Refurbished iPhones now available at Apple’s online store: Up to 15% off with 1 year warranty

iPhone hunters were surprised to find out that Apple is selling refurbished units in its online store. This is the first time that Apple has done this in years. Among the refurbished iPhones listed for sale are a rose gold 64GB iPhone 6S plus for $589 as well as a silver 16GB 6S Plus for only $529. Buyers get 15% off compared to buying a new iPhone. Most of the used iPhones being sold were originally released September 2015 which are only a few generations away from Apple's current flagship iPhone model.

The Verge reported that these refurbished phones come with a new outer casing and battery. Buyers can choose from a wide variety of units and some phones, like the iPhone 6s Plus, even comes in all four colors. All refurbished items come with a one-year factory warranty just like new iPhone units. It's completely hard to tell which unit is new and which is refurbished with all these features. Finally, these iPhone units also come unlocked without a SIM card.

Reports say that this is actually the first time that Apple is selling refurbished phones. It has sold refurbished iPads, Mac computers, MacBooks and accessories before and is still selling them online. There are also reports that these refurbished items may be from the company's iPhone Upgrade Program which means these phones may not be in bad shape at all.

Meanwhile, The Next Web reported that selling old stuff was really not new to Apple and in fact, it has been doing so about a decade ago. Their online store initially offered refurbished phones in 2007 allowing consumers to purchase previous generation phones for a reasonable price.

Refurbished iPhones from Apple's online store also come with free shipping and returns. As mentioned in their refurbished iPhone site, Apple declares quality in their refurbished items. Buyers are also warned that supply is limited for each refurbished model and a unit is guaranteed once they have received full payment for it.