Best Refurbished Phones With AI Features
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You don’t have to spend $1000+ to get awesome AI features on your next phone. All of these refurbished options from Samsung and Google ship with built-in AI features and 7+ years of software support.
And the average saving versus buying new is around 40% to 65%.
Top Google Pixel Options
Google Pixel 8 256GB – Rose Gold – Unlocked
Pixel 8's AI camera smarts at 70% off new price.
- Display: 6.2-inch OLED, 120Hz
- Processor: Google Tensor G3
- RAM: 8GB
- Main Camera: Dual rear | 10.5MP front
- 7 years of Google updates
- Excellent AI cameras
- Compact 6.2-inch 120Hz OLED
- IP68 water resistance
- Tensor G3 throttles when pushed
- 27W charging lags rivals
This is for anyone wanting Pixel cameras and long updates without new-phone prices. Back Market refurb saves 72% with 12-month warranty. Go for it—grab 128GB unless you hoard files.
Google Pixel 8 Pro 128GB – Blue – Unlocked
Pixel 8 Pro's pro camera and 7-year updates at refurb prices.
- Display: 6.7-inch Super Actua LTPO OLED, 1–120Hz
- Processor: Google Tensor G3
- RAM: 12GB
- Main Camera: 50MP wide + 48MP ultrawide + 48MP 5x telephoto
- 7 years of Android updates guaranteed
- Pro-level 5x telephoto camera
- Smooth 120Hz OLED display
- Refurb savings with 12-month warranty
- Tensor G3 lags behind Snapdragon flagships
- Hefty 213g build
Camera enthusiasts and long-term Android users should pick this for pro photo tools and updates to 2030. Refurb from Back Market saves you hundreds with solid warranty. Go for it over new mid-rangers—buy the 256GB if available.
Google Pixel 8a 128GB – Beige – Unlocked
Pixel 8a camera magic with seven years of updates for under $200.
- Display: 6.1-inch Actua OLED, 120Hz
- Processor: Google Tensor G3
- RAM: 8GB
- Main Camera: 64MP + 13MP dual camera
- Seven years of software updates
- Excellent cameras for the price
- Compact 120Hz OLED display
- IP67 water resistance
- 18W charging is slow
- Tensor G3 warms during gaming
This is for anyone wanting Pixel cameras and long updates on a budget—skip if you game heavily. Refurb at $200 saves hundreds over new with Back Market's warranty. Buy it, especially 128GB for most needs.
If you don’t mind spending a little more, check out how refurbished Pixel 9 models compare using our refurbished phone comparison tool.
Top Samsung Options
Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB – Orange – Unlocked
Flagship S Pen power at half the new price.
- Display: 6.8-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 3120×1440, 120Hz
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- RAM: 12GB
- Main Camera: 200MP + 50MP + 10MP + 12MP quad
- S Pen for real productivity
- Huge sharp 120Hz display
- Top Snapdragon performance
- Strong zoom cameras
- Heavy and bulky build
- 45W charging is slow
Go for this if you need S Pen, big screen and pro cameras without new-phone prices. Refurb from Back Market at $545-$655 with 12-month warranty is a no-brainer. I'd pick 256GB for the storage headroom.
Galaxy S24+ 256GB – Green – Unlocked
Flagship Samsung power at mid-range prices via refurb.
- Display: 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1440 x 3120, 120Hz
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 / Exynos 2400
- RAM: 12GB
- Main Camera: 50MP + 10MP + 12MP triple camera
- Huge sharp 120Hz AMOLED screen
- Fast Snapdragon/Exynos power
- Solid all-day battery
- IP68 water resistance
- Limited to Android 15 max
- No wireless charging
Grab the S24+ refurb if you want flagship Samsung screen and speed on a mid-range budget—ideal from a two-year-old phone. Back Market's pricing saves 40-50% with solid warranty. Go for it over mid-range clutter; I'd take 256GB for the small extra storage peace.
AI is here. People are divided about it but that’s not going to stop its growth. Inside phones, AI is still relatively new. We’re still getting used to it, to be honest, and what it can do for us.
I like AI, I use it to speed-up my workflows and, because it’s my job to know about these things, I’ve made sure I’ve spent a lot of time on the cutting-edge of AI tech in phones.
As noted up top, you basically have two options when it comes to the best implementation of AI inside a phone right now: Google and Samsung.
Which is best? I vote Samsung (the Galaxy S25 Plus or Galaxy S25 Ultra) but Google is well inside the mix too with its Pixel phones. Here’s how both platforms breakdown and how they compare and contrast.
Let’s break it down.
Samsung Galaxy: The Best AI Phone for Power Users
While the hardware upgrades from the S24 Ultra are subtle, the magic lies in the new Galaxy AI software, the upgraded Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, and the tight integration of tools that genuinely enhance everyday tasks.
If you’re looking for an AI phone that does more, rather than simply working in the background, the S25 Ultra is the phone to beat.
A More Refined Design, Still Built for Power
Samsung gave the S25 Ultra a slight design refresh. The sharp edges are gone, replaced by more rounded corners and a slimmer frame that make this large phone easier to handle.
It’s still big at 6.9 inches, but the thinner bezels and lighter body make a difference in day-to-day use.
The S25 Ultra is also the only model in the lineup with a titanium frame and Corning Gorilla Armor 2 glass up front, which offers better scratch resistance and reduced glare compared to last year’s model.
And yes, the S Pen is still here.
It’s tucked into the bottom edge, giving you a built-in stylus for quick sketches, handwriting, and precise control.
Samsung removed Bluetooth from the S Pen this year, so you lose Air Actions, but if you never used them, you probably won’t miss them.
Galaxy AI: Samsung’s Hands-On, Productivity-First Approach
Samsung’s Galaxy AI is designed to boost productivity, communication, and creativity.
It runs locally on-device too, thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip and its much-improved NPU, which is better for privacy and protecting your data.
Samsung has expanded its privacy and security controls for Galaxy AI, emphasising transparency and user choice. The company stated that its AI systems are designed with privacy at their core, ensuring users remain in control of how their personal data is managed and processed.
Galaxy AI combines on-device and cloud-based processing, enabling users to choose where their information is processed. Features such as Live Translate, Interpreter and Generative Edit can operate fully on-device, preventing sensitive data from leaving the phone.
Initially, Samsung’s approach to AI seemed all over the place, a little me-too.
But as it turns out, it knew what it was doing.
You have Galaxy AI which is actually very useful as well as a slew of Google Gemini features, all in one.
This best-of-both-worlds approach is smart because, when viewing a Pixel or a Galaxy phone as a potential upgrade, if you like AI, Samsung actually offers more in this regard.
What We Like About Samsung’s Galaxy AI Implementation:
- Note Assist: Automatically format, summarize, and translate notes. I use this for meetings, seminars, or jotting down thoughts on the go.
- Live Translate in Calls: Speak with anyone, in any language, during a phone call. It does real-time two-way translation, built directly into the Phone app—no third-party apps needed. My wife is Finnish, we tested it out; it works pretty darn seamlessly.
- Circle to Search (Powered by Google): Just draw a circle around anything on your screen (text, images, products, even a frame from a video) and get instant search results without leaving the app. An awesome Pixel feature now inside One UI.
- Generative Edit for Photos: You can remove objects, fill backgrounds, or reframe your shots with Samsung’s built-in AI photo tools. It’s easy to use, it works fast, and it doesn’t require third-party editing apps which speeds up post production.
💡 Pro Tip: Pair Galaxy AI with the S Pen to get the best experience—highlight, annotate, and edit with precision that touch alone can’t match.
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy: Performance Meets Intelligence
Qualcomm’s flagship SoC is custom built to run AI models natively, with up to 40% faster NPU performance than last year’s S24 Ultra.
That means more tasks stay on-device, improving speed, battery life, and privacy.
Whether you’re translating in real time, editing high-res video, or gaming with max settings, the S25 Ultra chews threw it noticeably faster than its predecessor. And its enlarged vapor chamber keeps heat under control.
Display, Camera, and Battery: All Premium, All Power-Ready
- Display: A massive 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with 120Hz refresh and 2,600 nits peak brightness. It’s brighter than iPhone 16 Pro Max and more glare-resistant than Pixel 9 Pro XL.
- Cameras: 200MP main sensor, dual telephoto lenses (3x and 5x zoom), and an upgraded 50MP ultra-wide lens. The new macro mode is excellent, and low-light performance is outstanding.
- Video: Shoot in 8K or use Log video mode for pro-level post-processing. Stabilization and color accuracy are top-tier.
- Battery: 5,000mAh with 45W wired charging and 15W wireless. While charging speeds haven’t improved, battery life is solid at over 14 hours in real-world streaming tests.
Should You Get the Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Samsung’s had a few blips over the past several years. I still think the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the ultimate phone if you’re a creator.
But the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a close second, and it also has Apple’s iPhone whipped when it comes to AI features.
The $1,299 price tag is steep but you’re getting the full package: titanium build, massive display, S Pen, and the best AI toolkit you’ll find on Android right now.
📱 Not sure if you need all the Ultra extras? The Galaxy S25+ offers a similar experience
Google Pixel: The Smartest Phone for Ambient AI
With Gemini powering the experience, and custom-built Tensor chips running the show, the Pixel delivers a level of smart, always-on assistance you won’t find elsewhere.
Google is all-in on AI and Gemini is being positioned as its next, big cash cow. The thing that’ll replace its search business inside the next decade as its main income driver.
Whether this actually happens remains to be seen. But Google’s deeply integrated approach to AI inside its Pixel line of phones tells us it is now fully committed to an AI future, whether consumers want it or not.
Why Pixel’s AI Feels More “Human”
Having used both platforms, I generally prefer the way AI works on Samsung’s Galaxy S25 phones. It’s just a more practical, action-focused implementation that suits my workflows better.
Google’s Gemini-powered AI on Pixel is impressive though, although my main concern is that Google is now handing over too much of the camera’s processes to AI.
This isn’t good for pure shutter-bugs; they like control.
Here’s what I think are the best AI features currently available inside Google’s Pixel phones.
These are the capabilities I actually found myself using day in, day out:
- Magic Eraser & Magic Editor: Remove distractions or completely reshape photos with advanced editing tools.
- Photo Unblur & Add Me: Sharpen blurry shots and ensure everyone appears in group photos automatically.
- Video Boost: Upscale video to 8K with improved clarity using AI-powered enhancements.
- Super Res Zoom: Capture lossless zoom (up to 20x) with excellent low-light performance for both photo and video.
- Gemini Assistant: Brainstorm content, summarize notes, and research topics—all on-device.
- Circle to Search: Instantly identify and search anything on your screen with a simple gesture.
- Live Translate: Real-time voice/text translations for calls, chats, and media—natural and fast.
- Camera Coach: Get live tips for framing and lighting while shooting.
- Smart Content Tools: Auto-create stickers, generate smart replies, and summarize video/audio clips for faster sharing.
📱 Recommended Models: Go with Google’s Pixel phones. Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series are best options for AI features and long-term value.