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iPhone 11 Pro Hot Takes Wanted: New Vs Used iPhone 11 Pro

J

johnnylarue

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 20, 2013
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Hi folks,

I'm gonna be doing some traveling this year and have decided to go camera-phone-only instead of bringing a dedicated camera along this time. Count me among those who hate the notch (I'm 100% convinced J. Ive does too) and would buy a supercharged SE in a heartbeat for the form factor, but I'm willing to live with these concessions for now.

I have an opportunity to pick up a cosmetically perfect used 256GB 11 Pro (unlocked) for about $980 USD. I've done my research and am aware of the pitfalls and safeguards of buying used. The seller is super trustworthy (meet at Apple Store, original receipt, etc.) The phone itself was a Day 1 purchase, so it has ~7 months of apple care left. Battery health is 98%. It otherwise has no issues and a quick run through diagnostics should catch anything that isn't immediately apparent.

OPTION B: I'll be spending some time in Oregon next week and can pick up a brand new phone for $1149 (tax free).

Hence my 1st World dilemma: Would you sacrifice 5 months of warranty and 2% battery health to save $169?

Please keep your answers as snarky as possible. ;)
 
Some of us have had a notch for 2.5 years, non issue, get over it :)

To answer your question i would want more than $169 off new to buy used. I could of got a new sealed pro max last week for $750AUD off retail here. Saw a 11 yesterday that was a month old and $400 off retail.

Keep looking.
 
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bobsamm said:
Some of us have had a notch for 2.5 years, non issue, get over it :)

To answer your question i would want more than $169 off new to buy used. I could of got a new sealed pro max last week for $750AUD off retail here. Saw a 11 yesterday that was a month old and $400 off retail.

Keep looking.
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Thanks for the hot take, bob!

Context: I leave a week from today and the used market here (Vancouver) is really weak at the moment. This is literally the “least worst” deal that’s come up in the 6+ weeks I’ve been looking.

Context Part 2: even the new tax-free phone option represents a savings of $200ish over the regular price in Vancouver. The used one is literally $350 USD cheaper than list price...
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EDH667 said:
Buy it new and use a credit card that adds a year or two as an extended warranty.
Click to expand...

Oddly enjoying having to itemize every element of my thought process (guess that’s why I’m doing this):

I’ve got a great travellers card with 0% currency conversion fee which I was planning to use for this purchase (Canadian buying in US), but it sadly doesn’t double the warranty like my other ones do.
 
Thanks for chiming in everybody.

Interesting that not a single person has voted in favour of the used one! For me, those savings are right on the verge of being worth it but, as evidenced by my need to post on here, not quite enough to make them a no-brainer.

Considering that I've never really had an issue with any of my iPhones (apart from battery replacements) dating back to my 4S, those 5 months of spent warranty are really just "peace of mind" months and don't hold a ton of weight, although the prospect of using credit card purchase protection to extend the warranty to 24 months on a new phone does hold some appeal on that front.

Anyway, thx again for the feedback, and if anyone else feels compelled to chime in, I'm all ears.
 
aue123 said:
nobody opts for the used one because we all know people don’t take care of their stuff..
Click to expand...

I hear that. This one has been cased and screen-protected from Day 1, and it does indeed appear cosmetically flawless in the photos I was sent. Given a clean bill of health from Apple the only real wear and tear would be to its battery (and warranty.)
 
johnnylarue said:
Thanks for chiming in everybody.

Interesting that not a single person has voted in favour of the used one! For me, those savings are right on the verge of being worth it but, as evidenced by my need to post on here, not quite enough to make them a no-brainer.

Considering that I've never really had an issue with any of my iPhones (apart from battery replacements) dating back to my 4S, those 5 months of spent warranty are really just "peace of mind" months and don't hold a ton of weight, although the prospect of using credit card purchase protection to extend the warranty to 24 months on a new phone does hold some appeal on that front.

Anyway, thx again for the feedback, and if anyone else feels compelled to chime in, I'm all ears.
Click to expand...

I’ve never had any issues with my phones either. But remember phone used to be under a thousand dollars. Now they’re way beyond that. For me to save just 169 isn’t worth it. I’d rather the extra 5 months coverage on a 1200 dollar phone
 
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johnnylarue said:
I hear that. This one has been cased and screen-protected from Day 1, and it does indeed appear cosmetically flawless in the photos I was sent. Given a clean bill of health from Apple the only real wear and tear would be to its battery (and warranty.)
Click to expand...

Apple won't know if the display has been replaced with a non-OEM part, for example. Not without opening it up.

Personally, I would opt for neither and instead get an Apple refurbished X or XS. Put those savings toward the major form factor and feature update coming this September.
 
JPack said:
Apple won't know if the display has been replaced with a non-OEM part, for example. Not without opening it up.

Personally, I would opt for neither and instead get an Apple refurbished X or XS. Put those savings toward the major form factor and feature update coming this September.
Click to expand...

Also a valid suggestion--but my travels are happening in the first half of this year, and the cameras on the X/XS really don't rate next to the 11 Pro. (Night Mode alone is a massive game changer for my intended uses.)
 
johnnylarue said:
Also a valid suggestion--but my travels are happening in the first half of this year, and the cameras on the X/XS really don't rate next to the 11 Pro. (Night Mode alone is a massive game changer for my intended uses.)
Click to expand...

I'm used to being more strategic about these things (i.e. buying a year-old phone for half the price) but the circumstances are just not in my favour this time around.
 
Nacho98 said:
Used phones are gross.

Ear jam and poop molecules in abundance, and you never know who was being a pedobear on that flash storage.

New, always.
Click to expand...

Bahahahah! Salient points all around, I admit.

I guess it's not realistic of me to expect an avalanche of "used" fans to suddenly appear and swing this poll in the other direction at this point. Maybe I'll trade in my 6S to take a bit of the sting out Apple's asking price...
 
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1rottenapple said:
I vote pedobear safe new phone lol

Honestly I would go used if its legit. Less electronic waste and you get a great phone.
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I endorse that sentiment and it certainly weighed in the balance.

Ultimately, I only change my phone every 4-5 years, so paying a bit more for a new one with the option for Applecare+ (or extended credit card warranty) kinda makes sense 'cuz I'm gonna have it for a while.

At the end of the day, though, I'm a deals-first (read: cheap af) kinda guy and an overwhelming majority of responders here seem to think that $169 isn't a steep enough discount to justify the risk, so I think 'new' wins. But if the seller decides to lower his price, all bets are off!
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John dosh said:
Buy new the feeling of unboxing it from new can’t be beaten.
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#thatnewphonesmell
 
I have just been in a similar situation, and bought my wife a second hand 64GB iPhone 11 Pro. I bought it from the high street chain CEX in the UK. It was £320 less than the Apple new price, with 2 year CEX warranty. As I bought on-line (next day delivery) I have 14 days to take into any local CEX store for a full refund no questions asked.

I buy most of Apple stuff from CEX this way but nowadays I only buy recent items and frequently take out Applecare on them. My CEX experience on older equipment is not so good, but buying stuff less than a year old and on-line has worked very well for me. Their pricing policy is not consistent and while very recently released items are often a rip off, after a few months there are often some good bargains.

I'm sure there are similar places in the US.

PS. CEX also give good exchange prices when trading in equipment towards a purchase.
PPS. I have no connection with CEX other than being a fussy customer.
 
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A little seasoning has been added to this situation as the seller seems willing to negotiate the price a bit further.
New question: At which price does this 5 month old phone become a good deal to you?
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I never bought a used phone before. However, if I was in the market for one, I would probably consider a 5 month old 256GB 11 Pro if it was priced at around $900.
 
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