Orange has been offering refurbished smartphones for some time, available on its website in a separate category. They can be purchased both free and subscription. We are today announced that Orange is the first mobile operator to include top-of-the-line refurbished terminals in its portfolio by launching the "Premium for me and nature" campaign. We have details below.
The campaign includes premium devices previously owned by other users. They have been refurbished and brought as close to their original condition as possible. Pierre-Etienne Cizeron, Chief Marketing Officer, Orange Romania, said:
What are refurbished phones?
Refurbishing a terminal is the process of returning a used product to a very good working condition. This is done by cleaning, replacing and repairing the main components. The advantages of purchasing such a phone are:
How are the prices compared to other similar platforms?
There are a few other similar services on the market, as you probably know. Thus, we decided to compare the prices charged by Orange and check where the mobile operator stands compared to other platforms. Below we have two examples of top phones that we could find both in the Orange store and on Flip.ro and OLX. Of course, each platform has its advantages and disadvantages which I will mention in the lines below.
Samsung Galaxy S20
The basic variant of last year's flagship from Samsung is sold on Orange at the price of 3,123 lei. We are talking about the variant with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. It has a 6.2 inch diagonal screen, front/back glass with Gorilla Glass 6 protection and an aluminum frame. On Flip.ro, however, I found it for 2,440 lei, the price being reduced during this period from 3,200 lei. On OLX, a Samsung Galaxy S20 5G in good condition is sold for between 1800 and 2200 lei.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro
Another premium terminal, launched by Apple in 2019. It is a very popular phone even nowadays, after the debut of the iPhone 12 range. It is built from premium materials (glass and metal) and has an advanced camera system in the rear that still makes a sensation. At the same time, the Apple A13 processor still performs excellently when it comes to performing daily tasks.
At Orange Apple iPhone 11 Pro is sold for 4998 lei. I notice that whoever opts for a Smart 15 subscription will have to pay the same amount, the terminal not having any discounts. In the case of Flip.ro, we find the phone at the amount of 2999 lei, the price being reduced from 4100 lei. We are talking about the same variant, with 64 GB of storage and unlocked to any network. On OLX, the smartphone can be purchased for between 2200 and 2500 lei in good condition and between 2800-3000 lei in excellent condition.
Conclusions
Orange also has models in its portfolio such as Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, Apple iPhone SE 2020, Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G and others. However, I could not find them all on the Flip.ro website for a fair comparison. Finally, we draw some conclusions regarding these platforms that offer refurbished phones. The advantages mentioned above remain, the purchase of such a smartphone being a gesture of responsibility towards the environment. Also, the one-year warranty offered by retailers is welcome.
OLX is a platform known to everyone, but with risks when it comes to purchasing a smartphone. We are talking about hidden problems that cannot be checked on site. Also, often the terminals are not refurbished, often having damaged batteries. However, we are talking about lower prices, as you could see above, but also about the lack of a one-year warranty, offered when purchasing a smartphone from Flip.ro or Orange.ro.
An advantage of Orange compared to other similar platforms is the possibility to purchase a refurbished smartphone with the subscription. In this case, the phones have discounts and can even be purchased in installments when a contract is extended. Also, long-time customers can use Thank You points accumulated over time to purchase models, which have triple value during this period. The mobile phone operator's portfolio is more diversified compared to Flip.ro, with models from Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, Motorola and Nokia also available. The entire offer can be consulted here!
Finally, we also invite you to express your opinion about these platforms in the comments area.