Should you get a refurbished mobile device or spend more to get one new?
There's a lot to love about a decent tablet PC. They're compact lightweight enough to be portable from room to room, but heavy-duty enough to pack in serious computing power. Despite what marketers might think, the natural home of most tablets is in bedrooms and lounges, where they can be picked up and put down at a moment's notice in ways that larger PCs - even laptops - can't be.
The only problem with this is that despite being casual devices, they have intrinsically non-casual prices. Only the cheapest, most corner-cutting devices can offer a sub-£150 price, and if you want something with real power (or at least decent screen size), you have to spend upwards of £300 to get it.
But there's some good news: if you're willing to accept a device that's only nearly new, rather than fresh from the factory, there are huge savings to be found.
The rapid release schedule and high-desirability of tablets means that the secondary market is surprisingly healthy. Refurbished devices that have been used, returned and put on sale after a good internal scrubbing (typically by the manufacturer themselves) can be picked up for a considerable saving.
You might understandably be hesitant about the idea of buying 'old' consumer electronics, though, so to make sure you have all the information you need before deciding on a refurb tablet, we've looked into whether or not they're really worth the money and what you can expect if you decide to go this route.
Basic Advantages
The primary advantage of a refurbished tablet is, of course, that it's a lot less expensive than a new one. While savings can run as high as 50% at times, the discount is more typically in the region of 10-20% - which is still a hefty amount off a device that's otherwise likely to be fixed at retail price across multiple outlets.
What makes this particularly good news it that if you buy through an approved refurb retailer, you'll get extras that a typical second-hand sale wouldn't necessarily include.
For instance, with approved refurbishments, you can be sure the hardware has been tested and guaranteed in working condition, which isn't the case with a standard second-hand purchase. This also means that the tablet comes with a decent set of consumer protections attached to it. Most retailers offer the same right of return on refurbished goods as they do on new hardware, and if they don't, that's a warning sign to you that the hardware is potentially untested and may be faulty.
The other advantage is that unlike basic second-hand sale, the hardware will definitely have been set back to the factory state or at least as close to that as is reasonably possible. The software will have been restored to its default settings, and any hardware or accessories that should be included will be replaced. The refurbishment process can be as minor as swapping a damaged USB cable or dented box with a fresh one or as major as replacing the entire screen and case. Second-hand tablets are likely to have at least minor scratches and signs of wear, but a refurbished one might look like new.
Basic Disadvantages
There are a few disadvantages when it comes to buying refurbished hardware in general, and most of those revolve around the uncertain provenance of the device and its replacement parts.
Unless you buy from a manufacturer-licensed refurbishment program (or better still, the manufacturers themselves), it's impossible to know whether the replacement parts are the genuine article or a cheaper, third-party alternative. Screens in particular have been known to be replaced with flimsier versions that shatter and crack more easily, and while it's not particularly common, faulty batteries have been known to explode as a result of poor manufacturing.
Of course, neither of those problems are especially likely. They're just impossible to discount entirely. The majority of refurbished tablets are sold by reputable retailers and have zero functionality problems or safety issues. The main thing you should worry about when buying a second-hand tablet is simply the matter of age. Even with new parts, these are devices that, by definition, are further through their life cycle than brand new devices. If they're older-generation, they're also nearer to the end of their supported lifespan, if not their operational one.
Unlike second-hand PCs, hardware reliability isn't a huge problem, because most tablet components last for more time than the device is likely to be used for. Batteries are the exception, but these are usually replaced during a refurbishment.
What is a concern is hardware support. The fast pace of platform development means even if you buy the latest device, you might find that the manufacturer won't support an update to the latest version of its operating system a year down the line. Many tablets languish on old versions of Android because their manufacturers won't release the official updates needed to enable users to install the latest version. And that's on new devices. Refurbished ones already have months, if not years of declining support behind them.
Even if you can install the latest software, you might discover that your hardware isn't good enough to run it usably or take advantage of the new features. You might discover that a hardware overhaul has rendered your tablet incompatible with the latest accessories, like iPad users did when Apple switched from 32-pin to Lightning connectors.
Ultimately, the risk of support being cut off depends on the age of the hardware, so take that into account when you buy a refurbished item. It's worth pointing out that just because manufacturer support ends, the device doesn't become unusable; if it does everything you want already, you might feel sore about missing out on new features, but you won't actively lose money because of it.
Apple Turnover
We should point out that if you're looking at refurbished tablets, iPads are a special case. There's no question that if you can find an officially refurbished iPad, you should definitely buy it instead of the same model new. Apple's refurbishment program automatically replaces the accessories with new ones, fully tests the hardware and performs a complete replacement of any damaged or faulty components, with a default replacement of the screen and case. The only way you even tell an iPad is refurbished is because the box says so - presumably to stop third-party retailers buying them cheaply and then selling them as new. They're simply that good.
The only reason you might not do this is because of their availability. Apple's official discount store, which exists tucked away on the main Apple Store website, has only limited stock. It's extremely hit and miss as to whether you'll find the hardware you want. Essentially, you either have to have very loose requirements or a fair amount of patience to buy refurbished Apple hardware, but when you do, you'll be well rewarded.
However, this advice doesn't apply if you buy refurbished Apple hardware from non-approved vendors. Apple won't even look at devices that have been unofficially repaired, so if you're set on joining the Apple ecosystem, you shouldn't either. Official refurbs, by comparison, give you a warranty as good as if you'd bought the hardware new and full access to in-store Genius Bar support. We don't necessarily agree with the way Apple conducts its business, but that's the reality. Stick with the official outlets and you'll be fine.