What Really Happens When You Trade-In an iPhone at Reboxed®

So, you’ve finally decided to sell your iPhone. And you’ve chosen Reboxed®.

Maybe it’s got a few scratches, maybe the battery is giving up halfway through the day, or maybe you’ve just upgraded to the latest shiny model and don’t know what to do with your old one.

At Reboxed®, we love that moment  because it means your phone’s story isn’t over. Far from it. It’s about to begin a new chapter.

The second-hand phone market is booming. In fact, it’s already worth more than $60 billion globally and growing faster than the new phone market. In the UK, more people than ever are choosing refurbished tech, not just to save money but because it’s the smarter, greener option.

But what actually happens when you hand over your iPhone to Reboxed®? How does it go from “dirty old phone” to a reboxed device that’s practically indistinguishable from buying new  but costs hundreds less? Let’s break it down.

Step 1: Why Trade-In At All?

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of refurbishment, let’s talk about why trading in even makes sense.

If you leave your old iPhone in a drawer, it loses value every single day. Within a year, it’s worth 30–40% less. By trading it in with Reboxed®, you unlock that value while it still means something  money in your pocket, or credit towards your next device.

And the alternative? Letting it gather dust while you overpay for the latest model, when in reality, there’s very little difference between, say, an iPhone 13 and an iPhone 16. The design barely changes. The cameras improve in tiny increments. The processor gets a marginal bump. But in day-to-day use of TikTok scrolling, WhatsApp messages, photos of your dog, you’ll barely notice.

The biggest difference? The battery. That’s it. And here’s the kicker: many Reboxed® iPhones come fitted with a brand-new battery as part of our refurbishment process. So in some cases, you’ll get better battery life than someone with a two-year-old brand-new iPhone.

Step 2: The Data Wipe

The very first thing we do when your phone lands at Reboxed® HQ is wipe it clean. And we mean properly clean. Using certified software, every bit of your personal data - photos, texts, passwords, even your dodgy notes app confessions gets securely erased.

No phone moves forward until it’s completely blank, giving you total peace of mind.

Step 3: The 70-Point MOT

Next up, diagnostics. Think of this like an MOT test for your phone. We run each device through a 70-point check, covering everything from the touchscreen to the camera, Wi-Fi, speaker, Face ID, microphone and more.

If something’s off, our technicians repair or replace the part. Screens, batteries, buttons - whatever it needs, we fix it. Our goal? To make sure every Reboxed® phone works just as well as the day it came out of the Apple Store.

Step 4: The Glow-Up

Now it’s time for the spa treatment. Every phone gets a deep clean - we’re talking toothbrushes, microfibre cloths, specialist solutions and a lot of elbow grease.

By the time it leaves the table, the phone looks and feels like something you’ll be proud to use. No sticky fingerprints, no mysterious pocket lint. Just a sleek, Reboxed® iPhone ready for round two.

Step 5: Grading

Not every phone comes out looking box-fresh. That’s why we grade them.

• Pristine: Looks brand new.

• Excellent: Minor signs of use.

• Very Good: A few cosmetic scuffs but nothing serious.

• Good: Solid value if you don’t mind a bit of character.

This way, you know exactly what you’re paying for. And whichever grade you choose, the insides are always guaranteed to be in top working condition.

 

Step 6: Reboxing

Finally, we box the phone up in our eco-friendly packaging (no plastic, no wasteful extras) and pair it with a charging cable. Each device comes with a 12-month warranty as standard, so you can buy with total confidence.

Why Reboxed® Exists: Our “Why”

Here’s the truth: Apple and the networks have conditioned us to believe we need a brand-new iPhone every 12–24 months. But the reality? Modern iPhones are built to last years. The only thing that really ages is the battery, and we fix that.

Every time someone buys new instead of refurbished, another perfectly good device gets wasted, more carbon is pumped into the atmosphere, and more precious metals are dug out of the ground. It’s a cycle we’re here to break.

Reboxed® exists because we believe great tech shouldn’t cost the earth — literally or financially. We make it possible to own the iPhone you want at a price that makes sense, while keeping devices in circulation and cutting e-waste.

The Money Bit: How Much You Can Save

Here’s where it gets interesting. On average, buying a Reboxed® iPhone saves you 20–40% compared to buying new.

Take the iPhone 13, for example. A brand-new iPhone 16 today might cost you upwards of £1,000. A refurbished iPhone 13 in pristine condition? Around £400–£450. That’s a £550 saving, enough for a weekend away, a new laptop, or, let’s be real, your energy bill for the month.

And remember, the real-world difference between those two phones is tiny. Same iOS updates. Same apps. Same everyday performance. One just costs double the price because it has a shinier name.

The Planetary Bit: Why Refurb Matters

This isn’t just about saving money. It’s about saving the planet.

Every brand-new iPhone comes with a carbon footprint of around 70–80kg CO₂e before you even take it out of the box. Multiply that by hundreds of millions of devices sold each year, and you start to see the problem.

Add to that the mining of rare earth metals, the e-waste crisis (over 50 million tonnes of e-waste are generated globally each year), and the fact that most phones end up in landfill, and you can see why the current system is broken.

By choosing Reboxed®, you’re cutting that footprint in half. Every Reboxed® phone saves around 50kg of carbon compared to buying new. Multiply that by the thousands of devices we process, and the impact is huge.

The Obsolescence Myth

Phone manufacturers have a vested interest in making you feel like your device is outdated every two years. But software updates continue for years. An iPhone 13 will run the latest iOS updates just like an iPhone 16.

And if your biggest gripe is battery life? That’s the easiest part to fix. At Reboxed®, many of our iPhones come with brand-new batteries, meaning you might actually get better day-to-day use than someone who bought theirs new two years ago.

Who Wins When You Trade In?

• You, because you get cash back or a discount on your next device.
  The buyer, who gets a premium iPhone at a fraction of the price.

• The planet, because we keep perfectly good tech in circulation.

• Us, because we get to keep building a business that proves refurbished is the future.

The Circle of Reboxed® Life

From the moment you trade in your iPhone to the moment it’s Reboxed® and in someone else’s hands, the process is about extending the life of great technology. Instead of another phone going to waste, it gets a second chance.

And when the time comes, the cycle repeats. Trade in, refurbish, rebox, reuse.

If you’ve been trained to believe that “new” is always better, it’s time to rethink. At Reboxed®, we’re proving every day that refurbished tech is just as good — if not better — than brand new.

Because saving money should feel good. Saving the planet should feel good. And pulling a pristine iPhone out of a Reboxed box? That feels very good indeed.

If you got an old device gathering device, why not trade it in with Reboxed® and get instant value back. Start Your Trade-In