The revamped pre-owned program now offers some of Samsung’s latest phones at discounts of up to 75% off the price of a new device.
Image: Samsung
Samsung’s pre-owned device program has been rebranded as Samsung Certified Re-Newed and has also added some of the latest Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S20 5G.
The discounts Samsung offers on its devices, which come unlocked and come with a one-year warranty, are significant. Depending on the device and the features of a particular device, some models get discounts of up to 75%, as is the case with a 128GB Galaxy S20 5G ($250 with trade-in; $650 without).
Samsung describes the devices in its Certified Re-Newed program as “as new,” saying the devices undergo more than 100 quality checks at Samsung facilities and that worn parts and batteries have been replaced with OEM Samsung components.
Samsung also markets its Certified Re-Newed devices as environmentally friendly because they prevent unnecessary waste. If being eco-conscious is part of your smartphone buying strategy, it’s worth checking out: they’re sold at a significant discount while being some of the latest models available.
Companies using Samsung devices will find these deals, along with the corresponding Samsung Certified Renewed for Business offers, well worth it. Free shipping, volume discounts and 35% off Samsung’s AppStack business software are all available.
To put Samsung’s Certified Re-Newed discounts into perspective, it’s a good idea to look at what other manufacturers, like Apple, are offering for are refurbished appliances.
The iPhone 11 series, the comparable model to Samsung’s Galaxy S20 devices, is available refurbished, but the price is significantly higher, with a 512GB iPhone 11 Pro discounted from just $180 to $1,019. Samsung’s S20 discount on 128GB devices doesn’t directly compare to Apple’s iPhone 11 because Apple’s devices don’t offer 128GB storage options.
An example of Apple’s refurbished iPhone offering. Note that none of them are 5G compatible devices.
Image: Apple
Apple’s revamped program is also somewhat undermined by its new devices. The iPhone 11, the only member of the family still offered new, starts at $599, and while it’s not a “pro” device, it’s still cheaper than a refurbished 11 Pro. A brand new iPhone 12 Pro with 128GB of storage will cost $999; again, it is not possible to compare with an identical 11 Pro model, as 128 GB of storage is not available in that model. The entry-level refurbished iPhone 11 Pro, which has 64GB of storage, costs $759. It’s also important to note that the iPhone 11 series doesn’t have 5G, making it a little harder to swallow Apple’s refurbishment prices.
Carriers, such as AT&T, also offer: used appliances but don’t have any Samsung phones available – only 11 and XR series iPhones.
