Cheap-ish iPhone sources?

So, I’m thinking I might make the switch from my el-cheapo Android ($150 moto G) to an iphone. I still don’t want to spend a lot on a phone though. I don’t really care much about bells/whistles and the camera, etc… But I do like IOS and I am a long-time (meaning forever) user of Apple’s desktops and laptops.

My carrier offers a new SE for $400, which seems to be the going rate, but I’d like to go cheaper if I can (see price of my current android). Apple has refurb 11s, but they are more than that.

are there other, trusted sources for older refurbished iphones that would work? Or do I just have to suck it up?

Apple has refurb SEs, but they’re just not stocked at this time. You might wait, but you’re not going to do better than -15%, i.e. $365 for the cheapest current SE. I will say that Apple is absolutely excellent about refurbs.

Not that I’d necessarily recommend going this route, but Amazon also has refurbs. Amazon is usually quite good about returns so this might be something you could try out without risk of getting burned.

64GB refurb iPhone SE (unlocked) in black $290

If changing carriers is an option, you might consider deals where the carrier charges you nothing for the phone, but you end up with a contract.

Hmmm, I hadn’t even considered Amazon. Definitely worth a thought.

I have purchased pretty much all of my other machines as Apple refurbs. As you note, there isn’t a huge savings, but there is something and I’ve found their refurbs to be perfectly fine.

I’m on a really inexpensive carrier now… consumer cellular. I suspect that switching to a carrier that offered me a free phone would end up being more expensive in long run. But it’s worth looking into.

I have purchased several refurbished or “scratch and dent” iPhones from Woot, which is an Amazon company. The prices seemed really good and I was not disappointed in the quality:

https://woot.com
cheap phones – risley.net

Woot is a deals site where there’s no index or search function, you just have to watch it until the thing you’re looking for pops up.

I AM ABSOLUTELY NOT CONNECTED with this seller or eBay.

I bought an SE from them about 6 months ago and all is great. I would go back again.

Thanks! Definitely worth taking a look.