Samsung has expanded its presence in the refurbished phone market by launching its certified renewed phones on Amazon. The move comes after the company raised prices on its newest models. These refurbished devices come with a new battery and a one-year warranty, starting at $489 for the Galaxy S24 FE with 128GB of storage, significantly lower than its original launch price of $649 or the current-gen S26 FE priced at $699.
Stevie Bonifield, a consumer tech writer, recently purchased a used Galaxy S24 FE for $329 on Back Market, highlighting the cost savings compared to Samsung’s certified renewed option. Bonifield prefers buying preowned phones to avoid debt from buy-now-pay-later programs or leasing setups like Apple’s Upgrade program. Their used S24 FE looks new, still has five years of OS updates, and has performed well so far.
While Samsung’s certified renewed phones offer perks like a new battery, similar benefits can be found elsewhere. Bonifield’s phone came with a one-year warranty from Back Market, though it did not include a new battery. Some third-party refurbished phones come with new batteries, or users can opt for a DIY battery replacement, which would still be cheaper than Samsung’s offering.
Other tech giants like Apple and Google also offer used phones at discounted prices on their online stores, providing additional options for consumers looking for affordable alternatives without resorting to platforms like Facebook Marketplace or eBay.