Coles selling refurbished iPhones for under $500 — just in time for back to school

The timing couldn’t be better if you’re looking to pick up a phone for your child — Coles is bringing back its super-popular refurbished iPhone sale in conjunction with telco Boost Mobile.

After the success of a similar sale around Black Friday 2021, this is great news for anyone who has been looking at buying a refurbished iPhone. But you’ll need to get in fast, if the success of a similar sale around Black Friday in 2021 is anything to go by.

The convenience of being able to pick up a well-priced refurbished phone at the local supermarket  means previous sales have been a sell-out. Coles Business Category Manager, Richard Jenkins, expects this latest launch of in-store iPhones to continue the trend.

“We have seen such a fantastic response from our customers every time we have offered refurbished smartphones through Boost Mobile and we anticipate this drop, just in time for back to school, to be no different,” said Mr. Jenkins.

For many parents, buying a smartphone for their child can be difficult. Not only do you have to choose the right time, but buying the device itself can be complicated. Navigating the cost of the device, and what your child might be asking for, can make things tricky for parents.

It’s a particularly common conversation as kids prepare to return to school, according to General Manager of Boost Mobile, Jason Haynes. And refurbished iPhones are a popular choice with families that do decide to go ahead with a phone purchase, he adds.

iPhone 8 and iPhone XR on sale at Coles for under $500

Two of Apple’s most popular devices, the iPhone 8 and iPhone XR, will be available to buy as refurbished phones from Coles from January 26, 2022, until stocks run out. Here is how much you’ll pay for each device buying from Coles:

• iPhone 8 (64GB) — $279 (save $150 off regular refurbished price)
• iPhone XR (64GB) — $499

While both devices are now several years old, they still carry some decent features and specifications. The iPhone 8 comes with a 12MP rear camera and 7MP front-facing camera, fingerprint scanning, Apple Pay, Siri AI assistance and wireless charging, A11 Bionic Chip and a 4.7-inch Retina HD display.

If you want a device with a little bit more, the iPhone XR includes a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display with aluminium and glass finish, 12MP rear camera, 7MP front-facing camera, Face ID unlocking, Siri AI assistance and an A12 Bionic Chip. While the camera specs for the XR are the same as the iPhone 8, due to the more powerful A12 Bionic Chip you’ll get a better performance out of the XR cameras than you will with the iPhone 8.

While refurbished phones are phones that have been used previously, buying a refurbished device from Boost Mobile means that the phone has gone through a 72-point inspection process. This ensures that every single refurbished device that Boost sells is genuine, functional and in good aesthetic condition.

Devices have also been data-wiped and cross checked against police databases to ensure the phone is not listed as missing or stolen. All of these checks, along with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and 12-month warranty, should give you the peace of mind that buying refurbished from Boost will ensure you’re purchasing a quality device.

All phones are sold as unlocked devices (meaning you can insert your current SIM card and use your phone plan as normal), however, you’ll also get a Boost Mobile starter SIM card included. Customers picking up their refurbished iPhone in Coles stores who choose to bundle with a Boost $30 recharge will also get $10 off their plan.

If you don’t want to wait for this sale to pick up your child’s phone, or you won’t be able to make it into a Coles store, Boost Mobile is offering 10% off refurbished phones bought on its website when using the code BACK2SCHOOL at the checkout. This offer expires January 24, 2022, and terms apply.

Compare SIM-only phone plans

Whether you’re buying this phone for yourself or your child, you’ll need a phone plan to pair with the device if you don’t intend to use your current SIM card. SIM-only plans are available as prepaid (like Boost Mobile) or postpaid plans, and there are plenty of providers to choose from. Plans can be as cheap as $10, while data inclusions can start at around 1GB and go all the way up to unlimited data.

If you want to see what is out there besides plans from Boost Mobile, the below tables include a range of SIM-only plans; simply switch between the tabs to compare prepaid and postpaid plans.

Want to know what you’ll get from a Boost phone plan? The following table shows a selection of Boost Mobile prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers.

Other cheap phones for kids

If you’re not planning on buying a refurbished phone and would prefer to buy your child a new device, but don’t want to spend too much money, there are plenty of cheap phones to suit your budget.

Phone brands such as OPPO, Samsung, Realme, Nokia, Motorola, TCL and Vivo tend to offer phones for under $500, with some phones even costing under $200. Here is a small selection of devices for under $500, however there are plenty more phones available in addition to what we’ve listed.

• OPPO A15 — $239
• Vivo Y30 — $269
• OPPO A54s — $299
• TCL 20 R 5G — $349
• Samsung Galaxy A22 5G — $349
• OPPO A54 5G — $399
• Nokia G50 — $449
• Motorola Moto G 5G — $499
• Realme 7 5G — $499
• Motorola Edge 20 Fusion — $499