Deals: Refurbished iPhone 15 models, discounts on Galaxy S24 series and foldable models

This week, all eyes were on Apple and the new iPhone 16 series. Pre-orders started this Friday and will last a week – shipping and open sales will begin next Friday.

You can pre-order on Apple.com, and if you do, be sure to check out the trade-in offers. Apple made a big deal out of them during the event. Here are the US prices for four iPhone 16 models without trade-in (they cost the same as last year’s 15 series).

Are you shopping for the iPhone 16? While you’re thinking about it, here are some alternatives. The obvious place to start is with other iPhones, so we looked at refurbished units from Amazon. Partly because they’re cheaper, but also because you can no longer buy a new iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max from Apple (but Apple.com still has the new 15 and 15 Plus in stock).

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus retain the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens as their 15-series counterparts. Yes, they still have 60Hz panels. So what’s changed? Apple’s more powerful A18 chipset and extra RAM allow the 16-series phones to support Apple Intelligence, while the 15 and 15 Plus won’t. The new models also have faster charging and new ultra-wide cameras with macro mode. Perhaps the biggest update is the camera controls and the action button, which enable a host of new shortcuts.

But looking back at the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, they have the same screens. The same 48MP main cameras and 12MP selfie cameras.

The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays. That’s good news for those who like big displays, but bad news for those who think the new models are too big. Faster charging and new buttons are also present on the 16 Pro duo. There’s also a new 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and this year the little Pro has the same 5x periscope as the Pro Max (the 15 Pro has a 3x lens).

Unlike the vanilla models, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will be updated with Apple Intelligence (available next month). The main and selfie cameras are the same, and the 15 Pro Max even has the same periscope.

You can upgrade to Android in this generation. All Galaxy S24 models have 120Hz LTPO displays and all have AI (mostly powered by Google).

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has both a 5x periscope (with a 50MP sensor, not the 12MP found in iPhones) and a 3x lens. The main camera has a 200MP sensor. There’s also an S Pen stylus, which gives this phone tablet-like features.

The Samsung Galaxy S24+ has a 6.7” display, the same size as the iPhone 15 Plus and 16 Plus. But as we noted above, instead of the outdated 60Hz panel, you get a 120Hz LTPO panel. This model also has a telephoto camera (3x 10MP).

The new iPhone 16 Pro is bigger than the Galaxy S24. And since there’s no new Xperia 5 or small Zenfone 11 coming this year, these are the last small flagships. The little S24 also has a 120Hz LTPO display and a 3x 10MP camera, for which Apple charges extra.

Apple still doesn’t have a foldable smartphone, so there’s no direct competitor to the Galaxy Z Fold6. But we couldn’t pass it up when we saw a $400 discount. It’s still expensive, but maybe now’s the time to make the switch to a foldable.

Foldable phones are arguably the better alternative to iPhones, and there are plenty to choose from. Starting with the Galaxy Z Flip6 , which you can get for $950, which is less than the price of a new iPhone 16 Pro (note: we linked to the 512GB Z Flip6 because the 256GB model had a smaller discount, so they both ended up costing the same).

Next up, we have the Motorola razr. They range in price from the fairly cheap – the razr 2023 costs just $400, which is mid-range (and to be fair, mid-range) – to the not-so-expensive razr+ 2024 at $900. If you’re not sure which one is right for you, we recommend the razr+ 2023 – it’s well-priced ($600, which is $100 less than the razr 2024) while still offering good performance (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1) and a large, usable display (3.6”, 144 Hz).

That’s it for foldable phones. We have one more phone to offer – the Motorola Edge (2024). It costs $450, but the 6.6-inch curved OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and the vegan leather back give it a premium look. It has a 50MP main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera on the back. The 5,000mAh battery supports 68W wired and 15W wireless fast charging. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset is quite slow at this price point, but the phone does come with Ready For (the Moto desktop environment).

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