs and features of competitors that cost twice or three times as much. Over time, their phones shifted more into mid-range and then flagship territory, spurring a course correction in 2017: the budget-priced OnePlus 5T. It came with many of the same specs, features and design nods as the OnePlus 5, released earlier that year, yet cost substantially less with a launch price of £449. Now, the phone is retailing on the respectfully-refurbished market for less than £200, and I think that’s a true bargain. You get one of the last great phones to ship with a bezelled design, with reasonably powerful internals, a large 6-inch screen and dual rear cameras. This phone was popular with modders and comes with a relatively clean version of Android, so it’s actually upgradeable to Android 10 officially (from its stock Android 7.1) and even Android 11 ports exist for more enterprising individuals. Altogether, an awesome phone and one of the best you’ll find for under £200.

9. iPhone XS Max (from £449)

The iPhone XS Max proves that you don’t have to pay top dollar for a full-sized Apple smartphone - as long as you’re buying a refurbished model, anyway! The giffgaff inventory includes several of these for just £449, which is a good value considering you get Apple’s first big screen iPhone with all the bells and whistles the company could include back in 2018. That spec sheet features an excellent dual rear camera setup, a fast A12 Bionic system-on-chip and wireless charging. Of course though, the real star here is that 6.5-inch Super Retina OLED display, which remains one of the best phones on a smartphone. For that reason, we’re happy to recommend the XS Max at its new, lower price.

10. Huawei P30 (from £249)

Let’s finish up with one of the giffgaff community’s favourite refurbished smartphones: the Huawei P30. Once again, we’re dealing with the mid-range P30 vanilla, released in 2019, rather than the slightly underpowered P30 Lite or the nice-but-expensive P30 Pro. The standard P30 offers a great mix of specs and features for its £250 asking price, including a 6.1-inch OLED screen with a subtle ‘dew-drop’ front-facing camera, home-grown 7nm Kirin 980 processor and a strong triple rear camera setup that earns its Leica branding. Reasons to choose it? Well, you get much more phone than the OnePlus 5T, despite costing £50 more on the giffgaff marketplace, and I’d argue you get a better experience overall with this than with the £10 more expensive Pixel 3. The Galaxy S9 is a strong counter-argument at £220, but it does have an arguably worse camera system and an indisputably smaller screen with thicker bezels. On balance, this is probably the Android smartphone I’d go for if I had £250 in my wallet, and I don’t think I can give a higher recommendation than that!

Wrapping up

OK, that’s all the time we have for now - but there are plenty more bargains to be had on giffgaff’s used mobile marketplace so do take a look! This article was written up in early February, so if you’re reading any time after that there are probably dozens of new and exciting deals to stick your teeth into. Have fun, and stay tuned to the giffgaff blog for all the latest from our lovely writers!