The Problems With Refurbished iPhones
- There are two types of warranties to consider when purchasing a refurbished iPhone; the Apple warranty and the carrier warranty. Buying a refurbished iPhone directly from Apple ensures that it has been completely reconditioned to meet Apple's standards of quality and that the one-year warranty can be attained. A refurbished iPhone that has not been reconditioned by Apple -- one from a carrier such as AT&T or Verizon -- may carry only a 90-day warranty. Call Apple or the carrier to determine the warranty policy before you buy.
- You cannot possibly know the condition of a refurbished iPhone's battery. If the iPhone is more than a year old, its battery life may be substantially shorter than that of a new iPhone. The cost of replacing an iPhone battery is around $80, as of the date of publication, and replacement takes two to three days. You can rent a loaner phone for around $30 while you wait.
- Some applications are built specifically for the latest hardware and operating systems. If you purchase an older iPhone model, a 3G or a 3GS, some of the applications designed for the iPhone 4 may not work. Check the Apple iStore to see if your new reconditioned iPhone will support your favorite apps.
- The difference -- in hardware -- between the Verizon and AT&T iPhones is the antenna. The Verizon iPhone supports 3G EV-DO while the AT&T iPhone supports the UMTS standard. This means that you cannot talk on the Verizon iPhone and browse the Web on it at the same time. You cannot purchase a Verizon iPhone and use it on the AT&T network, and vice versa.
