New phones can be expensive and can be well over $1,000. Luckily, buying a renewed phone on Amazon is an option that won’t break your bank account.

What is a Renewed Phone?

A renewed phone on Amazon means it is a pre-owned mobile device that has been professionally cleaned, tested, and any missing or broken parts have been replaced. An Amazon renewed phone is guaranteed to work like new.

However, some of the parts on the mobile device will not be the same as the original, and batteries are only guaranteed to be at a minimum 80% capacity. So, the battery may not be as good as if it was purchased new. When you purchase a renewed phone on Amazon, you’re automatically enrolled in an Amazon Renewed Guarantee. To learn more about this guarantee, continue reading.

Now that you have a basic understanding of what a renewed phone is on Amazon, it’s time to discover what the actual difference is between a renewed and refurbished phone. To make it easier for you to see the true cost benefits of purchasing a renewed phone on Amazon, we’ve created a table of cost differences between some of the most popular new and renewed phones on Amazon.

How Much are Renewed Phones on Amazon?

One of the biggest reasons you’ll be interested in a renewed device is the saving. So just how much money can you save when you choose a renewed phone over a new one? Let’s check out the table below to find out:

Device	Price Brand New	Lowest Price Renewed
iPhone 11	599.99	331.00
Google Pixel 4	499.99	244.90
Samsung Galaxy s10	699.99	309.00

*All prices were taken from Amazon in 2021. Prices are in US dollars. Prices are not guaranteed to be the same as the ones in this table.

In general, you can save about 50% of the full cost of a phone if you go for a renewed one on Amazon. When you’re looking to buy a new phone and want to save money, buying a renewed phone off Amazon might be your best option.

When you’re looking for a new phone, the price of any renewed or new phone depends on how new the phone is, how much storage it has, and of course, the brand. The three phones mentioned in the table above are some of the most popular phones around. So, if you buy a phone that’s less known or one that’s old, you’ll come across cheaper prices.

If you want to save even more money on renewed phones on Amazon, watch for Flash Deals. Amazon frequently puts items on sale, including renewed phones. So, if you’re interested in saving even more money, watch for those flash sales.

Difference Between Renewed and Refurbished

The terms ‘renewed’ and ‘refurbished’ are often used interchangeably and most of the internet community agrees that the terms mean the same thing, albeit with slight differences.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary has very similar definitions of these two words, with ‘renewed’ meaning “to restore freshness,” and ‘refurbished’ meaning “to freshen up.” So, they really are nearly the same thing.

But for buying on Amazon, there is a slight difference between these two words. Here are the general definitions for buying used items as they relate to Amazon:

Renewed: Renewed is referring to restoring a product that was bought and returned in good condition. Amazon took the time to clean it up, add new charging cables, and put it back up for sale online.

Refurbished: A refurbished phone on Amazon was likely returned under warranty, sent back to the factory to get fresh pieces, and resold as a basically new product. Usually, these products need to undergo some form of repair before being sent to a new user.

Of course, these are just general guidelines and renewed products can be in different conditions. However, most of the time renewed products will still be in a good shape.

However, there are some people who believe the two terms are obsolete and made up by different companies. The Reddit community, for example, agrees that renewed items are consistent with Amazon, while refurbished items are synonymous with Apple products. But, you can still use these terms for either.

Along with renewed and refurbished items, you may also see items listed as “pre-owned,” and this is just another term for mobile devices that are being sold as used.

How to Find Renewed Items on Amazon

Amazon makes finding renewed items very easy. In fact, they have an entire shop devoted to renewed devices. You can search “Amazon Renewed” to be taken to the page that sells all refurbished, renewed, and pre-owned devices. From there, you can search for the exact device you’re looking for or browse through their device categories.

Renewed items don’t stop at phones. In fact, there are numerous items you can buy renewed for a cheaper price. From computers to blenders, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.

The items that are sold on Amazon Reviewed include:

• Smartphones
• Computers
• Home and Kitchen
• Tools
• Smartwatches
• Gaming
• Tablets
• Cameras
• Lawn and Garden
• Office Products
• Home Entertainment
• Headphones

You can simply click on any of the categories listed on their front page and you’ll be taken to the lists of their products. From there, you can use the filters on the left side of the page to adjust your search and have an easier time finding the products you’re looking for.

For mobile phones, for example, you can search for:

• Amazon Trade-In
• Amazon Trade-In Store
• Amazon Warehouse Deals

You can also find renewed mobile devices from normal Amazon searches. This can be especially useful if you know the exact device you’re looking for. If you’re looking for an iPhone, for example, you can input ‘iPhone’ in the Amazon search engine, and it will take you to the iPhone options. You can scroll down on the first page that’s pulled up and you’ll come across various renewed options.

To find other mobile devices such as Samsung or Google Pixel, you can just input these into the search bar instead.

What is Amazon Renewed Guarantee

When you buy a used device, having the option for a full refund is comforting. With the Amazon Renewed Guarantee program, you’ll have 90 days—or one year if your renewed phone is a Premium iPhone—to use your renewed device. If it breaks down or has any issues, Amazon will give you the choice to receive a full refund or to replace your device.

However, this coverage is only for issues with the device, such as a battery of less than 80% capacity or issues with the hardware. If your renewed phone is stolen, tampered with, or damaged by you, then your phone won’t be covered by this guarantee.

On their site, Amazon does clearly say that they reserve the right to decline claims so that their system isn’t abused.

If you receive your renewed device and something’s wrong, making a claim is simple. All you have to do is call their service number or go to your order’s page and click on “Get Product Support.”

To check out Amazon’s Renewed Guarantee on their website, use this link.

Amazon Renewed Phone Price Comparison

So far, we’ve seen that Amazon’s renewed phone can be a decent investment. But how do they compare to other companies that renew mobile devices? To find out, we looked at Amazon’s top competitors for renewed devices and compared their guarantees and prices.

Company	Guarantee	Prices iPhone	Price Samsung	Price Google Pixel
Amazon	90 days for a full refund or a replacement device	$137.00 to $663.00	$75.99 to $979.99	$97.90 to $398.50
Best Buy	14-day return policy	$239.99 to $439.99	$161.99 to $1,124.99	$299.99 to $809.00
Back Market	30-day money-back guarantee and 1-year warranty	$113.00 to $583.00	$205.00 to $219.00	$120.00
Gazelle	30-day return policy	$104.00 to $739.00	$89.00 to $669.00	$99.00 to $349.00

The prices have been set at a range because all prices depend on how old the phone is. Generally, the more expensive phones tend to be newer and older phones tend to be less expensive.

When compared to Best Buy, Back Market, and Gazelle, we see that Amazon is not the most expensive, but also not the cheapest. In all honestly, Amazon falls somewhere in the middle. However, Amazon does have that nifty 90-day money-back guarantee, so that may be worth it for the slightly higher prices.