Honor Smartphones used and refurbished

Honor has lived through two eras. Until the end of 2020 it was a brand owned by Huawei; it was then sold to a consortium of Shenzhen companies and has operated independently ever since. On the second-hand market you can see both stories at once. That makes for a wide choice – you just need to know which period a particular handset comes from.

In this category you'll find used and refurbished Honor phones – from the foldable Magic Vs, V2 and V3, through the Magic6 Pro and the cheaper Lite versions and the numbered series from Honor 10 to Honor 200, right down to the budget X series. Before a phone goes on sale, SWOPiFY partners give it a technical check and, if needed, a repair too.

Which Honor phones will you find in this category?

The Magic line is the brand's top tier. The Magic6 Pro and Magic3 focus on the camera and performance, while the Magic Vs, Magic V2 and Magic V3 are foldables – unfold one and you get a screen close to a small tablet. The Magic5 Lite, Magic6 Lite and Magic7 Lite are the sensible middle ground: a big screen and a large battery without the flagship price.

The numbered series spans several generations. The Honor 90, 200, 200 Pro and 200 Lite tempt you with their looks and cameras, and the 70 Lite and 70 Pro Plus fill the gap between them and the older phones. The Honor 10, 20 and 30 and their Lite versions, along with the View 20, 8X and 7X, are older designs for anyone who simply wants a working phone at a low price.

The X series – from the X5 and X6a, through the X7a, X7b and X8 in various versions, to the X9a and X9b – is the easiest way into the brand. It works well as a first smartphone, a spare phone or a device for messaging and navigation.

Why consider a refurbished Honor?

A refurbished Honor phone costs less than the same model bought new. You'll feel it most with the foldables and Pro models, where the new price can be off-putting. For what you'd spend on a new mid-range phone, you can sometimes get a refurbished Magic.

There's a second, less obvious reason too. An Honor that goes to a second owner doesn't end up at an e-waste collection point – it keeps doing the job it was designed for. That doesn't make the purchase a fully green act, and we won't present it that way. It's simply a sensible use of hardware that already exists.

What should you check before buying?

With Honor, the key question is: does the phone have Google services? Older models from the Huawei days, such as the Honor 10 Lite, 20 and View 20, came with the Play Store. Some 2020 phones, for example the Honor 9C, were already shipping without it, with Huawei services instead. After the split from Huawei, Honor regained access to Google – the first such model was the Honor 50 – so newer models in global versions have the Play Store. If Google apps matter to you, check the product page.

In this category you can filter phones by:

• storage – from 32 GB to 512 GB;
• RAM – from 2 GB to 12 GB;
• colour;
• price range;
• condition.

Phones with 32 GB fill up quickly, so for longer use it's better to aim for 128 GB or more. A foldable Magic is great for working on the go, but if you usually use your phone one-handed, a model from the numbered series will be more comfortable.

What does the technical check involve?

Before an Honor goes back on sale, it goes through a 44-point checklist. SWOPiFY partners check, among other things:

• the screen – touch, display and signs of wear;
• the battery – health and physical condition;
• all cameras, front and rear;
• the fingerprint reader and face recognition;
• connectivity – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC;
• SIM card detection;
• microphone and speakers;
• ports and connectors.

It's the partners who decide whether a handset needs repairing. A phone that doesn't pass the check isn't listed in that state.

Can you trust refurbished Honor phones?

The refurbished Honor phones in this category are used devices – checked and, where needed, repaired by SWOPiFY partners. They're not new, and we never suggest they are.

Every handset comes with a warranty and one of four condition grades: Premium, Very good, Good or Fair. That way you know what to expect from the body and screen before you buy, and you can compare offers by the condition of the actual unit, not just by price.

Got an old phone you no longer use?

Trade it in through our buyback programme and bring down the cost of your next purchase. No need to post ads or arrange meetings with buyers, and instead of gathering dust in a drawer, the phone goes back into circulation.

Browse the available Honor models and pick the one that fits how you really use your phone.