What to contemplate earlier than shopping for a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S21

For anybody whose pockets aren’t overflowing with the money wanted for a model new flagship system, Samsung will begin promoting “re-newed” variations of final yr’s Galaxy S21 collection at a reduction. Yes, they do spell it that manner.

These refurbished Galaxy S21 gadgets are now available for pre-order within the Samsung Certified Re-Newed Store. The retailer options smartphones for buy for anybody on a funds who needs flagship-level specs and doesn’t thoughts wielding the final era’s {hardware}. The fashions obtainable for pre-order embody the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Samsung says its Certified Re-Newed smartphones are “thoroughly inspected and updated to like-new condition” in its factories. Only Samsung-approved components and batteries are used to repair up the telephones. Each mannequin in this system comes with a one-year guarantee, which is identical one which extends to model new Galaxy smartphones.

The base mannequin of the Galaxy S21 with 128GB of storage begins at $675 when purchased via the Re-Newed program, which is about $124 low than the MSRP for a brand new system. The Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra, additionally with 128GB of base storage, begin at $850 and $1000. Samsung is providing a $100 credit score to anybody who pre-orders earlier than April 21.

Should I Buy a Refurbished Samsung Galaxy?

If all this feels like a deal, think about a number of issues earlier than shopping for a refurbished smartphone. First of all, final yr’s Galaxy S21 Ultra is not this yr’s Galaxy S22 Ultra, which implies you’re not getting the redux of the Galaxy Note, full with a stylus in tow. The licensed renewed program does have the Note 10 as a part of its lineup, however I might significantly keep away from a two-year-old system contemplating how Samsung does software updates. The later you purchase a model new smartphone, the shorter the time you will have earlier than software program updates run out, even with Samsung’s promise of three generations of software program updates and 4 years of safety updates.

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You’ll additionally wish to make a price-by-price comparability if you happen to’re selecting between this yr’s and final yr’s Samsung flagship fashions. For occasion, if you happen to like the appear and feel of the S21 Ultra and don’t thoughts that it doesn’t come bundled with the built-in S Pen, $1000 isn’t a foul value for a tool with related digital camera capabilities as its successor, which begins at $200 extra with solely 8GB of RAM. The S21 Ultra additionally has 12GB of RAM on the base value, which I all the time recommend for energy customers who need longevity. Speaking anecdotally, that additional little bit of reminiscence helps immensely in the long run.

As for selecting between the common Galaxy S21 and S22 lineup, first see how a lot you may get the value down on the latter with a tool trade-in. The S22 options an upgraded digital camera system from the S21, a longer-lasting battery, and its new look and colorways may be extra your aesthetic. The S22 collection begins at $800 and $1000. Swapping to the Galaxy S22+ by eliminating an previous smartphone might assist convey down the associated fee sufficient that you simply wouldn’t have to contemplate the common Galaxy S21 for $850.

The licensed renewed program doesn’t embody the Galaxy S21 FE, or “Fan Edition,” which is a line that gives premium {hardware} at a lower-ish pricepoint. As I famous in my evaluate of the system, it’s not price shopping for final yr’s whittled-down specs, even at $700.

The Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra can be found for pre-order via the Certified Re-Newed program. They’ll be formally on sale starting April 22 on Samsung.com and at choose retailers beginning April 28.