Apple’s Refurbished iPhone 7 Devices Will Save Buyers up to $80

If you’re in the market for an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, you might be in luck. As of this week, Apple is now selling refurbished iPhone 7 devices on its online store.

That’s good news for anyone looking to buy one of the two devices, since the refurbished iPhones are cheaper by about $50 to $80, depending on the specific model and configuration. You can compare all of the available models below.

• 32GB iPhone 7: $499 (compared to $549)
• 128GB iPhone 7: $589 (compared to $649)
• 256GB iPhone 7: $679
• 32GB iPhone 7 Plus: $599  (compared to $669)
• 128GB iPhone 7 Plus: $689 (compared to $769)
• 256GB iPhone 7 Plus: $779

256GB Is Back

It’s worth noting, at this point, that buying refurbished will be your only opportunity to purchase a 256GB iPhone 7 or 7 Plus. After the 2017 iPhones were introduced, Apple quietly killed the 256GB iPhone 7 models on its online store. Hence, there’s no price comparison for the refurbished iPhones 7 devices in that storage configuration.

Colors and Availability

Currently, there appears to be a wide range of available colors. Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are available in Silver, Rose Gold, Gold, Black and Jet Black in various storage configurations.

Of course, since supplies are a bit more limited than new devices, you might have to buy one soon if you have a specific color and model in mind. Apple notes that availability of particular color/storage configurations are only guaranteed once it receives the full payment.

Benefits of Refurbished iPhones

Though they’re technically pre-owned devices, Apple thoroughly inspects, tests and cleans all of its Certified Refurbished products. The company also repackages each refurbished iPhone in new white boxes, with all of the standard accessories and literature included. Each refurbished iPhone comes with a new battery, and occasionally, a new outer shell.

In other words, even for those leery of buying used electronics, it’s extremely difficult if not impossible to tell the difference between a refurbished and a new iPhone.

All refurbished iPhones come with Apple’s standard one-year warranty from the date of purchase. As with new devices, customers can also buy an extra year of coverage via the AppleCare+ extended warranty — which is an extra $129 for the iPhone 7, and $149 for the iPhone 7 Plus.

The iPhone 7 first launched in 2016. That makes the addition of refurbished models, several months after the unveiling of the iPhone 8, a bit late. For comparison’s sake, Apple began offering refurbished iPhone 6s devices very shortly after the iPhone 7 was introduced.