If you wanted to buy a secondhand or refurbished Samsung phone in the UK, you couldn’t go straight to the source – until now. Samsung has announced it is selling “certified re-newed” Galaxy smartphones for British buyers, following launches in the US and South Korea.

This new program sees Samsung take “top-grade returned” products and recondition them fit to be sold on, according to the firm. The inspection and refurbishment process sees devices cleaned and checked with “more than 100 quality tests” by in-house Samsung experts before stock is put up for sale.

All repairs use genuine Samsung parts, examples of which the firm lists as (screen, camera, speakers, sensor, NFC and antenna.

“During the restoration process, all devices are reset to delete personal data and ensure they are sold in a condition equivalent to that of a brand-new device,” Samsung said, though a footnote says: “The product may have slight external blemishes, which do not impact its functionality or performance.”

“We’re excited to expand our Certified Re-Newed program in European markets to provide customers with more options for purchasing flagship devices,” said Jun Kim, EVP and Head of Galaxy Value Innovation Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “While contributing to the circular economy, we hope more customers can experience our latest innovations, including Galaxy AI.”

The phones are packaged in new recyclable boxes and include the same accessories you would get with a new phone, though for many Samsung phones in 2026 that will be just a USB-C cable.

If you have been mulling a new smartphone and want to save a bit of cash, this could be an option for you, though at launch Samsung is only ranging the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, the latest Galaxy S flagship phones from the firm that launched in early 2025.

The online store is now live, though at the time of writing only the Galaxy S25 Ultra was in stock, the 512GB model listed for £1,153. Brand new, it cost £1,349.

It’s surprising that Samsung has not opted to range older Galaxy S phones, or any phones from its mid-range Galaxy A series. Samsung just made it easier to buy an affordable Galaxy phone in the UK.

But finally being able to go to Samsung for officially refurbished handsets is good for consumers as the popularity of secondhand devices rises.

Third-party retailers for smartphones such as Backmarket have become widely used in recent months as people look to save money on their next phone. But such sites often sell phones with damage, which, even if advertised, is not ideal, and makes shopping for an adequate phone a bit of a lucky dip.

Hopefully Samsung’s officially refurbished phones will prove a more trustworthy source of used phones, though it remains to be seen if more devices will be added to the range, and if prices are competitive with the existing secondhand market.