Refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Back Market was the most searched refurbished phone retailer in the United Kingdom, accounting for 76.8% of all searches among the seven retailers we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Back Market and Apple Certified Refurbished were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Apple Certified Refurbished was recommended most often, coming first in three out of four responses that gave a list.
Back MarketShare of searches 76.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
Apple Certified RefurbishedShare of searches 13.6%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
musicMagpieShare of searches 5.7%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
EnvirofoneShare of searches 2.1%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
giffgaffShare of searches 1.4%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
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Top refurbished phone retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Back Market and Apple Certified Refurbished were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Apple Certified Refurbished was recommended most often, coming first in three out of four answers that gave a list. Back Market was second, and giffgaff was third. Envirofone, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Back Market4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Apple Certified Refurbished4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- giffgaff3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Samsung3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- musicMagpie1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Envirofone0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
4gadgets0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about refurbished phone retailers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where's the best place to buy a refurbished iPhone in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Is it safe to buy a refurbished phone online?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which website is best for refurbished phones?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“refurbished iphone”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“refurbished phones”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Which refurbished phone retailers do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each refurbished phone retailer by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven refurbished phone retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Back Market, Apple Certified Refurbished, musicMagpie, Envirofone. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Back Market | Apple Certified Refurbished | musicMagpie | Envirofone | giffgaff | 4gadgets | Samsung |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 78.6% | 11.5% | 5.8% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 0.63% | 0.23% |
| Nov 2025 | 79% | 11.3% | 5.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.52% | 0.19% |
| Dec 2025 | 81.7% | 9.6% | 4.9% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.54% | 0.15% |
| Jan 2026 | 77.8% | 11.2% | 7% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 0.62% | 0.17% |
| Feb 2026 | 77.8% | 11.2% | 7% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 0.61% | 0.19% |
| Mar 2026 | 76.8% | 13.6% | 5.7% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 0.61% | 0.17% |
| Apr 2026 | 78.8% | 11.4% | 5.8% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 0.63% | 0.18% |
| May 2026 | 80.6% | 9.5% | 5.9% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.52% | 0.18% |
| Jun 2026 | 80.5% | 9.6% | 5.9% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.52% | 0.18% |
| Jul 2026 | 78.9% | 11.4% | 5.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.51% | 0.23% |
| Aug 2026 | 79.2% | 11.4% | 5.8% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.42% | 0.19% |
| Sep 2026 | 76.8% | 13.6% | 5.7% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.4% | 0.18% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 76.8% | 550K | 0% | -2.5 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 13.6% | 97.1K | +22.3% | +2.1 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 5.7% | 40.5K | 0% | -0.2 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 2.1% | 14.8K | +22.3% | +0.3 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 1.4% | 9.9K | +22.2% | +0.2 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 0.4% | 2.9K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 0.18% | 1.3K | 0% | 0 points |
76.8%
Held 1st. 550K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -2.5 points.
13.6%
Held 2nd. 97.1K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +2.1 points.
5.7%
Held 3rd. 40.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
2.1%
Held 4th. 14.8K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.
5.
giffgaff1.4%
Held 5th. 9.9K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
6.
4gadgets0.4%
Held 6th. 2.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
7.
Samsung0.18%
Held 7th. 1.3K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
giffgaff sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “giffgaff refurbished”.
Which brand is most popular in search among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom?
7 brands
In September 2026, Back Market was the most searched among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 550K branded searches, 76.8% of all searches for the seven we track. Apple Certified Refurbished is in 2nd place, 63.2 percentage points behind at 13.6%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Market | 78.6% → 76.8% | 81.7%Dec 2025 | 76.8%Sep 2026 | 1st |
| Apple Certified Refurbished | 11.5% → 13.6% | 13.6%Mar 2026 | 9.5%May 2026 | 2nd |
| musicMagpie | 5.8% → 5.7% | 7%Jan 2026 | 4.9%Dec 2025 | 3rd |
| Envirofone | 2.1% | 2.1%Apr 2026 | 1.7%Jul 2026 | 4th |
| giffgaff | 1.2% → 1.4% | 1.5%May 2026 | 1.1%Mar 2026 | 5th |
| 4gadgets | 0.63% → 0.4% | 0.63%Apr 2026 | 0.4%Sep 2026 | 6th |
| Samsung | 0.23% → 0.18% | 0.23%Jul 2026 | 0.15%Dec 2025 | 7th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Back Market’s share of searches among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom decreased from 78.6% to 76.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple Certified Refurbished’s share of searches among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom increased from 11.5% to 13.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Back Market’s share of searches among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom peaked at 81.7% in December 2025 and was lowest at 76.8% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple Certified Refurbished’s share of searches among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom peaked at 13.6% in March 2026 and was lowest at 9.5% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, musicMagpie’s share of searches among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom peaked at 7% in January 2026 and was lowest at 4.9% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, musicMagpie, Envirofone, giffgaff, 4gadgets and Samsung held steady: their share of searches among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom refurbished phone retailers in September 2026?
6 changes
In September 2026, Apple Certified Refurbished gained share of searches among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom, from 11.4% to 13.6%.
In September 2026, Back Market lost share of searches among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom, from 79.2% to 76.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for giffgaff in the United Kingdom rose 50% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 9.9K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for musicMagpie in the United Kingdom rose 22.4% over 12 measured months, from 33.1K to 40.5K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Envirofone in the United Kingdom rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 12.1K to 14.8K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for 4gadgets in the United Kingdom fell 19.4% over 12 measured months, from 3.6K to 2.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted for refurbished phone retailers?
8 search terms
Each brand's share of searches among refurbished phone retailers comes from the terms listed under its name. When people mostly search for a brand because of something else it sells, only the searches that name this product count here.
Back Market
1 branded search term
- back market
Apple Certified Refurbished
2 branded search terms
- apple certified refurbished
- apple refurbished
musicMagpie
1 branded search term
- musicmagpie
Envirofone
1 branded search term
- envirofone
giffgaff
1 branded search term
- giffgaff refurbished
4gadgets
1 branded search term
- 4gadgets
Samsung
1 branded search term
- samsung refurbished
Compare popularity between leading brands
- Back Market vs Apple Certified Refurbished: compare popularity
- Back Market vs musicMagpie: compare popularity
- Back Market vs Envirofone: compare popularity
- Apple Certified Refurbished vs musicMagpie: compare popularity
- Apple Certified Refurbished vs Envirofone: compare popularity
- musicMagpie vs Envirofone: compare popularity
- Compare any of these brands
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