Refurbished iPhone 12 Pro From Apple: Is It as Good as New???
Most people don't even realize Apple sells refurbished iPhones. They're not the sketchy, third-party refurbs you'd find at a random electronics booth. These come straight from Apple, with a fresh outer shell, certified repairs, and a full warranty. Some people even say they're better than new. Naturally, I had to find out for myself. So I bought one.
This is a 512GB gold iPhone 12 Pro, bought directly from Apple for $1,329 CAD. Yep, not cheap. But for a device that's supposedly passed Apple's strict inspection process, I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype. Most importantly: what does the inside look like? Did they actually fix anything? Would there be any clues about its past life? Was it done cleanly, or would I find something sloppy?
The Box is Definitely Not Normal
When the package showed up, the first thing I noticed was the box. It wasn't Apple's usual retail box, but it still had that classic minimalistic design with the Apple logo and "iPhone 12 Pro" printed on the top. It's simple, but a little off if you're used to buying phones new.
Cracking it open, the unboxing experience was basically identical to a new iPhone. The phone even had the protective plastic wrap. From the outside, this thing looked brand new. Zero scratches. Zero scuffs. The housing was completely flawless. Same with the screen, not a single mark.
But here’s what stood out: the SIM card tray had the correct IMEI number printed on it. That means Apple didn’t just reuse parts, they reprinted the IMEI to match the phone. That’s a level of detail you almost never see from other refurbishers.
Functionality Check: Everything Works
Before opening it up, I ran a full set of tests to make sure it all worked:
Touchscreen: I did the classic SOS slider trick, dragging it back and forth to test for dead zones. None found.
Speakers & Mics: Recorded a voice memo and played it back. Both the earpiece and bottom speaker worked fine. Microphones picked everything up.
Cameras: Autofocus worked on both front and back. No dust, no haze, no weird clicking sounds.
Battery & Charging: Initially, it came with no charge, which was weird. But once powered up, it held charge and charged normally.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular all worked.
Face ID: Instant unlock.
So far, it felt just like a brand-new iPhone. But I wasn’t done yet.
Time to Crack It Open
This is where the fun starts.
To open it safely, I used Apple’s official display removal machine. It's a heated suction tool that warms the edges of the screen and gently pulls it off without cracking anything. I threw on gloves because, hey, fingerprints ruin everything.
Once the screen was off, I got my first peek inside. Everything looked… good. Like, suspiciously good.
There were only three tiny issues:
One of the internal metal plates was slightly crooked.
One screw looked a bit over-tightened or stripped.
There were fingerprints on the metal plates, definitely not mine, since I was wearing gloves the whole time.
And maybe a fingerprint on the inside. That might’ve been mine, but I was wearing gloves, so… who knows.
Still, no obvious signs of sloppy repair. No missing screws. No bent connectors. No odd adhesives or third-party parts.
Going Deeper: The Full Teardown
I wanted to go further. So I disassembled the whole thing:
Disconnected the battery
Removed the screen
Pulled the motherboard, cameras, SIM tray, Taptic Engine, and battery
Every part looked brand-new. No wear, no rework marks, no parts that looked reused. The cameras were flawless. The motherboard had no dust or corrosion. Even the battery looked untouched.
Aside from that one crooked plate and the questionable screw, this phone was pretty much perfect.
What Apple Got Right (and Wrong)
Compared to third-party refurbishers, Apple’s work is on another level. The level of detail and cleanliness inside this phone was impressive. They clearly take the time to do it right.
But even Apple isn't perfect:
That over-tightened screw? Kinda sloppy.
The crooked metal plate? Easily avoidable.
It’s not enough to affect performance, but for a company known for perfectionism, it’s a little surprising.
Still, this is miles better than what you get from 95% of refurbishers on the market.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to buy a new iPhone but don’t want to pay full price, Apple’s refurbished section is honestly a solid option. You get a clean, like-new device, a real warranty, and repairs done by people who actually have access to the original parts. Aside from a weird box and a couple tiny flaws inside, this iPhone 12 Pro was basically indistinguishable from new.
So unless you need to peel that original plastic off the screen yourself, I’d seriously consider one of these.
See you in the next article.