Blackview smartphones used and refurbished
The letters BV in a Blackview model name are worth remembering. The Shenzhen company has been around since 2013 and today makes ordinary smartphones, tablets and even laptops, but it was the BV series, launched in 2015 with the BV5000, that made its name. With this brand, BV means a rugged phone: a thicker, reinforced body and a bigger battery than the average smartphone.
In this category you'll find used and refurbished Blackview phones from the rugged BV series, mainly the BV5500 and BV5500 Plus. Every handset goes through a technical check with SWOPiFY partners and, if needed, a repair before it goes back on sale.
Which Blackview phones will you find in this category?
The Blackview BV5500 and BV5500 Plus look almost identical: a 5.5-inch screen, a 4400 mAh battery and an IP68-rated body that protects against dust and water. The differences are on the inside. The basic BV5500 has 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage and Android 8.1. The Plus version gets 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, Android 10, 4G support and NFC.
These are phones for people who need something tough and simple: for fieldwork, trips, cycling or as a spare phone for calls in places where an ordinary smartphone is easily smashed. They're not models for gaming or demanding photography. Non-rugged Blackview phones from the A series also turn up on the second-hand market, but this category focuses on the BV series.
Why consider a refurbished Blackview?
A refurbished Blackview costs less than the same model bought new, even though it's a budget device to begin with. That means a rugged phone stops being an expense you have to think twice about. It's an easy purchase to justify even if the phone is just going to sit in the car in case of emergencies.
Rugged phones are designed to keep working for a long time, not to be replaced after a year. If a handset still works, it has plenty of life left in it – and it's better off spending that time in someone's pocket than in an e-waste skip. That doesn't solve the waste problem, but it doesn't add to it either.
How do you choose the right model?
With Blackview, the word "Plus" changes more than the name. The BV5500 without it supports 2G and 3G networks, but not LTE. In many European countries operators have already switched off 3G and some are planning to phase out 2G, so a phone without 4G/LTE may be left with 2G only – calls and texts, plus very slow data. Check what your operator supports. If you want to use maps, messaging apps or contactless payments, choose the BV5500 Plus.
In this category you can filter Blackview phones by:
- storage – 16 GB or 32 GB;
- RAM – from 2 GB to 3 GB;
- colour;
- price range;
- condition.
Both versions support microSD cards, so you can keep photos and offline maps on a card. You can't move apps there without restrictions, though, so the 32 GB in the Plus model gives you noticeably more room.
What does the technical check involve?
Before a Blackview phone goes on sale, it goes through a 44-point checklist. The checks include, among other things:
- the screen – touch response and the condition of the glass;
- the battery – health and physical condition;
- the rear and front cameras;
- the fingerprint reader and face recognition, if the model has them;
- connectivity – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC;
- SIM card detection;
- microphone and speakers;
- ports, headphone jack and port covers.
The checks are carried out by SWOPiFY partners – electronics refurbishment specialists chosen through a multi-stage process. If a handset needs repairing, it gets fixed before it goes back on sale.
Can you trust refurbished Blackview phones?
The refurbished Blackview phones in this category are used devices. We don't present them as new, and we never suggest they are. Each handset is given a condition grade: Premium, Very good, Good or Fair, and each grade has its own requirements for appearance and battery.
Every purchase comes with a warranty, so if the phone doesn't work as it should, you're formally protected. When you buy from a stranger through a classified ad, you usually don't get that.
Got an old phone you no longer use?
You can sell it through our buyback programme and bring down the cost of your next phone. It's less hassle than posting an ad, and a working device gets another chance.
Browse the available Blackview models and see which one suits the conditions you'll be using it in.