Samsung Galaxy S24 – Save £720
That's £576 on your Airtime Plan and £144 on your phone. Ends 11 July.
Google Pixel 8 – Save £756
That's £576 on your Airtime Plan and £180 on your phone. Ends 25 July.
UK's only Lifetime Service Promise
Every phone comes with Battery Refresh and Lifetime Warranty at no extra cost.
VeryMe Rewards
Enjoy weekly discounts and giveaways built around what you love
Roaming
More destinations than any other UK network.
The Nation's Network
We’re here to connect you to the people and things you love on our reliable, award winning network
Mobile Phones
Whatever your style or budget, choose from the latest Pay monthly or Pay as you go phones below.
Pay monthly phones
Apple
iPhone 15 Pro 128GB
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£25 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£11 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy S24 5G
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£18 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£7 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone 15 Plus 128GB
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£23 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan ( £15 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Pixel 8
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£13 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£7 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy Z Flip5
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£22 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£7 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£31 a month) with a 24-month 3GB Airtime Plan (£20 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone 14 128GB
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£17 a month) and 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£15 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy A55 5G
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£12 a month) and 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£15 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Motorola
Razr 50 Ultra
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£21 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£7 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Pay as you go
Refurbished phones
Looking for a deal which is friendlier to the planet and your pocket?
Check out our refurbished phones including refurbished iPhones and refurbished Samsung phones
Apple
iPhone 12 64GB (Refurbished - Good)
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£11 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£11 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone 13 128GB (Refurbished - Good)
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£10 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£11 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB (Refurbished - Good)
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£11.50 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£11 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone 12 Pro 128GB (Refurbished - Pristine)
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£12 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£15 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy S22 Ultra (Refurbished - Pristine)
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£15 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£15 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone 13 128GB (Refurbished - Great)
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£10 a month) with a 24-month 3GB Airtime Plan (£20 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone 12 Pro 128GB (Refurbished - Great)
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£10 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£15 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone 12 64GB (Refurbished - Great)
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£7 a month) with a 24-month 8GB Airtime Plan (£15 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone SE 3rd Gen 64GB (Refurbished - Great)
On a 36-month Phone Plan (£5.50 a month) with a 24-month 3GB Airtime Plan (£20 a month)
*Airtime price increases each April by Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPhone SE (3rd gen) 64GB (Refurbished - Great)
with a £10 Pay as you go Bundle
Apple
iPhone 12 (Refurbished - Great)
with a £10 Pay as you go Bundle
Apple
iPhone 11 (Refurbished - Great)
with a £10 Pay as you go Bundle
Apple
iPhone XR (Refurbished - Like New)
with a £10 Pay as you go Bundle
Apple
iPhone SE (3rd gen) 64GB (Refurbished - Like New)
with a £10 Pay as you go Bundle
iPads and tablets
Get the latest iPad and tablets with a monthly data allowance, so you can keep doing the things you love on the go.
iPads
Apple
iPad 10.2 (9th gen)
25GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£10 a month) with a 24-month 25GB Data Plan (£6 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPad (10th gen)
1GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£13.50 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)
1GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£30 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
1GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£24 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
1GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£15 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
1GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£19 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) with Nano-texture glass
1GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£44 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Apple
iPad mini 8.3 (2021)
1GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£15 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Tablets
Samsung
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
25GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£25 a month) with a 24-month 25GB Data Plan (£6 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab A9
1GB data
On a 36-month Tablet Plan (£4.50 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£4 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab S9 FE 5G
4GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£11.50 a month) with a 24-month 4GB Data Plan (£8 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
1GB data
On a 36-month Tablet Plan (£11 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£4 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G
1GB data
On a 36-month Tablet Plan (£8 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab S9+
1GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£23 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab S9
1GB data
On a 48-month Tablet Plan (£19 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
Lenovo
Tab M10 Plus (Gen 3)
1GB data
On a 36-month Tablet Plan (£7.50 a month) with a 24-month 1GB Data Plan (£12 a month)
*Data monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year + 3.9%.
More of the good stuff
Big deals on The Nation's Network
As The Nation's Network, we're proud to bring you a range of offers on plans, phones, tablets, smartwatches, and more this summer.
Already with us?
If you're an existing customer looking to upgrade your current plan or buy an additional plan, then we've got some exciting offers for you.
Frequently asked questions
A mobile phone is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls wherever it has connection to a mobile network.
Most digital mobile phones now support a variety of other functions including text messaging, multimedia messaging, internet access, satellite access, Bluetooth, gaming photography and more.
Mobile phones can largely be split into two categories - smartphones and non-smart phones.
Smartphones tend to be powerful touchscreen devices, with lots of different applications and functions.
Non-smart phones often have physical buttons, and are primarily for calling, texting, though some can also connect to the internet and take photos.
Smartphones can be split into two major categories based on their operating systems - iOS (Apple's operating system) of which the latest version is iOS 16, and Android - the latest version is Android 13.
Some smartphone companies are developing their own operating systems separate to these two.
If you're looking for a phone, you can get one with a Pay monthly contract or a Pay as you go contract.
If you're just looking to connect your existing phone to our network, we have a great range of SIM only deals
We also offer a range of other options including Broadband deals, Tablet deals and Watch deals
The 10 most popular smartphones change often, but usually the latest releases of smartphones tend to be the most popular at the time.
For example:
If you're eligible for Lifetime Service Promise, this means you have Lifetime Warranty and Battery Refresh included at no extra cost as part of your Phone Plan.
What's Lifetime Warranty?
We'll cover your device for repairs against manufacturer faults for as long as you have a Pay monthly Airtime Plan with us. See terms and conditions
What's Battery Refresh?
If our Battery Refresh Tool shows your phone battery is struggling to keep up, we'll replace it. Simply visit us in store and we'll send it off to be replaced, free of charge. Our Battery Refresh covers you for two to three years, dependent on the length of your plan. See terms and conditions
Who's eligible for Lifetime Service Promise?
Any customer who bought a phone on Vodafone EVO from 26 July 2023 onwards is eligible for Lifetime Service Promise. This includes all refurbished phones.
Legal terms
Saving claims verification: see details on the relevant product page.
VAT: All pricing inclusive unless stated otherwise. For prices stated exclusive of VAT, the VAT rate payable is 20%.
Gift with Purchase: See details on product page including any additional terms.
*Annual Price Rise
Pay Monthly Plans (excluding Home Broadband): The monthly price and all out of bundle charges will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate published in January of that year + plus an additional 3.9%. If you have a Device Plan, this will not affect your monthly Device Plan payments: vodafone.co.uk/pricechanges
Home Broadband: The monthly price will increase each April by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January that year, plus an additional 3.9%. See vodafone.co.uk/pricechanges for details.
Pay Monthly
Minimum term agreement, eligibility, credit check and terms apply.
Vodafone EVO
Representative example for Device Plans:
Example Device Plan breakdown | |
|---|---|
Total cost of device | £1,000 |
Upfront cost | £100 |
APR | 0% |
Total credit amount | £900 |
Length of contract | 36 months |
Monthly Device Plan cost | £25 |
Figures used in the above (other than the representative APR) are for illustrative purposes only.
Device Plan: means devices purchased from Vodafone under a Consumer Credit Agreement such as phones (Phone Plan), smartwatches (Watch Plan), tablets (Tablet Plan) and laptops (Laptop Plan).
Vodafone EVO:
For Mobile: lets you select a monthly Device Plan Credit Agreement (3-36 months) with a monthly Airtime Plan. Phone Plans over 12 months require a 24-month Monthly Airtime Plan. You can pay off your Device Plan early, and if you do, you can then keep your Airtime Plan on a 30-day contract or leave. If your Airtime Plan ends for any reason, you will need to keep on paying your monthly Device Plan (either in full or monthly)
For Smartwatches: lets you select a monthly Device Plan Credit Agreement (over 3-36 months) with a monthly Connectivity Plan. Watch Plans over 12 months require a 24 month Connectivity Plan. You can pay off your Device Plan early, and if you do, you can keep your Connectivity Plan on a 30-day contract or leave. If your Connectivity Plan ends, the Device Plan is still payable (either in full or monthly). Watch Plans require a Vodafone pay monthly airtime plan and a Connectivity Plan (via Vodafone OneNumber)
For Laptops / Tablets: lets you select a monthly Device Plan Credit Agreement (3-48 months) with a 24 month Data Plan. You can pay off your Device Plan early, and if you do, you can then keep your Data Plan on a 30-day contract or leave. If your Data Plan ends for any reason, you will need to keep on paying your monthly Device Plan (either in full or monthly)
Upgrade from month 3: means a) buying a new Device Plan (which is a credit agreement) and an Airtime/Data/Connectivity Plan (as applicable) and b) either (i) paying off the remaining amount on your current Device Plan prior to upgrading, or (ii) paying for your current Device Plan along with your new Device Plan. Subject to credit check, eligibility and terms.
Trade-in Guarantee: Available when you trade-in an eligible device using our Trade-in Tool, and purchase a new Vodafone Pay Monthly Airtime Plan. Your Trade-in value is guaranteed for 7 days from the date of your Trade-in Quote. Device must be returned within 14 days of the start of your new Airtime Plan and meet our requirements. You can select to receive your Trade-in value via a monthly airtime saving, a credit to your Vodafone account, or a bank transfer. Please see our Trade-in Guarantee terms and conditions, which also details the eligibility criteria.
Trade-in Bonus: Available when we're running a Trade-in Bonus promotion, where you could get an additional bonus on top of the trade-in value for the phone you're trading in, when you buy a new phone. Eligibility for the bonus and the bonus value may vary depending on which phone you're trading in and which new phone you're buying. Please see our Trade-in Bonus terms and conditions, for more information.
Unlimited data: available on Unlimited Lite Plan (max download and upload speed of 2Mbps), Unlimited Plan (max download and upload speeds of 10Mbps) and Unlimited Max Plan. Speed may vary by a number of factors.
5G: You must have a 5G enabled device on the Vodafone 5G network, a Vodafone 5G plan and 5G coverage in the area that you are in. Coverage may be affected by a number of factors. Find out more about our 5G network
5G Ultra: You must have a 5G Ultra enabled device on a Vodafone Pay Monthly plan purchased after 24 February 2023, and be in an area covered by our 5G Ultra network. Coverage may be affected by a number of factors. Find out more about our 5G Ultra network
Buy-Back Price Guarantee: Customers who bought an eligible phone from Vodafone and trade that phone in via our Trade-in Tool (in a good working condition), whilst upgrading to a new phone and Airtime Plan within the required timeframe, will be entitled to receive a guaranteed buy-back price. Buy-back price varies depending on model variant. Terms apply
iPhone 14 - trade in between 1 September 2023 and 31 October 2023
Samsung Galaxy S23 - trade in between 10 January 2024 and 1 April 2024
iPhone 15 - trade in between 1 September 2024 and 31 October 2024
The UK's Best Phone Buy-Back Price Guarantee: 'UK's Best' because we:
i) guarantee future buy-back price
ii) offer flexible payment options
iii) don't charge extra
iv) offer flexibility to trade in and upgrade from month 3; and
v) boost the trade-in value by £50 vs major competitors.
Details and verification: vodafone.co.uk/buy-back
Roaming
Roaming: using your home data plan to roam in Zone A is included in all of our Pay Monthly plans. For roaming in other destinations, charges will apply depending on which plan you are on.
Roaming Passes: For Pay Monthly customers without European roaming included in their plan, you can purchase an 8 or 15 day European roaming pass to use your monthly UK allowance of calls, texts and data in our Zone B destinations. The 8 day pass is £12 and the 15 day pass is £17. Out of bundle charges such as picture messages, premium calls or premium texts are not covered by this charge. These passes are subject to a 25GB roam fair use policy. Passes become active when you start roaming and only one pass can be used at a time. For more information and terms, visit our roaming page
Mobile Specific Small Print
Lifetime Service Promise: means a) Lifetime warranty covering manufacturer's defects, provided you have an active pay monthly Airtime plan + b) Battery refresh replacing your phone's battery (for 2-3 years) if it fails one of the Battery refresh tool tests. On phones purchased directly from Vodafone.
Lifetime Warranty: is an extended warranty covering manufacturer's defects (on phones purchased via Vodafone directly), provided you have an active pay monthly Airtime plan. Excludes damaged and tampered phones. Terms apply
Battery Refresh: replaces your phone's battery if it fails one of the Battery Refresh Tool tests. Available for up to three years depending on your plan. On phones purchased via Vodafone directly. Excludes damaged and tampered phones. Terms apply
UK's Only Lifetime Service Promise: Vodafone is the only network that offers both i) Lifetime Warranty which covers your phone for manufacturer defects provided you have an active pay monthly Airtime plan, and ii) Battery Refresh which offers phone battery health checks and required replacements for up to 3 years. Terms apply
Smartwatch Specific Small Print
Smartwatch: requires a) Vodafone pay monthly Airtime plan, and b) 12 or 24 month Connectivity Plan (via Vodafone OneNumber). Watch Plans over 12 months require a 24 month Connectivity Plan. Terms apply
Vodafone OneNumber Connectivity Plan ('Connectivity Plan'): uses your minutes, texts and data allowance from your Airtime Plan using Vodafone OneNumber. You must have an Airtime Plan with us in order to purchase a Connectivity Plan. Smartwatch Connectivity plans can be bought for a smartwatch you already own, or for a new smartwatch you purchase through us. Tablet Connectivity plans can only be bought for a tablet you already own.
Two-Year Warranty (formerly called Total Care Warranty) is a 24-month warranty that starts from the date your device (purchased from Vodafone), is dispatched. This covers manufacturer's defects in the materials and workmanship of the device through normal use. Excludes damaged and tampered devices. Not applicable with Laptops. Terms apply
Tablet Specific Small Print
Two-Year Warranty (formerly called Total Care Warranty) is a 24-month warranty that starts from the date your device (purchased from Vodafone), is dispatched. This covers manufacturer's defects in the materials and workmanship of the device through normal use. Excludes damaged and tampered devices. Not applicable with Laptops. Terms apply
Pay As You Go
Unlimited Bundle: An Unlimited Pay as you go Bundle lasts for 30 days. Your bundle will automatically renew every 30 days if you have enough credit. To opt out call 2345. Includes unlimited data and unlimited minutes and texts: minutes to standard mobiles and landlines (UK: 01, 02, 03) and standard texts (excluding MMS) to use in the UK and Zone A. Unlimited Bundle terms, exclusions and destinations
Pay as you go Bundles (Big Value Bundle) excluding Unlimited Bundle: Unlimited minutes to standard mobiles and landlines (UK: 01, 02, 03), standard texts and a set allowance of data (excluding Extras) to use in the UK and Zone A. Last 30 days. Automatically renews every 30 days if you have enough credit. Opt out by calling 2345. Pay as you go Bundles are also known as Big Value Bundles. For more information, please visit our Pay as you go Bundles terms and conditions page
Total Rollover: Any unused allowance from your current Pay as you go Bundle will only rollover from one bundle to the next, for use in the next 30-day period, if your Pay as you go Bundle renews automatically.
Pay as you go 1: You'll pay just £1 each day you use your phone, which gives you: Unlimited minutes, Unlimited texts, 50MB of data to use until midnight. For more information, please visit our Pay as you go 1 terms and conditions page
Roaming: Your data usage is for use in the UK and Zone A destinations only, unless you purchase one of our roaming extras. For more info and destinations beyond Zone A, visit our extras page. For terms visit our terms and conditions pages
Pay As You Go Plus
Pay as you go Plus plan: My Vodafone app required. UK and Zone A use only unless Roaming Extra purchased. Minutes to standard mobiles and landlines (UK: 01, 02, 03), standard texts and plan data allowance (excluding Extras). Auto-Renews every 30 days if opted in via My Vodafone app and payment card added. Purchase Extras and manage payments through My Vodafone app. Plan stops after 30 days if paused or cancelled (by opting out of Auto-Renew). If opted out and you do not choose another plan, you can only receive inbound calls and texts once your 30-day plan ends. You must opt back in and re-purchase a new plan to use data, minutes, send texts or buy Extras. For terms and more information see the Pay as you go Plus terms and conditions
Roaming: Your data usage is for the UK and Zone A destinations only, unless you purchase one of our roaming extras in the My Vodafone app. Your extra will run until the day it expires (at 11:59pm UK time) or when it is used up, whichever is sooner. For more information on roaming destinations, see our roaming page or the My Vodafone app. For Extras terms, see the terms and conditions page
Home Broadband
Home Broadband: For details and terms see our Home Broadband page
Full Fibre: Vodafone is the largest Full Fibre provider in the UK with Full Fibre available to 15.1 million out of 31.9 million premises - approximately 47% UK coverage (31.9 million premises from: Ofcom, Connected Nations 2023: UK report and Methodology annex
Insurance
These terms are available in our terms and conditions pages
If you're a consumer go to Consumer then Insurance then Insurance terms and conditions
If you're a sole trader go to Business then Insurance then Insurance - Current
Very Me
VeryMe Rewards: See My Vodafone app for end dates and full terms and conditions. Pay as you go customers must have topped up at least £10 credit on their account in the last 6 weeks to participate. Pay as you go Plus customers must have Auto-Renew switched on to participate in certain prizes and competitions.
VeryMe won A Silver in the Brand Partnership Activation of the Year category and a Gold in the Loyalty Activation of the Year category at the 2020 IPM Awards. See verification on the IPM website
VeryMe helped Vodafone win Best Network for Loyalty and Retention at the Mobile Industry Awards 2020. See verification on the Techrader website
Vodafone VeryMe, TMW Unlimited and Mando-Connect won Best Use of CRM at the Loyalty Magazine Awards 2020. See verification on the IPM website
Network
Reliable, award-winning network: The UK relies on Vodafone as a network provider as it:
i) powers critical national infrastructure and 82% of Emergency Services (see our Public Sector Portal for further information),
ii) has coverage in 99% of UK homes,
iii) covers 96% of the UK's landmass; and
iv) has won numerous awards
See full details and awards on our Network page
The Nation's Network: Vodafone UK, supporting the nation since 1984. See full verification of the substantiation [PDF: 1.24MB]
For full terms and conditions, visit our terms and conditions page
Finance subject to status and credit checks. 18 +. Direct debit required. Credit provided by Vodafone Limited, FCA reference Number: 712210, Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2FN
Buying a refurbished phone has a lower carbon footprint than buying a new one
Substantiation:
A life cycle assessment study (Pamminger, R., Glaser, S. and Wimmer, W., Modelling of different circular end-of-use scenarios for smartphones. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment (2021) 26:470-482) found that a refurbished phone (used for an average 1.93 years) can have a 55% lower contribution to climate change (or 'GWP') compared to a new phone (used for 2.5 years) (according to the study results shown on page 479).
Based on this study, buying and using a refurbished phone can be considered to be kinder to the planet in comparison to buying and using a new phone, because it has a lower negative impact on climate change.
See a consumer-friendly report of the study [PDF: 177KB]
For the full study, see the Springer Link website