What "refurbished" actually means — and how it differs from used
Updated
The short answer
A refurbished phone is a used phone that someone has inspected, repaired where needed, and restored to full working condition before reselling it — typically with failing parts replaced, the device wiped, and a warranty attached. A used phone is simply a phone that has had a previous owner.
The difference is not the age of the phone or how it looks. It is the work done to it before it was sold again.
One thing most buyers don't know: in Canada there is no legal definition of "refurbished" for consumer electronics. No agency certifies it. The word means whatever a given seller's process is — which is why two listings at the same price, both labelled refurbished, can be very different products.
The four words you'll see, and what each one is actually telling you
| Word | What it usually means | What to check before you buy |
|---|---|---|
| Used | Previously owned. Sold as-is, or after basic functional testing. Condition varies widely. | What exactly was tested? Is there a written condition grade? What is the battery health? |
| Graded | Used, plus a documented condition scale — commonly A+, A, B, C — covering both cosmetics and function. | What does each grade cover at this seller? Grades are not standardised between sellers. |
| Refurbished | Used, plus repair work: failing components replaced and the device restored to working spec. | Which parts were replaced? Original or aftermarket? How long is the warranty, and who honours it? |
| Renewed / Certified pre-owned | Marketing labels, usually applied to refurbished stock. The standard behind them is the seller's own or the marketplace's. | Ask for the actual process, not the label. |
The pattern to notice: the more processing a word implies, the more you should ask what that processing actually was. "Refurbished" with no detail behind it tells you less than "used, tested, grade B, battery 87%".
Why this matters more than the price difference
A refurbished phone usually costs more than the same model sold as used, and often that premium is fair — replacing a worn battery or a cracked back costs real money and real labour. The problem is that the premium is attached to a word, not to a verified process. If the seller can't tell you what was replaced, you are paying a refurbished price for a used phone.
The reverse is also true and more common than people expect: a well-tested, honestly graded used phone from a seller who publishes their grading scale is frequently a better buy than an unspecified "refurbished" unit, because you can actually see what you're getting.
Battery health is where the words usually break down
A phone can be cosmetically flawless and still have a battery at 79% of its original capacity. Nothing in the word "refurbished" guarantees a new battery — many refurbishers only replace a battery when it falls below a threshold, and that threshold varies.
Battery health is the single most useful number in any used or refurbished listing, and it is also the easiest one for a seller to disclose. If a listing doesn't state it, ask. A seller who tests phones properly will know the number without having to check.
What SubTech sells, in plain terms
SubTech phones are sold as used and graded — not as refurbished.
Every phone is tested before it is listed and given a grade of A+, A, B or C covering both how it looks and how it works, with battery health recorded as part of that. We don't rebuild phones and we don't call them refurbished, because that would describe a process we don't run. We test them, grade them honestly, and tell you which grade you're buying.
For what each grade covers in detail, see our guide on how used iPhones are graded.
Five questions worth asking any seller
- What exactly was tested? Screen, battery, cameras, speakers, mics, Face ID or fingerprint, charging port, and every radio — cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. A partial test is not a test.
- What is the battery health percentage? Not "good". A number.
- Was anything replaced, and with what? Original parts and aftermarket parts behave differently, especially screens.
- Is the phone carrier-unlocked, and is it clear of any blocklist? A phone reported lost or stolen can be blocked from the network regardless of its condition.
- What happens if it fails in the first month? Get the answer before you pay, not after.
Frequently asked questions
›Is refurbished better than used?
Not automatically. Refurbished implies repair work was done; used implies it wasn't. But because neither word is regulated, a carefully tested and graded used phone can easily be the better buy over a refurbished one with no documented process. Judge the disclosure, not the label.
›Does refurbished mean the phone is new?
No. A refurbished phone has had a previous owner. It has been repaired or restored, which is not the same as being unused. Only a phone sold as new has never been owned.
›Is "refurbished" the same as Apple Certified Refurbished?
No. Apple Certified Refurbished is Apple's own program with its own published standard, including a new battery and outer shell and a one-year Apple warranty. A third-party seller using the word "refurbished" is not making that same promise unless they say so explicitly.
›Are SubTech's phones refurbished or used?
Used. Every phone is tested and assigned a condition grade — A+, A, B or C — with battery health recorded. We describe them as used and graded rather than refurbished because that is accurate to what we actually do.
›What does "renewed" mean?
It's a marketplace label, most commonly Amazon's, for stock that has been inspected and tested by a qualified supplier. The standard behind it belongs to the marketplace and its sellers, not to any external body.