SENSO is an Italian company that is growing visibly in the large market of Refurbished iPhones. It is a brand of YouniteStars SPA, the investment company of the young entrepreneur Gianmaria Monteleone, which already boasts over 130,000 customers in 16 European countries. For this reason we have decided to put the service to the test to tell you about our experience.
Before delving into the intricacies of this all-Italian company, it is only right to start with a simple question. Why should I buy someone else’s previously used iPhone? The reasons can be varied, starting with a purely economic question. A new iPhone costs a lot of money, and looking at the older models, let’s see how apple devices don’t lose much value even after some time. With a refurbished device we can save up to a few hundred euros. Doesn’t that already seem like a good reason?
Secondly, the performance of refurbished iPhones must be considered. Here, they work like new ones, have no limitations of any kind and are supplied, when necessary, with new components. What, on the other hand, could show signs of a previous life is the body. Yes, on the external appearance, in fact, it could happen to find small scratches or even small dents. However, let’s clarify it immediately, the aesthetics affects the value and therefore the more you look for it close to the new, even externally, the more it will cost you.
Another interesting aspect is certainly the actual durability of an iPhone. Compared to other devices on the market, an iPhone can guarantee high performance even for 4 or 5 years, so you can spend a lot of quiet nights before thinking about a new investment to make for your iPhone.
And finally, there is one last valid reason to consider purchasing a refurbished product. It’s good for the planet. We often talk about the circular economy and SENSO represents it perfectly, thinking about our future. In particular, the challenge is to combat the planned obsolescence of devices by giving them new life. This saves tons of electronic waste, which is always difficult to dispose of.
SENSO is a brand founded in 2019, which in a short time has conquered several European markets thanks to a business model that focuses on the quality of the products offered on its e-shop, the Made in Italy technological innovation in the regeneration processes and obviously an eye respect for the environment.
The SENSO team has engineered some of the reconditioning processes with software, proprietary technologies, artificial intelligence systems and advanced robotics. In this way, over 20,000 Apple devices per month are refurbished and shipped throughout Europe.
Buying a refurbished iPhone on Senso.it
But let’s move on to practice. Navigating on senso.it is very pleasant and simple; on the homepage it is immediately clear everything we can find in the shop and also who is behind SENSO. The young Italian reality does not hide anything, we find in fact many detailed explanations on all processes. Starting from what happens once the devices to be reconditioned are received, up to 56 tests to be performed on each product before making it available on the market, finally moving on to perhaps the most delicate issue: battery.
Yes, because the performance of a modern iPhone also depends a lot on the state of the battery. And that is why SENSO carries out careful analyzes to evaluate its status before deciding how to proceed. There are two alternatives before placing a product in the shop: if in
good condition, leave the original one or replace it. If the battery status is not 90% or more with less than 500 charge cycles, it will be replaced. And it is precisely in this case that we believe SENSO can offer that extra edge. In fact, the device not only comes with a new battery, but even one enhanced battery than the original ones.
However, there is a small drawback if we buy a device with a replaced battery. What happened to us too. We will have to make peace with an alert message that will keep us company for a few days every time the device is switched on. It is normal, SENSO also warns us in time with a note that we find in the package, because only the official Apple assistance can certify the compliance from the battery. In all other cases we will have this warning:
But doing a check with a little free software we found that the battery is actually in excellent condition, indeed it is new, without any completed charging cycle and with 100% capacity. This is an aspect that we believe is really important in order to guarantee the duration of the product for several years.
Let’s take a small step back and go back to browsing the site. Once we have satisfied all our curiosities we can proceed with the purchase. We have chosen a 64GB iPhone XS with “as new” grade and we spent € 397. Once selected, you go to the checkout where you create your account and you can choose between a free normal shipping method (order fulfillment in 72 hours) or rocket (fulfillment in 24 hours). The last step is obviously the payment with the most common methods and, moreover, an interest-free installment system without paychecks, recently introduced.
Everything is tracked, so we will be informed about the order status and delivery.
Verification of the product purchased
Our refurbished iPhone arrived on schedule and upon receipt we had the first nice surprise. All the packaging is taken care of to perfection and obviously, given the green soul of SENSO, it is all made of recycled and recyclable materials.
The packaging with which we receive SENSO’s refurbished iPhone is very nice and it’s funny that it can be reused as a piggy bank. Maybe to put in the money saved by buying a refurbished device instead of the new one.
But let’s get to the point, is what we bought on senso.it really comparable to a new device?
Open the package, after having appreciated the presence of charger, lightining cable and pin for the sim card supplied, we could not help but verify theexcellent condition of the body. To the naked eye no scratches or anything and the display looks really perfect too. In conclusion, it really is as good as new!
Updated to iOS 15, the iPhone XS behaved very well, no problems in the fluidity of operations, perfectly functional photographic module and even for calls everything went smoothly.
Is it worth buying a refurbished iPhone?
In the light of our experience, we can only be satisfied. The purchase process is quick and easy, as is the delivery time for the chosen iPhone.
SENSO can also count on excellent customer support, followed in every process and with the possibility of returning the product free of charge within 30 days. There is also a one-year warranty. You can also extend the coverage period to 24 months, just do it during the purchase phase by taking into account a small extra expense. In case of problems with the ordered device, it will be collected within 24 hours of the request and repaired or replaced within 48 hours.
In front of a refurbished iPhone, what one always wonders is if it is really worth it. The answer is yes, especially when it comes to iPhones with a few years of life behind them. This is because on the iPhone XS or XR, just to give examples, we will be able to find some really advantageous prices compared to newer models.
Not to mention that buying a refurbished product means choosing a tested, guaranteed device that we can return within 30 days should it not be to our liking. We would not encounter these three aspects if, instead of buying a refurbished one, we chose the traditional second-hand route, perhaps between private individuals.
If you want to buy on senso.it you can also take advantage of a discount code dedicated to you. Just access this link: https://bit.ly/3mN07zk. What are you waiting for?