The perfect phone for clumsy phone owners.

Ever sat looking at the refurbished phone grades wondering which one to pick? Well, as a seasoned refurbished buyer, I’m here to lift the smokescreen and tell you exactly what you’re getting with a ‘Good’ grade refurbished handset.

First though, a confession. If you’re already a giffgaff reader, you may have seen my last review: buying a refurbished phone through giffgaff one year on. Sadly, my refurbished iPhone 11 has now been retired. But hold that thought, the phone put up a valiant fight. After all, even the most resilient of handsets would struggle to withstand the sheer number of puddles I’m known to drop them in.

Luckily, giffgaff’s incredible range of refurbished iPhones has me covered. And, if you’re a klutz like me, choosing Good might just be a game-changer for you too.

What are refurbished phone grades?

If you’re a clumsy phone-owner, the decision to go for refurbished is pretty straightforward. The next choice on the list is which of the refurbished grades you want to go for.

With giffgaff, there are four refurbished phone grades to choose from:

• Good: Noticeable wear and tear. Might have marks on the body and screen, but they run beautifully.
• Very Good: Some wear and tear. The body might have some light marks, but the screens are pristine.
• Excellent: Minor wear and tear. Have seen some light use, but the body and screens are pristine.
• Like New Zero wear and tear. These phones look like new, with no visible scratches on the screen or body.

Why ‘Good’ is sooo good

Now, let’s be honest. While we might be after a refurbished iPhone, us clumsy folk still have our pride. We don’t want a phone that’s completely battered, where you can’t tell what colour it should be, where half the screen looks like it’s been attacked by a cat or where the home button is hanging off (though all these things may be true after the first month in my hands). No. We still want the joy of getting a new phone and feeling like it’s, well, new!

For this reason, most people will buy from the middle of the pack, with Very Good and Excellent being top picks while Good phones are left on the shelf. But just how noticeable is that ‘noticeable wear and tear’?

Worried about how long your refurbished phone will last? Check this out.

How good is ‘Good’ in refurbished phone grades?

Short answer: Pretty darn good.

Long answer: When I waved goodbye to my trusty iPhone 11, I did a fair bit of shopping around. I wanted an upgrade – because, why not? But I didn’t really want to be paying any more per month than I’d been paying before. Enter refurbished phone grades.

My new phone is an iPhone 12 with a refurbished phone grade of Good. I made this decision based first on the honest fact that I’m just not very careful with my phones, and second because the price difference between Good and Very Good was nearly £100; enough to invest in a decent case, a screen protector and a couple of months on a new SIM only plan. Win!

I must say, I was 100% prepared to get what I paid for. Which in my mind was a phone that had been obviously loved and was a little rough around the edges. I was incredibly surprised with the quality of what I got from giffgaff: a fully functioning phone complete with impeccable battery life, good as new camera quality, crisp sound and only a few light scratches on the front and back.

Wow. Feeling pretty smug with that extra £100 in my pocket now!

Find out more about refurbished phones with giffgaff’s frequently asked questions.

So, would I buy Good again?

Absolutely. And you know what? You should too! Check out giffgaff’s full range of refurbished iPhones, I can guarantee there’ll be a phone for you.

And if you’re still a little unsure of what refurbished phone grades actually mean, you can find giffgaff’s [official guide to refurbished phones right here(https://www.giffgaff.com/help/articles/guide-to-refurbished-phones).