Nearly every refurbished seller uses grades, and almost none of them mean the same thing. The word "refurbished" isn't regulated, and neither are the letters and adjectives attached to it. So before you compare two prices, check you are comparing two of the same thing.
Grades are cosmetic
This is the part that confuses people. A grade describes marks on the glass and the frame. It does not describe whether the phone works — a properly refurbished phone of any grade should be fully functional, or it shouldn't be on sale. If a seller's lower grades also mean "might have faults", that is not a grade, that is a gamble.
What our grades mean
Excellent
Looks close to new. Nothing you would notice holding it at arm's length. If you want the phone to feel like a new purchase, this is the one.
Good
Light micro-scratches, the kind you see only when you tilt it under a lamp. Once a case is on, you will not think about it again.
Fair
Visible wear from normal use — scuffs on the frame, finer scratches on the glass. Everything works exactly as it should, and it is the cheapest way into a given model.
You will also see specific conditions named on some listings, like a small mark on the screen or faint burn-in. We name them rather than hiding them in a grade, and they are priced lower because of it.
Premium and Value: the part that matters more than the grade
A grade tells you about the outside of the phone. What it doesn't tell you is what is inside after a repair. A screen or a battery can be an original manufacturer part or an aftermarket one, and they don't perform identically.
Our Premium line is repaired with original parts. Our Value line uses aftermarket parts, costs less, and the listing names which part it is. Both carry the same 12-month warranty. When you are comparing us against another seller, that is the question to ask them: original parts or aftermarket, and which one.
Which grade should you buy?
If the phone will live in a case — and most do — Good or Fair is usually the better value, and the money saved covers a case, a screen protector and often a battery replacement later. Pay for Excellent when you want the phone to look new, or when you plan to resell it.
Whatever you choose, the protection is identical: a 32-point test before it ships, a 12-month warranty covering parts and labor, and 30 days to send it back.
Browse what we have in stock on the all phones page, or read the full buying guide.