Temu Refurbished iPhone 14 Pro Review: Scam or Surprisingly Legit?
Yep, you read that right. Temu, the app mostly known for random gadgets and suspiciously cheap products, now has sellers offering renewed iPhones. Naturally, I had to grab a couple to see if they’re a complete scam or actually worth the money.
I bought two iPhone 14 Pros that were listed as refurbished. They weren’t cheap either, $858 CAD each, which is almost double what you’d pay on the used market.
Phone #1
The first iPhone out of the box didn’t look too bad. It came with: A third-party charger and cable (definitely not Apple original). The original peel and a built-in screen protector and a few scuffs on the frame, plus some dirt around the mute switch and charging port
That screen protector raised some suspicion, since refurbishers often use them to hide scratches. After peeling it off, I spotted a couple of small scratches on the display, but nothing major.
Running Apple Diagnostics
This tool is extremely useful. Once you hit Run Diagnostics, it goes through and tests pretty much every function of the phone. If the device has any aftermarket parts, it makes a point of flagging them. It’ll also tell you if there are issues with things like Face ID, Apple Pay, cameras, or sensors.
| 1. | Power the iPhone off. |
| 2. | Press and hold both volume buttons at the same time. |
| 3. | While holding the buttons, plug in a charger or cable connected to power or a computer. |
| 4. | Keep holding until the Diagnostics screen appears. |
| 5. | Tap Run Diagnostics and follow the prompts. |
Basically, it’s Apple’s way of confirming both part authenticity and hardware health before anyone even opens the phone aftermarket parts.
Diagnostics Results
Once I got into Apple’s diagnostics tool on Phone #1, things were pretty straightforward. The battery health came back at 80%, which is on the lower side but still usable. Face ID worked without any hiccups, and both the front and rear cameras functioned normally. Apple Pay also passed the test, meaning the NFC chip was fully operational. Most importantly, the tool didn’t flag any aftermarket parts or software problems, which was surprising given where the phone came from. For a Temu “renewed” device, that’s not a bad start.
What’s On The Inside?
Opening the phone was the real test. Getting inside was tough, which usually means the waterproof seals are still intact. And sure enough, inside it looked untouched.
Inside the phone, everything checked out perfectly. All of the components were genuine Apple parts, with no signs of repairs or tampering anywhere. Even the water damage indicators were still bright white, which means the phone had never been exposed to liquid.
For something sold as “renewed,” this iPhone was basically an untouched original.
Phone #2
The second iPhone out of the box looked even better than the first. Right away, the body was noticeably cleaner, no scuffs, no scratches, and not even the faintest bit of dirt around the mute switch or charging port. It almost looked too perfect.
It also came with a screen protector already applied, covering what appeared to be a flawless display. That immediately raised a little suspicion, because sometimes screen protectors are used to hide damage. But after peeling it off, the screen underneath looked close to brand new. In fact, it was so fresh that it made me wonder if the display might have been replaced at some point.
When I ran Apple’s Diagnostics tool on this phone, everything checked out:
Battery health: 83%
Face ID, Apple Pay, and cameras: All passed without issue
No part warnings or hardware/software alerts
Opening the Second iPhone
To get inside the second iPhone, I grabbed my repair jig and slid the phone into place. This tool makes opening iPhones so much easier. After carefully heating the edges to loosen the adhesive, I pried under the screen with a plastic card.
That part is always tricky you don’t want to use metal because you can easily slice through a delicate flex cable. With the adhesive softened and the card doing its job, the screen finally popped up. A few more careful slices and the display lifted right off, revealing the inside of the phone.
Opening the phone told the same story as the first unit. Everything inside was OEM Apple parts, the waterproof seals were strong, and even the screws and adhesives looked untouched, no signs of tampering or prior repairs.
Honestly, if someone had handed me this phone in an Apple Store box and said it was brand new, I might have believed them.
The Catch
Here’s where things get tricky. Both phones looked great, both passed every test, and both had untouched OEM parts inside. But when you compare them side by side, the second phone clearly pulled ahead:
| Feature | Phone #1 | Phone #2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Health | 80% | 83% |
| Cosmetic Condition | Minor scuffs, slightly dirty port and mute switch | Nearly spotless, very clean |
| Screen | Tiny scratches under protector | Looks almost new, possibly replaced |
| Accessories | Third-party charger and cable | Third-party charger and cable |
| Diagnostics | Passed everything | Passed everything |
| Inside Condition | OEM parts, seals intact, never opened | OEM parts, seals intact, never opened |
So what’s the problem? The price. At $858 CAD each, these Temu “renewed” iPhone 14 Pros were almost double the going rate on the used market. Sure, I got lucky with two pristine units, but with Temu’s reputation for fake phones and shady sellers, it’s still a gamble.
Final Thoughts
I went into this experiment fully expecting to uncover Frankenstein iPhones with aftermarket batteries, sketchy repairs, or even fake displays. But what I actually found were two devices that were practically untouched. That part was a pleasant surprise.
Would I recommend buying an iPhone from Temu? Honestly, no. The risk is still way too high and the price is nowhere near reasonable. In this case, I just happened to get lucky, the seller delivered legit iPhones that looked and worked better than I expected.
At the end of the day, the only thing that felt “refurbished” was my wallet after Temu drained it.
See you in the next article.
