Anyone familiar with Apple products knew it was just a matter of time before refurb'd iPhones became available through Apple's online store. What we didn't expect was such a dramatic savings over new models.
Refurbished iPhones became available this week direct from Apple for $100 less than the price of new models. Apple tends to discount their refurbished computers by $100 or so (depending on the original price and how old a particular model is), so it's pretty surprising to see refurb'd iPhones so heavily discounted so quickly.
As the owner of a refurb'd MacBook laptop (and a few other refurbished Apple products over the years), I can wholeheartedly recommend the refurbs to anyone looking to buy an iPhone. Not only will you save a hundred bucks, but you'll get the exact same accessories and - more importantly - one year warranty you'd get with a new one. The only difference is the packaging and the fact that your handset was most likely used for a week or two, returned, and repaired and/or otherwise brought back to as-new condition.
Apple's refurbishing standards are pretty high, and considering that the iPhone is a first-generation product, there's a decent chance a refurb will have some kinks worked out that hamstrung the first batches of retail models. Reports have started to surface regarding "dead strips" in iPhone's touchscreen, and I really doubt many refurbs will have this problem.
At any rate, the choice is yours. But at $399/499, the refurbished iPhone looks like a good deal for anyone who's just gotta have the most (over?) hyped cell phone ever. See more from here.
