Samsung Opens Certified Refurbished Galaxy Phone Sales In U.S.

by Brandon Hill — Saturday, September 03, 2016, 11:03 AM EDT

In late August, we heard some rumblings that Samsung was in the process of launching a program that would offer certified refurbished Galaxy smartphones direct to customers. At the time, it was expected that Samsung would kick off the program sometime in early 2017.

However, it appears that the South Korean electronics giant was much further along in the process than originally thought, because Samsung’s certified pre-owned and refurbished Galaxy store is open for business today. However, those looking to score a sweet deal on a refurbished Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge will need to look elsewhere — all of the phones available in the store are at least a year old.

When you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. Most of these phones are likely coming from customers that have traded up to purchase newer Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge smartphones. In addition, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge probably haven’t been around long enough for Samsung to have a sufficient refurbished inventory to sell to customers.

Smartphones that are currently available include the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3. All of the phones are carrier locked, with models available for use on Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint networks. Samsung says that all of the phones have been “Completely refurbished by Samsung engineers” and include a full one-year manufacturer warranty. You’ll also be glad to know that each phone comes with a brand new charger and new headphones (because we’re sure that you don't want to use someone else’s earbuds — yuck).

As for pricing, Samsung lists the retail price of a Verizon Galaxy S6 (32GB) at $576.99 and is selling the certified refurbished model for $399.99, representing a $177 savings. If the Galaxy S6 Edge is more up to your speed, Samsung offers a 64GB model carrier locked to T-Mobile for $499.

Although you won’t find newer phones like the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, and Galaxy Note7 in the store, we have a feeling that the latter will make an appearance in large numbers in the next few months…

Tags: Samsung, galaxy-s6, galaxy-s6-edge

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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