I ordered a refurbished phone from Swappie and the whole process surprised me

Over the last months I started to get interested in the term ‘circular industry’ there are several motivations to look into this topic. There is the sustainability motivation. We only have one earth so preserving its resources, and reducing waste and emissions is important. There is also the economic motivation, with rising inflation your average cost of living goes up and on top of that for each annual new release of a Phone version for example the price increases, even when there isn’t much new about the newest models.

Finally, there is also the motivation for innovation. By increasing the importance of a circular industry we’re encouraging the development of durable, repairable, and recyclable products. So eventually all tech will be better for it.

Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt

I decided that I wanted to try out a common use case for the circular industry which is a refurbished device. And since I want a device that would ‘pop’ on the photos I’ll be searching for a colourful iPhone.

After deciding to buy a refurbished device the FUD starts to kick in. I wrote mine down and I’ll be answering them in this review. These were my main questions:

1. Am I just getting any device or can I influence the quality?
2. How clean is it, and what about durability?
3. Are the savings worth it from buying new?
4. What if I don’t like the device shipped to me?
5. What about warranty?

Who to buy from; After some research online I found Swappie which is one of Europe’s leading companies for buying and selling refurbished iPhones. So in this review, I’m ordering a preferably Yellow iPhone from them and reviewing it.

Swappie

Swappie was founded in 2016 by Sami Marttinen and Jiri Heinonen in Helsinki, Finland. The company has grown into a prominent organisation specializing in refurbishing and reselling pre-owned smartphones, particularly iPhones. Swappie emerged from the founders’ desire to create a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to purchasing new smartphones. Their mission centres on extending the lifecycle of electronic devices, thereby reducing electronic waste and promoting a circular economy. Swappie’s rigorous refurbishment process ensures high-quality standards, offering consumers reliable, like-new devices at competitive prices. With a commitment to sustainability and customer satisfaction, Swappie aims to revolutionize the second-hand electronics market. The company has rapidly expanded its operations across Europe, serving millions of customers and continuously striving to innovate and lead in the refurbished electronics industry. Swappie aims to make refurbished electronics the first choice for consumers worldwide, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly tech ecosystem.

What I selected

So after some browsing on the Swappie website, I opted to go for a bright yellow iPhone 14. And to answer one of my big questions:

Am I just getting any device or can I influence the quality? Yes you have influence over the quality

You influence the quality of your refurbished phone through the choice menu. Depending on your choices the price does go up which is only fair. I opted for a excellent example with 512 GB of storage. Mine ended up costing € 799 on July 5 – 2024 on that date that same model with the same specifications was € 1.249 from Apple. This answers my second big question:

Are the savings worth it from buying new? YES in our example (below) a 36% savings!

Delivery

After my order confirmation, I had to wait sometime. I’ve been in contact with Swappie and they’ve explained that after you place the order your phone goes through a rigorous 52-step test and refurbish process. By making the phones undertake such a meticulous testing phase Swappie can give customer warranty. And this answers my third question:

What about warranty? Swappie offers a 24 month warrenty on all phones

After about a week of waiting I got a confirmation and track and trace in my email. The day after a nice eco-friendly paper box showed up.

My bright yellow iPhone was squeaky clean not a single dent, scratch or any exterior wear or tear visible. The screen protector which I opted for was installed perfectly. To be honest the whole process felt like unpacking a new phone. The battery performance (99%) was the only clue that gave away that this Phone had possibly been used before. I am super impressed with the process and with the quality of the phone delivered.

How clean is it, and what about durability? In two words; Very Good

Conclusion

I’m told that the company started because one of its founders (Sami Marttinen) had a very bad experience trying to buy a refurbished phone online. This makes sense to me because with Swappie every step of the process things are clear, fair en easy to understand. I do have to answer one final question:

What if I don't like the device shipped to me? You can return a device because for example you do not like it, within two weeks after delivery

My conclusion is this one; I can see why platforms like Swappie are gaining momentum and for various reasons. But with a very pleasant process and the quality of service and goods delivered very good you would have to be mad not to consider refurbished devices in the future.