Looking For a Great Deal on an iPhone 14? Apple’s Now Selling Refurbished Models Starting at $619

Apple’s iPhone 14 models may be approaching two years old, but they’re still a great choice, especially if you can find a deal on one. Now, Apple is making that even easier with the addition of most of its iPhone 14 models to its Certified Refurbished Store.

While Apple still sells the iPhone 14 starting at $729 for a carrier-unlocked 128 GB model, you can pick up the same Refurbished iPhone 14 for only $619. That discount gets even better if you opt for a 256 GB iPhone 14, which sells for $829 new or only $699 in refurbished form.

What’s more, Apple is also offering the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in its Refurbished Store, with discounts ranging between $140 and $230 off their original sticker prices, depending on the model and capacity. However, since Apple no longer sells either of its 2022 Pro models new, this is one of the few ways you can still get your hands on one.

Notably absent from the list is the iPhone 14 Plus. This model could still show up later, but it might also indicate how much less popular the 6.7-inch standard iPhone was. Refurbished units come from customer returns, so a less popular model will result in fewer available for sale.

Apple isn’t the only game in town when it comes to refurbished iPhones. Amazon offers its own Renewed Program, and it typically has better prices on refurbished iPhones, albeit with fewer guarantees than Apple’s program. You get what you pay for in this case.

For example, you can pick up a Renewed Premium iPhone 14 from Amazon for as low as $545.80, but it won’t be covered until Apple’s warranty nor eligible for AppleCare+ coverage. Instead, you get Amazon’s Renewed Guarantee, which allows you to return a Renewed Premium product for up to one year if you’re unsatisfied with it for any reason. That part is arguably better than Apple’s standard warranty, but be sure to read the fine print as Amazon notes that it “may not be available for every item or from every seller.”

For comparison, here’s the rundown of Amazon and Apple pricing for refurbished iPhone 14 models:

Those are starting prices for 128 GB models, and Amazon prices are for Renewed Premium. You can save a bit more with Amazon’s lower tiers, but the further down you go, the lower the resulting quality. For example, a 128 GB iPhone 14 is currently going for $474.93 in “Excellent” condition, $433.73 in “Good” condition, or $423.73 in “Acceptable” condition. These are a good way to get a cheap iPhone 14 as long as you know what you’re getting into, but keep in mind these lower tiers only offer a 90-day return policy and still include no warranty coverage.

How Do Refurbished iPhones Work?

While some folks may be wary of picking up a “refurbished” iPhone, that’s not a problem if you’re buying it from Apple, as the company makes every effort to ensure that these iPhones are as good as new. They come with the same one-year warranty and eligibility for AppleCare+ coverage.

In fact, an Apple Certified Refurbished iPhone is likely to be even more reliable. Consider that Apple can’t test every single iPhone that comes off its production line. Quality assurance (QA) testing is done by random sampling, and while it’s extremely rare to get a dud unit, it can happen.

On the other hand, a Certified Refurbished iPhone has been meticulously tested to the same standard as Apple’s Finished Goods testing procedures and confirmed to be working without any problems. Apple wouldn’t dare sell them otherwise.

Not only that, but every refurbished iPhone gets a brand new battery and outer shell, whether it needs it or not. That means you don’t have to worry about scratches or an aging battery. By contrast, even Amazon’s top-end Renewed Premium program only guarantees that “No signs of cosmetic damage (scratches, dents, and other) are visible when the product is held 12 inches away,” and that the battery has at least 90% of its original life. Those standards drop if you opt for an “Excellent Condition” or “Good Condition” product.

Lastly, there’s a chance that an Apple Certified Refurbished product you’re buying wasn’t ever defective in the first place. Unlike other retailers, Apple doesn’t sell “open box” items. When an iPhone is returned to an Apple Store, it goes into the refurbished process, regardless of how old it is. That means you could end up with an iPhone 14 that someone took home for a few days before changing their mind and returning it.

Of course, there’s no way to know for sure if that’s the case, but it doesn’t really matter, as even an iPhone 14 that was returned with problems will have been thoroughly tested and have the battery and outer casing replaced, and will be accompanied by the same one-year warranty as a brand new iPhone. You can even buy AppleCare+ for it, complete with protection against accidental damage and theft & loss if you so desire