Nokia smartphones used and refurbished

Nokia on Android smartphones is a chapter that's just closing. HMD Global, which had licensed the brand since 2016, has dropped Nokia smartphones from its range and is now focusing on phones under its own name. On the second-hand market, though, these models are still very much alive – simple, solidly built and usually cheap.

In this category you'll find used and refurbished Nokia phones, mainly from the numbered series (Nokia 5, 6, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and newer) and from the budget G series, including the G21 and G22. Before going back on sale, every handset gets a technical check from SWOPiFY partners and, if needed, a repair.

Which Nokia phones will you find in this category?

The Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 are 2017 models that kicked off the era of Android Nokias under HMD. Their successors – the 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, and later the 2.3, 3.1, 5.3, 5.4 and 6.2 – built on the same idea: clean, almost untouched Android and a body that copes well with everyday use. The Nokia 6.1 and 7.1 were part of the Android One programme, meaning they got a version of the system close to Google's own.

The G series covers newer budget phones. The G21 and G22 work well for calls, messaging apps and maps, and the G22 has an extra advantage: it was designed with DIY repair in mind. You can replace its battery, screen and charging port using official guides produced with iFixit.

Why consider a refurbished Nokia?

A refurbished Nokia costs less than a new phone with similar capabilities. These are usually some of the cheapest smartphones in the whole range, so they make a good spare phone, a child's first smartphone or a simple camera for a trip that you won't mind scratching.

There's a second reason too. A phone that still works shouldn't end up as e-waste just because the manufacturer stopped selling it. Buying a used one won't solve the waste problem, but it does extend the life of a device that already exists.

What should you check before buying?

The key issue is updates. Most models in this category ended system support long ago, and the G22 got its last major update, to Android 14, in 2024. The phone will keep working, but don't count on new Android versions. If you use a banking app, check that it supports the system version on the model you're looking at.

In this category you can filter Nokia phones by:

• storage – from 16 GB to 64 GB;
• RAM – from 2 GB to 4 GB;
• colour;
• price range, with the option to enter your own range;
• condition.

With 16 GB or 32 GB you'll soon run out of space for photos and apps, so if the phone is for everyday use, choose a model with 64 GB, such as the G21 or G22. Older models with less storage are best treated as a spare phone.

What does the technical check involve?

Before it's listed, every smartphone goes through a 44-point checklist. The check covers, among other things:

• the screen – touch sensitivity and signs of use;
• the battery – health and physical condition;
• the cameras – front and rear;
• the fingerprint reader and face recognition, if the model has them;
• connectivity – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, plus NFC on models that have it;
• SIM card detection;
• speaker and microphone;
• the charging port and headphone jack.

The checks are carried out by SWOPiFY partners, electronics refurbishment specialists chosen through a multi-stage selection process. If something isn't working as it should, the handset goes for repair rather than straight on sale.

Can you trust refurbished Nokia phones?

The refurbished Nokia phones in this category are used devices, and we never suggest otherwise. The condition of each one is described by one of four grades: Premium, Very good, Good or Fair, which makes it easier to compare two units of the same model.

Every purchase is covered by a warranty. If the phone starts giving you trouble, you have a formal route to make a claim – something you usually don't get when buying from a stranger through a classified ad.

Got an old phone you no longer use?

You can hand it in through our buyback programme and reduce the price of your next phone. You save yourself posting ads and haggling, and the device gets a second chance.

Browse the available Nokia models and pick the one that fits what you really need a phone for.