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How To Reduce Cost? When You Buy Refurbished iPhones
How To Reduce Cost? When You Buy Refurbished iPhones

So you are thinking about purchasing a refurbished iPhone. It’s definitely a great idea since you can get a smartphone of your choice without paying a high price. But a key question that should arise in your mind is that from where you can buy refurbished iPhones? The answer is quite simple i.e. Shop refurbished phones from a certified smartphone dealer/seller online.

When you buy a refurbished iPhone from a certified dealer, you will truly get a chance to reduce the cost of your demanded handset. A lot of benefits you can grab by making an iPhone purchase with an online seller, which will save you more money. To know about the detailed benefits of online shopping from online stores read this article.

Refurbished iPhones- The Cheap iPhones to Buy

Before getting into the details about the advantages of buying a refurbished iPhone, you must know something important about it. Refurbished iPhones are usually returned or sold to manufacturers and buyers because:

  • The previous iPhone owner changed their mind and made a decision of switching to the latest
  • The previous owner was not satisfied with the device and returned it.
  • The previous owner returned an iPhone as it was malfunctioning.

After getting returned these handsets, manufacturers or buyers follow a refurbishment procedure to make them available for resale in the market. They are thoroughly inspected, polished, and repackaged to give them a great cosmetic look. It’s not enough if they have some fault or damage; then they are repaired by expert mobile technicians to fix all issues by replacing hardware and software components. As a result, they are restored to their perfect working order.

Although refurbished iPhone are cheaper than brand new iPhones, it is a truth that they are loaded with lots of exciting features. Unlocking is the key attribute of cheap smartphones, which enables users to use different networks of their choices instead of getting restricted at one. So, simply approach an authorized online store and get a refurbished iPhone of any model that fits your needs and style!

Go For Certified Online Stores! To Buy Refurbished iPhones

No doubt, buying a refurbished iPhone is a smart option for those who can’t afford the expensive prices of brand new iPhones or simply don’t want to invest a huge amount in a brand new handset. Due to gaining popularity in the UK, refurbished smartphones are now available at a large number of local and online stores. If you take a consideration of online buying option, you will obviously find it worth taking.

You can also visit a Craigslist website such as eBay or Amazon for purchasing refurbished mobiles. But it can be risky because where a buyer is an unknown person and the chances are you could pay more for a low-value product. So, to ensure purchase protection and ultimate customer satisfaction, approaching an authorised smartphone dealer/seller online is the wise decision. They are directly involved in the entire buying procedure, so you can get the best ever deals for refurbished iPhones.

Benefits of Buying Refurbished Phones from Certified Online Stores     

Take a look at the benefits of purchasing refurbished phones from certified online stores. They will certainly help you save a lot of money on the purchase of your desired iPhone.

·         Simple & Fast Ordering Process

Almost all the smartphones dealers have their websites where they offer their stock of refurbished phones for sale. So, you have no need to go outside from the house and spend money on visiting different local shops. Simply head over to an online store, find your favourite iPhone, and confirm your order. It will take a few minutes and you will get it without any trouble or delay.

·         Cheapest Deals on Refurbished iPhones

Though refurbished phones are offered at reasonable prices at online stores, there are lots of deals presented for the sale of refurbished smartphones. They offer a variety of cheap iPhones and many other brands; you can easily find any model in different colors and storage capacities. Their offerings definitely save you a lot of money.

·         Free Doorstep Delivery

Another benefit you can enjoy by making an online purchase is free doorstep delivery. Yes, authorised stores not only provide fastest doorstep delivery but they don’t charge any fee for it.

·         90-180 Days Warranty

When you buy a refurbished iPhone from a certified online store, you will see that their offered products are in under warranty of 90-180 days. If you experience any issue with your products during the warranty period, you can come back to the store for free services.

·         No Hidden Charges

If you consider owning a brand new phone, you will get informed that you have to pay some extra charges (mobile insurance) with the actual price of a handset. Conversely, online stores don’t charge any hidden cost at the time of purchase of refurbished iPhone.

Final Words:

After knowing the benefits of buying refurbished Phones from an authorized online store, you would get maximum satisfaction about this popular option. However, it is advised that you should be sure to protect yourself and to choose a trustworthy and reputable store so that you don’t end up getting scammed.

How to Make Your Refurbished iPhone Faster In 6 Simple Steps
How to Make Your Refurbished iPhone Faster In 6 Simple Steps

So you have intended to buy a refurbished iPhone? It’s absolutely a great idea since you can get a good smartphone without spending a lot of money as you would do if you purchased it in a brand new condition. But there are beliefs that since refurbished iPhone are used ones, so they are slower in performance compared to their original counterparts. At somehow, it might be true, but the cool thing is that there are always simple tricks that can make your refurbished iPhone run faster and smoother.

There are a few things you can do right now to make your refurbished iPhone work better, and they don’t cost you a single penny. So, consider them and get the most out of your used or refurbished iPhone!

·         Uninstall Apps That You Don’t Use

You will surely agree that there are several apps on your iPhone neither you use them nor delete them. These unnecessary apps can make your phone run slower because they occupy some memory. Therefore, it’s better to uninstall such apps if you want to optimise your iPhone and free up some space.

To uninstall or delete unnecessary apps, you can follow the below-mentioned two ways.

Way 1: Go to Settings App > General > Usage > Manage Storage and then choose any app that you no longer use and tap on Delete App button.

Way 2: Hold down the app icon that you want to delete and then release it when it starts jiggling. From the left corner of the app icon, you should tap on the X sign button. Then, you should tap on Delete to confirm the app deletion.

·         Delete Your Old Videos and Music

Media collections such as videos and music files also clog up plenty of storage space, which can affect your iPhone’s performance. So, to get rid of the videos or music that you don’t need, you should go to the videos or Music folders and then choose the file that you want to delete. If you want to delete the entire media library, you should open the Apple Music App and then tap on Delete from the library. However, it is recommended that you should back up your videos and music files via iCloud or iTunes if you want to keep them stored.

·         Reboot Your iPhone

Sometimes, you might experience sluggishness in your refurbished iPhone. It might take too long to launch apps or to go from one window to the next. This typically happens because so many applications start hogging your iPhone’s memory and make it run slower than usual. To remedy this problem, you just have to reboot or restart your iPhone regularly.

To reboot, all you need to do is to just hold the Home button and Power button until your iPhone will be turned off. Then, release the home button and press the power button to restart your iPhone. Not only, it will clear out all the unwanted caches and wasted RAM usage but it will also keep the iOS system refreshing and save your manual cleaning operations.

·         Make UI Faster

The latest iOS navigation system has made things easier while you try to find or open an app. This proves that Apple is doing a great job to improve the animation of apps transitions. But here we want to know how to make your iPhone faster, therefore, you can enable the Reduce Motion option. It will let you speed up the animations which help you to get a faster User interface on your iPhone.

To activate this option, open Settings App > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion.

·         Deactivate the Background App Refresh

Did you know so many apps on your iPhone are working in the background that consume a ton of power and resources? That means, when you turn on the Background App Refresh, it will drain the battery life and make your iPhone device slower. Therefore, you should keep this feature turned off.

To turn off Background Refresh on your iPhone, simply launch the Settings app > General > Background App Refresh. If you want to deactivate it for some certain apps, then just scroll down and look at the apps that are using background App Refresh. Tap any apps that you think they should not be refreshed in the background.

·         Update iOS

Updating the iOS on your refurbished iPhone is another trick you can try to make your phone run faster. In the process of updating the iOS system, many bugs will be fixed automatically and the device will be optimised at its best performance. So, upgrade your iPhone on the latest iOS version and ensure your iPhone works as good as a new one. To download and install any iOS update, simply launch the Settings App > General > Software update.

15 Things to Keep in Mind Before Buying Second Hand Mobile Phones
15 Things to Keep in Mind Before Buying Second Hand Mobile Phones

Second hand mobile phones are available at very lower prices these days. These are basically used phones that are available for resale, though used phones are quite cheap and useful, you may not get a satisfactory experience with them if you buy it from the wrong shop or have wrong ideas about it. So just to help everyone who looking for second hand mobiles, here is a handy list of various important things that you should keep in mind before buying a used phone. These considerations will help you avail a favourable deal for your desired phone.

Can’t afford a brand new smartphone? Don’t fret, you can look for the best-refurbished phones and I am sure you will definitely find your dream phone at a pocket-friendly price.

At the present time, people prefer buying new mobile phones as soon as they are released but old mobile phones become obsolete quickly so today’s latest phones are soon replaced with a better version. It’s when this happened that people upgrade their phones for the newer versions and are left with what to do with the older, out-dated model. One thing people do is to sell their used phone online some way

Here’s What You Should Consider While Buying Second Hand Mobile Phones

Buying a second hand mobile is a good way through which you can get a phone at a cheap price, but it requires more attention and knowledge than buying a new one. Second hand mobile phones can be pocket-friendly if carefully picked out or they can drill holes in your pocket. There are scenarios where people have bought faulty used phones unknowingly. Therefore, it is advised that you must consider the following important things so that you can get the best deal with full peace of mind.

1.     Understand the Difference Between Second hand and Refurbished Phones

In electronic devices, refurbished is a common word and you have heard it many times. Refurbished phones mean that the used phones which are refurbished and then they are available for reselling. However, second hand phones don’t experience any refurbishment and usually sold as it is.

Second hand mobile phones are relatively cheaper than refurbished/ reconditioned ones.

2.     Find the Best Place to Shop

Although the most reputable shopping websites such as Amazon, eBay, and Craigslist sell refurbished and second hand mobile phones, it’s recommended you should look for certified third-party dealers to save money on buying used phones.

Nowadays, a large number of dealers are out there online and offering a wide range of factory refurbished and second hand mobile phones. The best thing is that these online stores are approved by top smartphones’ manufacturers and they offer reasonable warranty for their used products.

3.     Compare Prices

Set your budget for getting your desired mobile phone. As well, it is also important that you should not choose the first deal while searching for second hand phones. You should visit multiple dealers’ sites one by one and then compare their deals to find the best one. In this way, you will be able to save more money and get a good quality phone.

4.     Check IMEI to Ensure The Phone is Not Blacklisted

The IMEI is a code that identifies each mobile phone. No two phones have the same IMEI number and manufacturing companies use this number to verify stolen or lost phones. Therefore, you must ask it from the seller and make sure the phone is not blacklisted. Keep in mind a blacklisted phone can’t be activated for further use.

5.     Closely Inspect the Exterior

The step is rather simple should provide you an idea of how old the phone is. Wear and tear will occur during its initial run. So, be sure that the condition is what you expect to pay for. You should see the original photos of the phone and read the product description carefully in case of online purchase.

6.     Check If There Are Scratches on the Display

Another thing you need to consider is to check the touchscreen display of the phone. Try to see if there are scratches on the screen; they are expensive to repair and sometimes screen protected are used to ensure the high resale value of the phone. Therefore, you should make sure the screen is clear and not have any scratch or signs of damage.

7.     Ensure the Phone Battery Performance  

Batteries drop in performance as they age. That’s why you should consider these questions; does it easily drains after some few activities on the phone? Or are they still working well? This point is hard to check and the best solution is to get a phone with a replaced battery or to get a personal warranty from the seller so that you can test the battery life later.

8.     Inquire About the Warranty

Ask the seller for a personal warranty apart from the manufacturer’s warranty. This way you will know that the phone is indeed authentic, is in good running condition, and is worth buying for the price being offered. Don’t forget to inquire about the manufacturer’s warranty. If it is still covered then it is good for you.

9.     Check the Phone’s Features

Above everything else, you want a fully functional and feature-rich used mobile phone. You don’t want a slightly used looking mobile phone that’s good in the outside but faulty on the inside. So, you should check each feature and function of the phone and make sure they work properly. Read out complete product details and reviews on the seller’s site.

10. Prefer an Unlocked Phone

If you want to use your phone without any carrier’s restrictions then you should look for an unlocked mobile phone. With an unlocked phone, you will be able to use any network services of your choice. Conversely, with a locked phone, you are restricted to a specific carrier’s service.

11. Check The Accessories Along with Phone

If you are buying a second hand mobile phone, make sure you get all necessary accessories such as charger, headphones, USB cable and more along with it. As well, you should also check that these accessories are fully functional and not having any issues.

12. Ensure There is No Water Damage

While buying a used mobile phone, you should also confirm that the phone never gets any water damage experience. Such kinds of serious issues can hurt the touchscreen functionality, or in some severe cases, it makes the device useless. Therefore, you must consider it at the time of purchase of a second hand phone.

13. Check the Storage Capacity

Second hand or refurbished mobile phones also come with different storage capacities. You can choose a storage capacity according to your needs. Remember the prices are also different according to the storage capacity of the mobile phones; low capacity phones are quite cheaper than the large ones.

14. Shipping

When you buy a refurbished iPhone online, you expect to have it reach you fa

Second hand mobile phones are available at very lower prices these days. These are basically used phones that are available for resale, though used phones are quite cheap and useful, you may not get a satisfactory experience with them if you buy it from the wrong shop or have wrong ideas about it. So just to help everyone who looking for second hand mobiles, here is a handy list of various important things that you should keep in mind before buying a used phone. These considerations will help you avail a favourable deal for your desired phone.

Can’t afford a brand new smartphone? Don’t fret, you can look for the best refurbished phones and I am sure you will definitely find your dream phone at a pocket-friendly price.

At the present time, people prefer buying new mobile phones as soon as they are released but old mobile phones become obsolete quickly so today’s latest phones are soon replaced with a better version. It’s when this happened that people upgrade their phones for the newer versions and are left with what to do with the older, out-dated model. One thing people do is to sell their used phone online some way

 

15. Safe Payment

Nothing can be more important when you buy a refurbished iPhone than payment methods that are safe. With so much crime going on, if you are not very careful with online dealings, you could fall victim. Only the best dealer can offer known safe and secure payment modes. They should actually have more than two options for you so that you are able to choose a payment mode you surely trust in and feel more confident using for the smartphone payment.

This is unlikely to be an exhaustive list of what to keep in mind when buying a second hand mobile phone. However, if you stick to the considerations above, it is difficult to get ripped off, and I am sure you will find the best refurbished phones.

st and safely and effortlessly. Therefore, you should buy from a trustworthy seller who offers excellent shipping worldwide or within the country at free of charge.

 

4 Major Differences Between Used and Refurbished Phones
4 Major Differences Between Used and Refurbished Phones

The idea of using refurbished phones can either have you excited with all the possibilities that it offers or have you sulking, thinking about using a used mobile phone that is probably on its deathbed.Even though in the mind of a common person, “refurbished” and “used” are very often interchangeable, they are not the same at all. Saying that a phone is refurbished is not the same a saying it is, while both of them are not brand new there are significant differences that set one apart from the other.

How is a refurbished phone different from a used mobile phone?

The basic difference lies in the retouching of the mobile phone. A used phone is sold as it is brought to the vendor, there are no changes made whatsoever. But when a phone is refurbished, it is inspected for all the faults and defects that are then fixed before the phone is sold to the customer. With this reconditioning the phone is reset to a new-like condition, which cannot be said about a simply used phone.

Following are a few of the major differences between a refurbished and a used phone.

1. Physical Condition

A used mobile phone is brought to a vendor in a certain condition, it can be good as new or bad as scrap. After the vendor acquires the phone, it is then sold to the customer in that very condition, there is no retouching, no replacement and no update of any kind. More often than not it is not very ideal, there are untouched defects and problems that led to the first owner selling it in the first place. Given that it is not always the case, a phone may very well be in a mint condition when it is acquired by the vendor, but it is still true for the majority of the used phones.

A refurbished phone however is different. As already mentioned above, after the phone is acquired by the vendor, it is then fixed, which includes the physical condition as well. It is keenly inspected, all the flaws are outlined and the phone is reconditioned that usually includes replacing the screen, any buttons that have been rendered useless, etc. Before it is sold to the new customer, it is restored to the best of its condition. It is made almost as good as a new one, inside out.

2. Warranty

One of the major reasons that someone ends up selling their phone is because of the defects and the cost to repair these defects are not worth it. That usually happens when problems start showing up after the warranty has expired, and the dues are no longer covered.

When the phones are sold as they are, their warranty has expired. And because they are not reconditioned, the defects and glitches are still present in the device. When they do come up in the later use, there is no warranty to cover the costs even by the vendor who sold the used mobile phone.

In a refurbished phone, however, the case is slightly different. All the problems are fixed before the sale is made. Because a phone that is refurbished is near-like new, therefore there are no faults expected. That’s why the vendor provides a warranty with the phone that has been refurbished, the kind of warranty may differ from one vendor than the other. In that period the customer can get any issue fixed if it arises. If a vendor is not offering a warranty, then it is very likely that the phone being sold is used and not refurbished.

3. Vendors

The chances of the original equipment manufacturer to sell any used mobile phones are very slim. There are however instances where they are found to be reselling their devices. This usually happens in a scenario where the items are sold “off-lease” in a great amount to a certain corporate customer who then returns the devices when the lease ends. Even in such a case, the resale is extremely rare owing to the fact that the phones are usually very old by the time they are returned and the OEM prefers to liquidate them instead of going to the trouble of resale.

They do sell refurbished phones.So if you want to buy a used phone then third-party vendors are most certainly the only choice for it. As for the refurbished ones, it is best to buy it from the original equipment or a very trusted third-party vendor. It often happens that vendors sell used phones claiming that they have been refurbished, therefore it is important to make sure about the authenticity of the vendor before making the purchase. Especially if there is no warranty offered, then the red flags should go up at once, because it is most likely used and not refurbished.

4. Age

The phones that have run out their course are more likely to not get the chance to be refurbished. But if the particular phone is still available somehow then there is a greater chance to find it refurbished, as good as new and with a warranty too. But if due to the age of the phone, it has been cut off by the original equipment manufacturer then the chances of finding a refurbished phone goes significantly low, almost to none. In such a case you are more likely to find used mobile phones in abundance.

The best way to check whether you can find your desired phone refurbished to take a quick scan of the OEM’s website. If you can find the phone listed on the website as new, then it is most probably still available as refurbished. However, if you are unable to locate it then it is most likely discontinued.

There is a transition period, in which the phones are still available as refurbished even after being discontinued, this can go from months to even years. But after this period ends, it becomes a used-only zone.

iOS 12 vs. Android PIE: Which improves your Mobile Experience Better?
iOS 12 vs. Android PIE: Which improves your Mobile Experience Better?

iOS 12 features and Android PIE reviews? This question rises in the minds of every mobile phone user when they are buying a new phone. Android and Apple always try their best to provide people with the best experience they can ever have with the software updates that they launch every year. Either you buy an iPhone or an Android with the latest software version, you will enjoy them to your limits if you want your life to become easy than it was before. To enjoy these latest software updates in iPhones and Android phones you don’t have to spend much to buy a new phone when you can easily spend much less and buy refurbished iPhone or Android phone and enjoy the same features that you get in the latest models.

Normally there is myth that the iPhone users cannot switch to Android and vice versa. But this is a mere myth as one can easily switch between these two and enjoy the specifications of these software. Many of the specifications in these software are alike as Android and Apple both know about the needs of the users and they try their best to cope up with them.

iOS 12 Features:

Let us first describe the latest features that are included by Apple in its iOS to check if these features are worth it or not. Although Apple has introduced a new version i.e. iOS 12.1 but that version only solved the bugs in iPhones. But first let us talk about iOS 12 compatibility; iOS 12 is compatible on iPhone newer than iPhone SE, while iOS 12 release date in the UK was September 17th, 2018. Just like iOS 12, iOS 12.1 is also compatible on these models of iPhone. This is one of the best things that Apple does; it sent iOS 12 update to the iPhones that are almost 5 years older than the latest one. And also iOS 12 update was sent to all of the iPhones on the day of its launch, so you would have to bear no delay in updating your device for the new features. Now that we have a clear view about iOS 12 compatibility, let us now look at the new iOS 12 features.

What’s New in iOS 12?

The question that we should have here is not what’s new in iOS 12 but what are the iOS 12 features that are worth it? iOS 12.1 and iOS 12 features are considered as one of the best features ever launched in any version of iOS. Let us see the new iOS features down below:

     iOS 12 Features To Speed Up Your iPhone:

The first and the most important reason that Apple launched this new version of iOS was to enhance the performance of the iPhones while making the processing speeds of the iPhones faster than ever. The most irritating thing when a user uses a mobile phone is when the mobile phone lags while you are performing some important tasks or if you are running late and you don’t really have the time to deal with all of the lags. In this fast paced world, almost every time we are in such a situation that we need our phone to be faster than ever. Apple knows and respects the users concerns, and that is the sole reason that the best iOS 12 feature is that Apple improved the performance of its iPhones.

With iOS 12 and iOS 12.1 you can swipe left to the camera and the camera would be opened 70% faster than it did before. Moreover, the keyboard of your iPhone now displays 50% faster than it did before. Furthermore, the best improvement is that when you are doing multiple tasks on your iPhone, then your iPhone can launch apps 2% faster than it did before.

In short, if you have an iPhone with iOS 12 compatibility then your life can become much easier.

     iOS 12 Feature To FaceTime With 32 People At Once:

In this busy world, we cannot really call every one individually if we have urgent news to spread around in our friends circle. Moreover, in the official life; most of the times it happens that we have to conduct a meeting but we cannot get everyone on the call at once that delays our official tasks. The good news is that now you can FaceTime with up to 32 people at once either its audio or video. You can sigh in relief after getting to know this as this would help you in saving much of your precious time. Group FaceTime with such a large number of individuals make us in becoming more productive in our lives.

The extra perk that Apple has provided its users with is; when you video FaceTime such a large number of people then it might happen that you get confused about who is speaking. To clear out this confusion, Apple introduced another iOS 12 feature that makes the thumbnail enlarge of the person who is currently talking to make it easier for you to identify.

     iOS 12 Features Related To Screen Time:

This new iOS 12 feature is much helpful for the users in many aspects. To keep a track record of the time you spend on each application, you don’t have to worry about it anymore as your iPhone keeps all of the track record of your iPhone usage. Apple respects our values and Apple itself doesn’t want you to get addicted to your iPhone. There is a real life present out of your iPhone’s digital life and you have to live the reality to the fullest by spending quality time with your family and friends and not using your iPhone every time.

Screen Time lets you know the specific time period of the day that you have spent on certain applications. It doesn’t offer us to set time limits at the moment but it shows the exact time that you have spent on certain applications, so you can get an idea of how much time you are wasting on your iPhone.

Not only for yourself, you can also keep a time track on how much time your kids are spending on the iPhone or iPad and you can further make them aware of not using the devices too much.

     iOS 12 Features of Do Not Disturb Mode:

The do not disturb mode in your iPhone proves to be convenient for the users. But the best thing to know right now is that Apple made this feature even more convenient in iOS 12 and iOS 12.1. Now the only option for you while setting the do not disturb mode isn’t only the time limit that you set. The new do not disturb mode allows you to turn on the do not disturb mode until you leave a specific place. iPhone tracks your location in such cases, e.g. if you need to attend a meeting and you always put your iPhone on do not disturb mode but after the meeting you always forget to turn it off. If that is the case with you then you can easily turn on the option of until I leave this location and once you leave the meeting, your phone would automatically come back to the normal settings. iOS 12 also offers the features such that you can put your iPhone on do not disturb mode until evening or for an hour, etc.

These aren’t all of the new specifications added by Apple in iOS 12 but these are surely the best ones in the bunch.

What’s New With Android PIE?

Android PIE is the latest version of Android. Android PIE release date was August, 2018, but unlike iOS 12 Android PIE update was only sent to the latest models of Android phones or only Google phones initially. This version of Android is also known as Android 9 PIE as this is the 9th update in Android versions. Android PIE update would come to the other models of Android phones until mid of this year like every time. Well now that we know its compatibility, we can discuss the Android PIE features that steal the hearts of people all around.

     Android PIE Update on Battery Life:

Android introduced new features that help you save the battery life of your mobile phone without putting up the battery saver mode. These features include adaptive battery that allows your phone to be smart enough to know your applications usage patterns. The adaptive battery knows the applications that you don’t use much and it doesn’t allow those applications to drain the battery of your phone.

Another feature under this head is of adaptive brightness. In the older versions of Android, when you put your Android phone on auto brightness then it sets the brightness according to the lighting conditions itself. But now you can take a hold on the auto brightness mode, as you can easily adjust the brightness according to the lighting conditions. Your phone would remember your selection on the specific lighting conditions making it easier for you to use your phone. Moreover, this would save the battery life of your Android device much.

     Android PIE Update on Digital Wellbeing:

Over here by digital wellbeing, we are talking about the time track record that you can keep while using you phone. Just like iOS 12, Android PIE also offers you a feature that is just like the Screen Time in the iOS, but this feature in PIE is much better. On the dashboard you can look at the specific time that you are spending on certain applications on your phone. Not only this, you can also track the time when you check your phone in general. This can give you an idea of how much you use your phone and ignore your real life.

You don’t have to worry if you use your phone too much and can’t help it in general. As you can now set limits to the applications that you use on your phone. App timers would let you know when you are about to reach the limit that you have set for certain application and when that limit would be crossed; the application icon would gray out to let you know that you have other things in your life as well.

     Android PIE Update on Do Not Disturb:

Android also enhanced the do not disturb mode used in its new version. In Android PIE, you can easily turn on the do not disturb mode and set time limits on that. Not only that, on do not disturb mode the display of your phone would turn gray scale making it easier for you to get to sleep and not let those bright colours of your display disturb your sleep. You can turn on the do not disturb mode whenever you want to silent all of the notifications and to turn the display to gray scale mode. What’s even better than that!

Final Verdict:

Now that you know the amazing iOS 12 features and amazing Android 9 PIE features, you can now easily select the phone that you want to buy. Both of the software include some of the best features for the users’ ease. You can easily buy refurbished iPhone and get iOS 12 in that iPhone without any glitch. But you would have to check if the Android phone is updated to Android PIE or not before buying that specific phone.

The Surprising Growth of Refurbished Smart Phones Market
The Surprising Growth of Refurbished Smart Phones Market

Who would have ever thought that a pre-owned phone could capture such a huge customer segment and grow to the size that we see it today? It wasn’t that many years ago that there were some whispers about the emergence of a pre-used phone, but no one paid it much attention. Some people were dubious while other completely dismissed it as a temporary buzz. Now it is a few years later, and refurbished phones have become a £ 14 billion global market as of the end of last year, and is predicted to grow even more in the coming years.

Anyone looking to buy a new phone these days definitely comes across the term “refurbished phones”, that is how widespread the trend is these days, especially with vendors like Amazon and Apple itself selling phones like that.

If you are one to research properly before you make a purchase then you must have surely come across the report issued by Counterpoint Research, the firm that examines global industry, shows that the market of phones that have been refurbished has grown 13% year on year, reaching 140 million units in 2017. In contrast, the smartphone market has only grown by about 3%, according to the same report, which is much less than the sale of refurbished smartphones.

Such a rapid growth has caught people by somewhat of a surprise. Why is it that it has become such a hot item in such a short time? Let’s take a look.

What does a “refurbished phone” even mean?

So much talk about a refurbished handset, but what does that even mean? Is it the same as a used phone, because they are nothing new under the sun? A phone is said to be refurbished when it is sold back or returned to a retailer, however, unlike a used or second-hand phone it is not sold again as it was received. Before it is sold again, it is inspected and fixed, if required, and tested tirelessly to avoid any issues. A demo unit can also be sold under the name of refurbished provided that it goes through all the same kinds of testing before it put up for sale.

Because the phones are no longer brand-new, they have been pre-owned, used, opened and repaired, they can no longer be sold at the same price as a new handset, so the retailers lower their prices in order to make a sale. This is why all the refurbished phones are much more affordable than a new smartphone. For instance, iPhone X that is sold for £999 brand-new but its refurbished counterpart maybe sold for about £790. Moreover, these phones that have been refurbished also come with a warranty that may be 30 days or few months that give you peace of mind.

So why have they grown so popular all of a sudden?

Who doesn’t want to save money, especially when you can get the same exact features for much less? Affordability has been one of the major factors contributing to the increased interest in the refurbished handsets.

The prices of the new smartphones are hitting the roof, which has made the customers seek satisfaction elsewhere. And refurbished smartphones have given them exactly that. In fact, it was mentioned in a Wall Street Journal report that the rising prices of the flagship smartphones are sending the customers towards the refurbished handsets. The money people can save on the smartphones these days can actually help them buy other electronic devices like a maybe a television or a laptop.

Some studies have shown that the customers have abandoned the new smartphones altogether and directed their attention solely towards the refurbished phones. The sale of the brand new phones have gone down this year. This may be due to lack of work in the innovation department compelling the customers towards better price options. Every new model launched in just a slight modification of the one before, so customers have started opting for the more affordable older models that are just as good as new.

The smartphone market has saturated thus it seems that companies are running out of mind-boggling ideas. And yet despite that, the prices are whopping high. The slight changes made in the body and in the software are not enough to justify the prices at which these phones are being offered. And so people have started thinking practically and developed a great interest in the refurbished smartphones instead.

Moreover, the upgrade cycles are also one of the other factors that have made refurbished handsets desirable. Previously the upgrade cycle was up to 24 months, but now there has been an unforeseen increase. The upgrade cycle in now rather close to 27 or 28 months. If you are looking to invest for the long term consider green ethical investments..

There is also the matter of electronic waste. While smartphones have no doubt become a necessity, the damages that it causes to the environment cannot be denied. Using refurbished phones is one way to help decrease the electronic waste in the environment. And it has, therefore, become a very appealing option to environmentalists.

So what does this increase mean for the smartphone industry?

The smartphone industry has surely been hit hard by the rise of the refurbished phones, so much so that giants like Apple and Samsung have stepped into the market themselves. This, however, doesn’t solve the issue for their new smartphones.

The critics are urging the companies to upgrade their research and development to provide innovation compelling enough to appeal to the customers. Just goodwill is no longer good enough to get the flagship phones going. They recommend that companies invest in more appealing areas such as augmented reality and other areas of artificial intelligence.

Since there is a lot of buzz about the new 5G network, people will be compelled to buy new models in order to take the next step. However, if the companies continue to shoot their prices higher than the skies then 5G may not be a good reason enough for the people to move away from the refurbished phones.

Top 5 phones that have changed the world for better
Top 5 phones that have changed the world for better

How mobile phones are changing the developing world? This is the question that has been persisting in the minds of the common people around the globe. We are observing the latest technological innovations in the telecommunication industry and we are much mesmerised by the newest additions in the mobile phones by the mobile phone manufacturers. These additions are changing the world for better. And guess what! You can buy these phones as second-hand phones in reasonable prices. In this article we would talk about the phones that changed our perceptions towards mobile phones through their amazing specifications. But first, let’s talk about how phones changed the world?

How Phones Changed The World?

The first handheld mobile phone was produced by Motorola in 1973. This mobile phone wasn’t able to reach out in the market commercially, so people still had to use the other telephones to make calls. The mobile phones actually gained popularity in the late 90s, when people started reaching out to own the mobile phones. Back then, we didn’t have the Smartphones. Those mobile phones were only used to make calls, and after a bit when newer mobile phones reached the market; they also had the option to SMS. In early 2000s, Nokia was the brand that gained the most popularity and almost everyone used to have Nokia mobile phone.

In that era, those mobile phones had changed the world for real as before that time people didn’t really had a portable option to be in contact with other people. Only after some years, the first smartphone was launched by Apple in 2007 and the first android phone was launched a year after in 2008. From then, the smartphone manufacturers started launching their best of the best mobile phone every year and now the mobile phone industry has advanced so much that we cannot even compare the latest mobile phones with the mobile phones in the initial year.

Which Mobile Phones Have Changed The World?

The latest models of mobile phones possess such specifications that we wouldn’t even have thought of a few years back, and now that we have them in our hands we feel very special. The mobile phones these days are multipurpose; if you have a good mobile phone then you don’t need a camera, TV, laptop/PC, etc. We say this as the smartphones have all of these options in a single portable gadget. How phones have changed the world? Some of the most common phones that have changed the world are as follows:

     How Apple iPhone X changed the world:

The first phone that changed the world for real is the 10th anniversary iPhone by Apple. iPhone X was launched in 2017, and people across the UK went gaga over buying this device. People showed such affection towards this phone as this phone crossed all boundaries in the aspect of innovation. The most favourite features that people loved in this iPhone were the infinity display feature and the Augmented Reality feature. The infinity display feature in iPhone X allowed people to get a full view of the display as this iPhone’s front only consist of an end to end screen with no button. Apple excluded the iconic home button from this iPhone to introduce the future forward infinity display to the world.

Check out this article as well: What’s better: Refurbished or Used? Or Both?

This iPhone has a feature of Augmented Reality which allows people to make the reality meet the digital world. You can create animations through this feature and you can directly interact with the digital world through the help of this iPhone’s camera. To include this AR feature; Apple include neural engine along with A11 bionic chip that make AR to happen.

     How Apple iPhone 7 Changed The World:

How this mobile phone has changed the world? Well when this iPhone was released, we didn’t have many phones with the specifications that this iPhone possesses. Apple introduced the new finger print touch in this phone. So what was really new in this Touch ID? Apple introduced a new technology in this iPhone in which the Touch ID was in the home button as an individual panel. This introduction made the fingerprint experience of the users better than the best at that time.

Other than the new Touch ID, Apple introduced dual rear cameras in iPhone 7 Plus. This was the first iPhone that possessed the dual rear cameras. The dual rear cameras included; a 12MP wide-angle camera and a 12MP telephoto camera. The dual rear cameras capture the picture simultaneously, so it has better and vibrant colours with great picture quality. The portrait mode of iPhone 7 Plus cameras stole the hearts of the people across the globe. The portrait mode offers more detailed picture with blurrier background.

     How Samsung Galaxy S9+ Phone Changed The World:

Samsung launched its S9+ in 2018, with the ambition to take over the market like a storm. The most amazing feature that this mobile phone has is its rear camera. This mobile phone possesses dual rear cameras; 12MP wide-angle and 12MP telephoto camera, and these cameras together works just as a human eye. The wide-angle camera in S9+ is super speed dual pixel with variable aperture. It adjusts itself according to the lighting conditions around the object. The telephoto lens of this phone allows it to have a 2x optical zoom that gives you a high quality zoomed picture.

Another interesting read: The Secret Behind Apple iPhone Success!

     How Samsung Galaxy S8 Phone Changed The World:

Back in 2017 this phone changed the perspective of people towards a mobile phone with a button. Samsung Galaxy S8 was the first phone in the Samsung S series to possess infinity display. You can see it like Samsung Galaxy S8 introduced us to the world of infinity displays. Before this mobile phone, no popular mobile phone model had an infinity display. People went crazy for having this phone with the infinity display feature and they did! The sales of Samsung went up when S8 was released.

     How Samsung Galaxy S10 Phone Will Change The World:

Only some days after this phone is going to be launched by Samsung. Samsung Galaxy S10 is going to be the 10th anniversary phone of Samsung S series. We can judge the importance of this phone for Samsung as it is the 10th anniversary phone. Samsung is going to add some breath taking features in this mobile phone. The first and foremost feature that is making everyone excited to have this phone is that this phone would be without a notch. Oh yes! Samsung is finally ignoring the notch and introducing a real end-to-end infinity display. We were waiting for this like anything. Moreover, the front camera of this phone would be embedded at the right corner of the screen making it look more beautiful than ever. The mighty S10+ would possess dual front cameras, which is something never done by Samsung before.

Other than these features, this phone would have 3D sonic sensor. What is 3D sonic sensor? This is an inbuilt fingerprint sensor in the display of the phone. So yes, finally you wouldn’t have to use a fingerprint sensor that is located at the rear of your phone making it difficult to use your device.

This phone hasn’t been launched yet, but it is soon going to be launched in February 2019. Only a month after, this phone is going to be launched. But the bad news for you is that this phone is going to be launched at much higher prices than expected. You would have to spend much on buying this phone just after it has been launched. This phone hasn’t changed the world yet but after its launch, it surely will!

Final Verdict:

These phones justify how phones changed the world! Almost all of these phones are available online as second hand phones for sale. We wouldn’t recommend you to buy S10 right away as this phone’s launching price is too high, and a rational buyer should never spend that much over a phone. The other 4 mobile phones discussed earlier are all available for sale online at much lower prices. iPhone X, iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S8 are all available at Alpha SmartPhones in unbelievably low prices, so you should shop for them before the prices get higher than expected. For buying a mobile phone from Alpha SmartPhones you just have to visit our website and look for the phone you want to buy. You might find many options available for you on our website; you can select the one that is the most preferable for you. You can find a wide range of second hand and refurbished mobile phones on our website to choose from. Both of these categories are reliable to shop for. You simply have to confirm the purchase and select the payment method that suits you the best. We will send you your phone as soon as possible. All of the phones on our website come with 12 months warranty and 30 days return policy for you to sigh in relief.

Go on and buy a phone that justifies how phones changed the world!

What’s better: Refurbished or Used? Or Both?
What’s better: Refurbished or Used? Or Both?

This is a question that everyone seems to wonder about! Usually people think that used and refurbished phones are the same, but actually that is not true! Both of these categories come under the umbrella of pre-owned phones but these both have a huge difference. Difference between used and refurbished phones usually lies in the reliability of these both. But before judging which one of these is better we must know what used and refurbished phones are?

Difference Between Used and Refurbished Phones:

As discussed before these both categories are the pre-owned phones that are previously used by other people but the main difference between used and refurbished phones is described below:

Refurbished Mobile Phones – Used Vs. Refurbished Phones:

Refurbished mobile phones are the pre-owned phones that are repaired after they are bought from the previous owners of these phones. There are many online platforms available in the UK which offers the customers with the refurbished mobile phones. But these phones go through a proper process before they are listed on the websites for sale. The platforms that repair these mobile phones are usually known as mobile phone refurbishing or mobile phone recycling platforms. These platforms accept the newer models of mobile phones and purchase them from the users at good rates and after the purchase; the rest of the process is described below:

     Purchasing The Pre-Owned Phones:

There are many mobile phone recycling platforms available online that are accepting the comparatively newer models of mobile phones. The users usually sell their phones to these platforms at good rates.

     Examining The Pre-Owned Phones:

After the platform have purchased and transferred the payment to the previous owner of the phone, it starts the examination procedure. These platforms usually have professionals that are experienced and trained in examining the condition of the phones. After the phones have been checked thoroughly these professionals check all the hardware and software flaws present inside the phone. The checking procedure is such a thorough one that no flaw is missed while examining.

     Repairing The Pre-Owned Phones:

After all of the flaws the diagnosed from these pre-owned phones, all of those flaws are repaired with the best available parts in the market. The refurbishing platforms make sure that all of the parts used in the repair of these phones are genuine and are of the best quality.

      Re Examining The Phone:

After the phone has been repaired professionally and comprehensively, the mobile phone recycling platform again examines the phone thoroughly. In this examination; if any problem still persists then the mobile phone is again repaired and it is checked again after the repair. This process goes on until the phone comes in 100% working conditions.

     Listing On the Website:

Only after the mobile phone comes in 100% working conditions that phone is listed on the website for sale. These phones are the most reliable phones available in the market as they have been repaired professionally and comprehensively before being listed for sale. The mobile phone recycling platforms are so sure about the reliability of these refurbished mobile phones that most of them provide warranties of up to 12 month with the mobile phones that they are selling. Some of these also provide customers with return policies.

Used Mobile Phones – Used Vs. Refurbished Phones:

You would get to know the difference between used and refurbished phones; used mobile phones are the pre-owned mobile phones that don’t need any repair in order to come in 100% working conditions. These mobile phones might have scratches and dents on their body but they are in full working conditions. These mobile phones are checked once they are purchased from the previous owner and after checking their condition the mobile phones that are proven to be in full working conditions are listed up for sale. The mobile phone recycling platforms usually provide warranties with these phones as well as they are sure about their workability. These phones are also reliable but not as much as the refurbished mobile phones.

Is It Better To Buy a Refurbished Phone Or Used?

Used and refurbished phones are both reliable phones that can be purchased by the people in the UK. On many platforms there are refurbished and used phones for sale online from where you can easily buy one. But the reliability of these phones can only be judged by the reliability of the platform itself. There are many platforms in the UK that are offering used and refurbished phones but only some of them are reliable enough to buy a phone from. To check the reliability of the mobile phone recycling platform, you have to first check the reviews that the other customers have for that specific platform. You can easily find the reviews on the dedicated reviews websites present online i.e. TrustPilot. You have to go through all of the reviews as one bad comment can never judge the reliability of a platform, so you have to go through all of the reviews and check whether is the platform worth it to buy a phone from. The other thing that we must tell you is that you should always buy refurbished used phones with 12 month warranty. We suggest you this thing as only those platforms provide such long warranties with the mobile phones that have a complete trust on the working conditions of their mobile phones. Also you have to look for the platforms that are providing return policy with the mobile phones as well.

Final Verdict:

No one can’t really say if used phones are better or if refurbished phones are better in the fight of used vs. Refurbished phones. Both used and refurbished phones are safe to buy from a reliable platform. To find a reliable platform you don’t have to go any further and visit Alpha SmartPhones right now to enjoy extra perks on the purchase of used and refurbished mobile phones.

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