Recent trends have seen refurbished phones outsell new devices, and it is easy to understand why. New flagship devices are so expensive, and the performance difference isn’t that far off the older devices. So, if you are not a tech enthusiast and figure that you mostly use your phone for communication and the occasional gaming, then the hefty price for a new device is unjustified. At this point, one budget phone option that should be on your radar is a refurbished iPhone 8 Plus.
We have sourced the internet, and here is our summary on why getting a refurbished iPhone 8 Plus in 2021 is a good idea.
Price
Released in 2017, it’s safe to say that the phone has aged well, and it is one of the more viable older phone models to buy, but is it worth the consideration in 2021? If you favour an entry-level iPhone that performs great then a refurbished iPhone 8 Plus is your best bet at being part of Apple’s ecosystem. The price of a refurbished iPhone 8 Plus 64gb is $499 AUD which makes it a bargain at this price.
Affordable
Frankly, this is the top reason why most people opt for refurbished devices. Apple makes and releases some fantastic devices each year, but for the most part, the prices are usually too steep, to say the least, as new devices are released, the market for secondhand returns and trade-ins for older devices become saturated. This means that you can get a sweet bargain for a device that would have cost an arm and a leg when new. Another hidden truth is that by buying the phone outright, you stand to buy it cheaper than you otherwise would have with a contract.
Support from Apple
As a flagship of its time, the iPhone 8 Plus still supported by Apple with regular updates and backward compatible accessories. It can run the latest iOS 14, and since Apple maintains strong support and updates policy, you can count on it to last at least the next two versions of the operating system. Despite advances in mobile tech, if you are in love with the old-age TouchID in phones, you will be happy to know that the physical fingerprint scanner is still supported even with the latest updates.
No network restrictions
You don’t have to worry about contracts and network restrictions. Most are unlocked and reconditioned to work on any network, and this can be an advantage if you want freedom from a set carrier. Since not everyone is about monthly subscriptions, this is another avenue for you to chase bargains with favourable data and voice prices. Despite the availability of carrier-locked devices, opt for the unlocked devices that come at the same price point.
Casual Mobile Gaming
With the A11 Bionic chip, the iPhone 8 Plus is no slouch in performance. At its release, it was a 25% step up from the performance of its predecessor, which was a flagship slayer on its own. It was the specking of its time, and we can gladly report that looking back, the phone still lives up to its own high standards. With inbuilt storage of up to 256GB and stereo speakers, you can enjoy casual gaming seamlessly on this iPhone. The 5.5-inch display on the iPhone 8 Plus is more than enough for any casual gamer to indulge in their favourites.
Amazing Features
If there is one area that Apple consistently delivers in is impressive features. They have been known to pioneer some or take the existing features to another level. For example, the iPhone 8 Plus with dual cameras took advantage of the A11 Bionic chip to deliver 1080p slow-motion video and 4K video at 60 frames per second. While these features may look like the norm today, they were groundbreaking add-ons at the time. On top of these, you cannot miss mentioning the liquid Retina display, which made all of this possible. It was optimized well for this device, and despite there being other advanced screens, this just made everything on the phone tick without taking hits on something like battery performance.
What to consider when buying one
So, you’ve settled on getting a refurbished device, how do you select a suitable device in the refurbished market? To make this decision, you first have to understand the grade of the devices. If you are buying secondhand electronics online, you’ve indeed come across an indication for the refurbished conditions of the device. The indication of the cosmetic condition will tell you how well the device has been taken care of and whether it is worth your consideration, or you should just pass on it. The good news is that this grading scale is included in an almost intuitive manner, and despite the terms used, you will understand it.
Conclusion
Moving forward, you can expect refurbished devices to become more mainstream. For this reason, getting a refurbished iPhone 8 Plus is a worthwhile decision if you want a premium smartphone without having to break the bank. As we have seen, there are plenty of reasons to be excited, besides its relatively low pricing. Apple will continue to support it as long as there are takers for the phone and therefore, you need not worry about its usage for a few years at least.