A Dead Pixel #
My wife’s Google Pixel 6 Pro had taken a few tumbles more than it could handle recently and was having display issues.
3 quarters of the screen was blacking out and flickering most of the time, it’s a miracle it’s still going but i needed to sort it out in case it died at a critical time.
I had a few solutions in mind:
1. Order a new screen from eBay (60£)
- The screen does not come with the fingerprint scanner; it would need to be transferred over from the old device and recalibrate using googles computer software.
2. Order a new screen from AliExpress (£30)
- same as above, would need to transfer the fingerprint sensor and there is no telling if it would even work with the AliExpress screen
3. Buy a brand-new phone
- New flagships these days go for around £1000, and the advancements lately have all just been AI hype, there is not really much in terms of upgrades at the moment.
4. Buy another Pixel 6 Pro (Refurbished)
- Ultimately this is what i settled with, the wife had enjoyed her short time with the pixel and was happy with another.
I may still buy the screen from AliExpress anyway and replace it so i can use the broken pixel for development projects i have in mind.
(I currently have my old Samsung Galaxy Note 8 running a home CCTV system)
Pixel Hunting #
Now i just needed to find a good price, my regular place for purchasing refurbished phones was MusicMagpie, but for some reason they no longer sold the Pixel 6 Pro, earliest was the Pixel 7 Pro for £220 in their lowest tier “Good” condition.
It’s a shame since i have always had a good experience with the quality of their refurbishments. My S22 Ultra was in their lowest tier marked as “Good” and was in such “good” condition that it still had the manufacture’s protective stickers on the sides of the device.
Hunting around other refurbishment stores found multiple prices all varying between the £140-£250 range.
The iOutlet #
I came across The iOutlet on eBay, the same model and colour as the broken one for £169.99 in “Good” condition.
I checked their recent feedback on phones marked in the same condition to see customer reviews, all were positive that I could see so I went ahead with the purchase.
The phone was posted out the next working day and delivered the day after.
It came with a free USB-A to USB-C Cable for charging, a sim pin ejector and a few leaflets and a sticker stating the battery health was 87%.
The Condition #
The iOutlet has 4 different conditions listed:
1. A+ Grade – Pristine
- Like new condition used product with no signs of wear. Item has been fully tested in full working order.
2. A Grade – Excellent
- Excellent condition used product with little or minor signs of wear. Item has been fully tested in full working order.
3. B Grade – Good
- Good condition used product that will show moderate signs of wear across the device. Item has been fully tested and in full working order.
4. C Grade – Average
- Average condition used product that will show signs of heavy wear but has been fully tested and in full working order.
Good condition? #
Upon inspecting the overall condition of the device, the sides had very noticeable dints, chips and scuffs to it. the backside had plenty of blemish’s. Not a deal breaker since it will be spending the majority of its life inside a case however i did think the scuffs around the sides were more than “moderate wear”
The display has many light scratches you would expect from such an old device, the types of scratches you could only see if positioning a certain way to see the light reflecting off them, however in the centre left of the screen there was a noticeable deeper scratch, one that it a lot more noticeable.
The Verdict #
Don’t get me wrong for this price the flagship pixel is still a steal! However, i did feel like the condition was nowhere near as good as what MusicMagpie offers.
In my opinion this B Grade “Good” would suit more of a C Grade “Average”, It just isn’t in “Good” condition in any way shape or form.
I’d like to think if i tried to sell this to someone and told them it’s in “Good” condition i wouldn’t get very far with the sale.
While you get what you pay for is certainly a term that applies here, I can’t help but wonder if there was maybe a mistake at The iOutlet and they sent me a lower quality device by accident, I’ve had refurbished mobiles from MusicMagpie, CEX and other’s before but this is currently the worst quality i have experienced.
It will still do the job, certainly not worth the hassle returning, although they did include a returns slip so I’m sure the process would be simple.
Still, it’s much better than the old Pixel, and it was never supposed to be an upgrade. Just a quick fix.
I will probably avoid going back for another device in the future and stick to MusicMagpie going forward, So far, they have been the best value for money especially when taking advantage of eBay 20% off coupon sales.
