Is Buying A Refurbished iPhone 14 The Right Choice?

A refurbished iPhone 14 might be the best-case scenario for people who want to own an iPhone but are not willing to pay such a hefty price.

However, it comes with its own pitfalls. Let us hear some of them in order to know if a refurbished iPhone is for you or not.  

Overview Of iPhone 14 

iPhone 14 is currently one of the most popular phones on the planet. It has been two years since the phone was released. However, it is still very much in vogue and desirable. Even though the iPhone 14 is a desirable phone, it is not a new phone.  

It has been two years since the phone has hit the market. Therefore, this article will primarily focus on refurbished iPhone 14 and should you buy it.

But first, let us delve into the detailed feature list of the phone to see if it is worthy according to today’s standards.  

Here we go! 

Design 

At the time of release, there was speculation that the iPhone 14 would be released in two sizes: 6.1-inch and 5.4-inch. But at the time of release, no variation in sizes was noticed. In fact, the company did not release phones with more minor screen variations. Both variants of the phone had a 6.7-inch screen.  

The design of the iPhone 14 is essentially identical to that of the iPhone 13. Therefore, a non-iPhone user might need clarification between the two. The US model of iPhone 14 lacks a physical SIM tray. This was a massive departure from the previous models.  

iPhone 14 is available in six different colors: Red, Yellow, STarlight, Midnight, Purple and Blue. Unlike the iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 was not released in pink.

Instead, the brand introduced the color purple. However, if you are buying a refurbished iPhone 14, color availability would be fine.  

Hardware 

iPhone 14 is a well-designed phone with some fantastic accolades and specifications. The company released the iPhone 14 in two distinct variants: iPhone 14 Standard Edition and iPhone 14 Plus.  

Both of these variants were released into three sub-variants. These sub-variants have different storage spaces. These include a 128 GB variant, 256 GB variant, and 512 GB variant.   

iPhone 14 was released with 6 GB RAM and an IP68 rating. Therefore, your phone can perform well under any condition. This is an added perk that every iPhone user loves.  

Chipset 

iPhone 14 standard and iPhone 14 Plus run on a 5-nanometer chipset designed by Apple itself. This chipset is an A15 Bionic chipset that is a considerable step up from the older A14 and A13 chipsets. This gives the phone an added edge that no other phone had up until that point. 

iPhone 14’s A15 chipset is endowed with a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU. Apart from that, the chipset also contains a 16-core Neural Engine. This seems identical to the iPhone 13’s neural engine. However, this newer chipset is much faster than the older variants.  

Display 

Before the phone’s release, everyone thought that the phone would be released in a mini-size variant like the iPhone 13 mini. 

However, that was not the case, as the company decided otherwise. As a result, The phone was released in one size variant.  

iPhone 14 features a 6.1 inch or 155 mm display that is endowed with a Super Retina XDR OLED Technology. This technology comes with a resolution scale of 2532 × 1170 pixels, along with a pixel density of 460 PPI and a 60 Hz refresh rate.  

iPhone 14 Plus comes with a 6.7 inch or 170 mm display with Super Retina XDR OLED Technology. iPhone Plus features a larger screen; therefore, it comes with an overall resolution scale of 2778 × 1284, a pixel density of 458 PPI, and a 60 Hz refresh rate. 

Both phones feature a brightness level of upto 1200 nits. Therefore, you can easily use these phones in the dark.  

Camera 

iPhones have always been some of the best in the industry when it comes to the camera. In fact, iPhone cameras have been hyped so much that people have actually used the phone to film movies.

Even though your refurbished iPhone 14 might not be used for filming movies, you might be itching to know the quality of the camera that has been used on the phone. 

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus come with a similar camera system. Both phones come with a three-camera setup (two back cameras and a front camera).

The front camera comes with a 12-megapixel and f/1.9. Meanwhile, the back cameras come with (12MP f/1.5) and ultra-wide (12MP f/2.4) lenses.  

Therefore, your phone will be able to capture videos and pictures at a higher resolution and without any hassle.  

Battery 

Apple has always been very keen to provide phones with long-lasting batteries and unique specifications. As a result, expect to experience longer battery life if you are upgrading from iPhone 13.  

Apple decided to add a longer-lasting battery to the iPhone 14 in order to make it more versatile. As per the company’s claim, the iPhone 14 comes with a 3,279 mAh battery.

This battery can support around 20 hours of video playback, 16 hours of streaming, and 80 hours of audio playback. This is a massive deal for iPhone users as no other iPhone has pushed battery power to this extent.  

However, it would be best if you remembered that the battery is the fastest depreciation asset of a mobile phone. Therefore, expect to see some reduced numbers.

But there is nothing too major to complain about. However, please do not take my words for granted, and do conduct some checks to determine the efficiency.  

Software 

Software is a massive part of any phone. Thankfully, the iPhone 14 comes with a good software architecture. In other words, iPhone 14 is one of the most safe and secure brands out there when it comes to safety.  

iPhone 14 was initially released with the faster and more advanced iOS 16. However, the phone eventually received the iOS 17 update.

This is the latest iOS available on the market. This operating system truly takes advantage of the phone’s actual capability and makes it fit for the future.  

Sattelite Connectivity 

Apple has always been in favor of innovation. This means the brand has always been on the lookout for newer innovations to bring to the forefront. With the iPhone 14, the brand went the mile and introduced the satellite connectivity feature.  

This was a revolutionary feature at the time of the release. It can help you to transmit SOS messages. The message would bounced by a satellite operated by Globastar. This is a unique feature that seems like an overkill, but the brand has decided to include it nonetheless.  

Even though the brand has decided to include such advanced features, it is dicey, to say the least. This is primarily due to connection drop problems that riddle these phones.  

Reception & Criticism 

iPhone 14 mostly received positive compliments at the time of its release. In fact, the phone received several accolades that made it one of the biggest and most successful phones in 2023.  

iPhone 14 was a feature-rich phone. However, the company wanted to go the mile. As a result, the brand specifically added a feature known as crash detection.

This feature detects car crashes and takes pre-emptive steps to prevent them or manage them. However, this system needed to be more accurate as it would often demonstrate false negatives.  

Apple mainly uses first-party components. However, the brand thought of jazzing things up and decided to source a few materials from third-party manufacturers.

As a result, a famous review company named iFixit decreased the phone’s rating from 8 on 10 to 4 on 10. This caused some significant concerns  

Major Problems Of Refurbished iPhone 14 

Buying a refurbished iPhone 14 is an easy enough task. But trust me when I say this: it comes with a lot of pitfalls and problems. This is because age creates newer problems. Problems that only existed after. 

As a result, it is essential for me to discuss some of these problems in order to prepare you for owning a refurbished iPhone 14. Therefore, go through this section carefully in order to know what you can face in the long run.  

Here we go!  

Black Screen 

The black screen of death is the most infamous and trickiest problem that refurbished iPhone 14 users might face. Therefore, you need to be prepared and understand that this might happen to you as well.  

If it happens, you do not need to worry. In most cases, this is a software issue. It is a straightforward and common issue that can be easily fixed with some jimmying around. You will face this issue, so there is no need to panic. 

Just force restart your phone if the black screen of death visits you. This is an easy fix and will solve the issue 90% of the time.

Alternatively, press the volume button down and up. Subsequently, hold the power button till your phone restarts. This will fix the issue.  

However, in some cases, this could be an issue of liquid damage, which is a more complex problem. In such cases, you can only rely on a mechanic.  

Battery Drainage 

Battery is the fastest depreciating component of a cellphone. Hence, you will face some battery issues while using a refurbished iPhone 14. The most common battery problem one might face is the rapid draining of the battery. This is a common issue. 

A refurbished phone will likely have lower charge retention capabilities. Therefore, do not compare your phone’s battery retention capability with a newer iPhone variant. However, it is a cause of concern if the charge draining is severe. 

This is a hardware problem that could be complicated to fix. You can optimize your battery usage from Settings > Battery. However, severe cases might require a trip to the phone doctor.  

Overheating 

A phone’s job is to connect us to our loved ones. Howevevr, it is problematic if your iPhone reminds you of a heater. It is natural for a device to get heated as it is extensively used. However, it is unnatural for a phone to get superheated to the point of damage.  

Overheating is a severe hardware malfunction that needs special care and attention. This is not just damaging for the phone but can also become a health hazard. Cases of exploding phones have become so prevalent that we hear about them in the news every day.  

Therefore, take your phone to a mechanic if the problem is persistent.  

Cracked Screen Or Panel 

Most iPhones come with a glass sandwich architecture. This is great for the aesthetics but can become a durability hazard. One of the most common issues that refurbished iPhone 14 users complain about is cracks in the glass panel.  

You can avoid This annoying issue if you inspect your phone closely. In other words, do not pick the first refurbished iPhone you see. See how the phone looks and feels to make the right decision.  

Performance Issues 

Refurbished phones come with lowered performance specifications. You must expect around a 30% depreciation in the long run.

However, performance issues could be caused by the lack of whole storage or the presence of too many applications. Hence, clean your phone’s memory and make it lighter.  

The best way to deal with performance issues is to factory reset the phone. This will reset the phone and clear up the memory. Therefore, a factory reset is the best option for dealing with performance issues.  

The Final Thought 

In summation, these are some of the things you need to remember if you plan on buying a refurbished iPhone 14. Buying a refurbished phone might be relatively easy.

However, you need a clear idea of what to remember when buying such phones. Keep following our page for more such content.  

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