Apple will be revising their iPhone warranty and return policy in South Korea due to customers that were unhappy about their current return policy. If a customer receives a defective device they will be able to exchange it for a brand new device instead of a refurbished one within 1 month of the original purchase date.

Korean iPhone customers are not happy about Apple replacing defective devices with refurbished ones that have used parts in them when the actual warranty states they are entitled to a refund, new device, or free repair. When Apple spokesperson Steve Park was asked about the new warranty policy in South Korea he declined to comment.

I’ve personally never had any issues with refurbished iPhones from Apple. I’ve actually had better luck with them than brand new out of the box units. I’ve actually heard that refurbished units undergo a more rigorous testing cycle than brand new units. Not sure how much truth there is to that but I seldom have issues.

When Apple exchanges your products are you ok with receiving refurbished units? Have you had issues with them?

Bloomberg

It appears VZBuzz has gotten their hands on some Verizon marketing material showing the iPhone 4 price dropping to $150.99. The screen also shows a plethora of Android and Blackberry price drops as well. I don’t find it hard to believe this is legitimate as many carriers and retailers have been known to drop the price of the iPhone in anticipation of a new hardware announcement — like iPhone 5 — in order to clear out inventory.

Verizon currently offers refurbished iPhone 4′s for $150, so could we see a price drop in those as well?

[VZ Buzz via 9to5Mac]

Just in time for the holidays AT&T is now offering up refurbished iPhone 3GS devices online for a discounted price with free overnight shipping and no activation fee. Both 16GB and 32GB flavors are offered as well as both black and white models.

The 16GB model is on sale for $49 while the 32GB is going for a cool $149.00. Of course the regular two-year contract is mandatory along with new activation if you want these low prices.

If any of you are in the market for a iPhone 3GS on the cheap, this is the deal you may have been looking for. Any takers?

I will be honest here and say I’ve never been a fan of any refurbished products and AT&T is not making refurbished iPhone 3G’s any more enticing. It seems that AT&T has once again gotten some stock of refurbished 16GB iPhone 3G’s and are dumping them for the price of $149.99.

So you’re saving 150 bucks from the price of a new iPhone 3G, but is getting locked into a two year contract worth it at this point as all signs point to a new iPhone coming in the next few months? How about a measly 90 day or more warranty depending on the life of that particular phone? And finally, how about the chance your refurbished phone comes with a few dings and scratches?

Refurbished Phones and Devices Refurbished phones are previously owned devices that have been unused or lightly used and returned during the 30-day trial period. Each refurbished phone is independently quality tested and loaded with the latest software to meet current factory standards. Some refurbished iPhone 3G devices will have minor scratches. Refurbished iPhone 3G devices carry a warranty of 90 days or more. For details about the warranty on your refurbished iPhone 3G go to www.apple.com/support/oss/.

We say pass on this deal and either go in for a new device or hold out until this summer for the rumored new iPhone. If you simply do not care about the above concerns, this deal is for you.

*If you do make this purchase and want to check the status of the warranty go to Apple’s site and input your serial number here.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Before the holidays we reported AT&T started to sell refurbished iPhone 3G’s on their website for $50 less than what you could buy a new device for. Well now it seems Best Buy is taking a page out of AT&T’s book. According to ars technica:

Best Buy will sell a 8GB refurb for $149 and 16GB refurb for $249. These units normally retail for $199 and $299 respectively, and normally ship with a full one-year warranty. The refurbished units will sell with at least a 90-day warranty, and possibly more. You can check the amount of time remaining on your warranty by entering the serial number at Apple’s Online Service Assistant page.

So just like the AT&T refurb deal you now have a choice to make. Save $50 on a used device with a 30 day warranty… Or spend that extra $50 and get a brand new device and a full years warranty.

One more thing to keep in mind, these refurbished devices still require a full 2 year contract commitment. Decisions decisions…

[Via ars technica]

If you were waiting for a price drop to pick up your own iPhone 3G, now might be your only chance. AT&T is now offering refurbished iPhone 3G’s on their website. 8GB’s are going for $149.99 and 16GB’s can be picked up for $249.99. Of course these prices require a 2 year service agreement.

Just a heads up on refurbished devices from AT&T:

Refurbished Phones and Devices Refurbished phones are previously owned devices that have been unused or lightly used and returned during the 30-day trial period. Each refurbished phone is independently quality tested and loaded with the latest software to meet current factory standards. Some refurbished iPhone 3G devices will have minor scratches. Refurbished iPhone 3G devices carry a warranty of 90 days or more. For details about the warranty on your refurbished iPhone 3G go to www.apple.com/support/oss/.

So what do you think? $50 price cut on a refurb make you want to finally bite the bullet? Let us know!

[Via Engadget Mobile]