Samsung Galaxy Note Series used and refurbished
For years, the Galaxy Note stood out for one thing: the S Pen tucked inside the body. Samsung developed the series from 2011, and showed the last models, the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, in 2020. You can't buy a new Note any more. The built-in stylus moved over to the Galaxy S Ultra phones, starting with the S22 Ultra, so for a classic Note the second-hand market is all that's left.
In this category you'll find used and refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones – from the Note 9, through the Note 10 family with its Plus, 5G and Lite versions, to the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. Which versions are available changes all the time. Every phone goes through a technical check by SWOPiFY partners before it's listed and, if needed, a repair too.
Which Galaxy Note models will you find in this category?
The Note 20 Ultra is the most powerful phone in the series: a 6.9-inch 120 Hz screen, 12 GB of RAM and a microSD card slot. The regular Note 20 has a 6.7-inch 60 Hz screen, 8 GB of RAM and a plastic back instead of glass. On paper the difference looks modest. The moment you scroll, you see it.
The Note 10 and Note 10 Plus from 2019 are the models where Samsung dropped the headphone jack and the S Pen learned air gestures. The Plus has a bigger screen and more RAM. The Note 10 Lite is simpler and cheaper, but it kept the built-in stylus. The oldest, the Note 9 from 2018, was the first to get a Bluetooth S Pen, which also works as a remote for the camera or presentations.
This series makes sense above all for people who really reach for the stylus: taking handwritten notes, signing documents, sketching. If the S Pen would just sit in its slot, you're better off looking at other Galaxy series.
Why consider a refurbished Galaxy Note?
A refurbished Galaxy Note costs much less than a new Samsung phone with a built-in stylus. In Samsung's current line-up, only the Galaxy S Ultra models have one – the most expensive phones in the S series. The Note 20 Ultra gives you a very similar way of working with the S Pen for noticeably less money, as long as you're fine with an older processor and camera.
There's also the e-waste question. Nobody makes the Note any more, and every working unit that goes back into use doesn't have to be replaced by a new device. That kind of purchase isn't fully green, but it extends the life of something that has already been made once.
What should you check before buying?
The most important thing is updates. Samsung has already ended support for all Note models. The Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra received their last security patch in August 2025 and stayed on Android 13 with One UI 5.1, while the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus ended on Android 12 with a patch from August 2023. The phone works normally, but over time some apps may drop support for older Android versions.
In this category you can filter smartphones by:
- storage – from 128 GB to 512 GB;
- RAM – from 6 GB to 12 GB, depending on the model;
- colour;
- price range;
- condition.
If the Note is going to be your main phone, go for the Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra – they received updates the longest. The Note 10 or Note 9 work better as a second phone for notes, or as a cheap way to find out whether working with a stylus suits you at all. With every unit, read the condition description and make sure the S Pen is included.
What does the technical check involve?
Before a Note goes on sale, SWOPiFY partners check it against a 44-point checklist. Among other things, it covers:
- the screen – touch response and visual condition;
- the battery – health and physical condition;
- the 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.
The partners, chosen through a multi-stage selection process, also decide whether a unit needs repairing before it goes back on sale.
Can you trust a refurbished Galaxy Note?
Refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones in this category are used phones. We don't sell them as new, and we never suggest it anywhere. Every unit shows its condition grade – Premium, Very good, Good or Fair – and each grade has set requirements for appearance, battery and the parts used.
Your purchase comes with a warranty. With a phone the manufacturer no longer supports, that matters even more: if something turns out to be wrong, you have someone to turn to instead of haggling with a private seller from a classified ad.
Got a phone you no longer use?
Trade it in through the buyback programme and bring down the cost of your next purchase. No ads, no meeting buyers – and the device goes back into circulation instead of gathering dust in a drawer.
Browse the available Samsung Galaxy Note models and pick the one where the stylus will actually get used, not just stay in its slot.