--- title: "Refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?" description: "Compare the sites people in the UK buy refurbished iPhones and Android phones from. Share of Search among Back Market, Apple Certified Refurbished, musicMagpie, Envirofone, giffgaff, 4gadgets and Samsung, the refurbished phone retailers Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-refurbished-phone-retailers" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most? Compare the sites people in the UK buy refurbished iPhones and Android phones from. Share of Search among Back Market, Apple Certified Refurbished, musicMagpie, Envirofone, giffgaff, 4gadgets and Samsung, the refurbished phone retailers Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Competitive set**: Refurbished phone retailers - **Market**: United Kingdom - **Brands compared**: 7 - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Highest Share of Search**: Back Market, 76.8% ## Which brand is most popular in search among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom? - 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%. - 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. ## 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. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Apple Certified Refurbished | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Back Market | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | giffgaff | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Samsung | 4th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | musicMagpie | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Envirofone | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | 4gadgets | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about refurbished phone retailers - Asked ChatGPT "Where's the best place to buy a refurbished iPhone in the UK?": 1. Apple Certified Refurbished, 2. Back Market, 3. giffgaff - Asked ChatGPT "Is it safe to buy a refurbished phone online?": 1. Apple Certified Refurbished, 2. Samsung, 3. giffgaff - Asked ChatGPT "Which website is best for refurbished phones?": 1. Back Market, 2. giffgaff, 3. Apple Certified Refurbished, 4. Samsung - Searched Google, AI Overview "refurbished iphone": 1. Apple Certified Refurbished, 2. Back Market - Searched Google, AI Overview "refurbished phones": 1. Samsung, 2. Back Market, 3. musicMagpie Not named in any answer: Envirofone and 4gadgets. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026. ## Compare search popularity between leading brands - [Back Market vs Apple Certified Refurbished: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/apple-certified-refurbished-vs-back-market): 76.8% against 13.6% Share of Search. - [Back Market vs musicMagpie: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/back-market-vs-musicmagpie): 76.8% against 5.7% Share of Search. - [Back Market vs Envirofone: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/back-market-vs-envirofone): 76.8% against 2.1% Share of Search. - [Apple Certified Refurbished vs musicMagpie: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/apple-certified-refurbished-vs-musicmagpie): 13.6% against 5.7% Share of Search. - [Apple Certified Refurbished vs Envirofone: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/apple-certified-refurbished-vs-envirofone): 13.6% against 2.1% Share of Search. - [musicMagpie vs Envirofone: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/envirofone-vs-musicmagpie): 5.7% against 2.1% Share of Search. ## How did search popularity change for United Kingdom refurbished phone retailers in September 2026? - 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. ## Share of Search ranking | Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Back Market | 76.8% | 550K | 0.0% | Back Market | | 2 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 13.6% | 97.1K | +22.3% | Apple | | 3 | musicMagpie | 5.7% | 40.5K | 0.0% | musicMagpie | | 4 | Envirofone | 2.1% | 14.8K | +22.3% | Envirofone | | 5 | giffgaff | 1.4% | 9.9K | +22.2% | Virgin Media O2 | | 6 | 4gadgets | 0.4% | 2.9K | 0.0% | 4gadgets | | 7 | Samsung | 0.18% | 1.3K | 0.0% | Samsung | giffgaff sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “giffgaff refurbished”. ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | Back Market | 450K | 78.6% | 1 | | Oct 2025 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 65.9K | 11.5% | 2 | | Oct 2025 | musicMagpie | 33.1K | 5.8% | 3 | | Oct 2025 | Envirofone | 12.1K | 2.1% | 4 | | Oct 2025 | giffgaff | 6.6K | 1.2% | 5 | | Oct 2025 | 4gadgets | 3.6K | 0.63% | 6 | | Oct 2025 | Samsung | 1.3K | 0.23% | 7 | | Nov 2025 | Back Market | 550K | 79% | 1 | | Nov 2025 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 78.4K | 11.3% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | musicMagpie | 40.5K | 5.8% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | Envirofone | 12.1K | 1.7% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | giffgaff | 9.9K | 1.4% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | 4gadgets | 3.6K | 0.52% | 6 | | Nov 2025 | Samsung | 1.3K | 0.19% | 7 | | Dec 2025 | Back Market | 550K | 81.7% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 64.9K | 9.6% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | musicMagpie | 33.1K | 4.9% | 3 | | Dec 2025 | Envirofone | 12.1K | 1.8% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | giffgaff | 8.1K | 1.2% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | 4gadgets | 3.6K | 0.54% | 6 | | Dec 2025 | Samsung | 1K | 0.15% | 7 | | Jan 2026 | Back Market | 450K | 77.8% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 64.9K | 11.2% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | musicMagpie | 40.5K | 7% | 3 | | Jan 2026 | Envirofone | 12.1K | 2.1% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | giffgaff | 6.6K | 1.1% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | 4gadgets | 3.6K | 0.62% | 6 | | Jan 2026 | Samsung | 1K | 0.17% | 7 | | Feb 2026 | Back Market | 368K | 77.8% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 53.1K | 11.2% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | musicMagpie | 33.1K | 7% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | Envirofone | 9.9K | 2.1% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | giffgaff | 5.4K | 1.1% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 4gadgets | 2.9K | 0.61% | 6 | | Feb 2026 | Samsung | 880 | 0.19% | 7 | | Mar 2026 | Back Market | 450K | 76.8% | 1 | | Mar 2026 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 79.4K | 13.6% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | musicMagpie | 33.1K | 5.7% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | Envirofone | 12.1K | 2.1% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | giffgaff | 6.6K | 1.1% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | 4gadgets | 3.6K | 0.61% | 6 | | Mar 2026 | Samsung | 1K | 0.17% | 7 | | Apr 2026 | Back Market | 450K | 78.8% | 1 | | Apr 2026 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 64.9K | 11.4% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | musicMagpie | 33.1K | 5.8% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | Envirofone | 12.1K | 2.1% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | giffgaff | 6.6K | 1.2% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | 4gadgets | 3.6K | 0.63% | 6 | | Apr 2026 | Samsung | 1K | 0.18% | 7 | | May 2026 | Back Market | 450K | 80.6% | 1 | | May 2026 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 53.1K | 9.5% | 2 | | May 2026 | musicMagpie | 33.1K | 5.9% | 3 | | May 2026 | Envirofone | 9.9K | 1.8% | 4 | | May 2026 | giffgaff | 8.1K | 1.5% | 5 | | May 2026 | 4gadgets | 2.9K | 0.52% | 6 | | May 2026 | Samsung | 1K | 0.18% | 7 | | Jun 2026 | Back Market | 450K | 80.5% | 1 | | Jun 2026 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 53.9K | 9.6% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | musicMagpie | 33.1K | 5.9% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | Envirofone | 9.9K | 1.8% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | giffgaff | 8.1K | 1.4% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | 4gadgets | 2.9K | 0.52% | 6 | | Jun 2026 | Samsung | 1K | 0.18% | 7 | | Jul 2026 | Back Market | 450K | 78.9% | 1 | | Jul 2026 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 64.9K | 11.4% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | musicMagpie | 33.1K | 5.8% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | Envirofone | 9.9K | 1.7% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | giffgaff | 8.1K | 1.4% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | 4gadgets | 2.9K | 0.51% | 6 | | Jul 2026 | Samsung | 1.3K | 0.23% | 7 | | Aug 2026 | Back Market | 550K | 79.2% | 1 | | Aug 2026 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 79.4K | 11.4% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | musicMagpie | 40.5K | 5.8% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | Envirofone | 12.1K | 1.7% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | giffgaff | 8.1K | 1.2% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | 4gadgets | 2.9K | 0.42% | 6 | | Aug 2026 | Samsung | 1.3K | 0.19% | 7 | | Sep 2026 | Back Market | 550K | 76.8% | 1 | | Sep 2026 | Apple Certified Refurbished | 97.1K | 13.6% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | musicMagpie | 40.5K | 5.7% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | Envirofone | 14.8K | 2.1% | 4 | | Sep 2026 | giffgaff | 9.9K | 1.4% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | 4gadgets | 2.9K | 0.4% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | Samsung | 1.3K | 0.18% | 7 | ## What is being compared - **4gadgets**: Measured on the search term “4gadgets”. - **Apple Certified Refurbished**: Measured on the search terms “apple certified refurbished” and “apple refurbished”, summed into one figure. - **Back Market**: Measured on the search term “back market”. - **Envirofone**: Measured on the search term “envirofone”. - **giffgaff**: Measured on the search term “giffgaff refurbished”. - **musicMagpie**: Measured on the search term “musicmagpie”. - **Samsung**: Measured on the search term “samsung refurbished”. - [4gadgets](/demand/uk/brands/4gadgets) - [Apple Certified Refurbished](/demand/uk/brands/apple-certified-refurbished) - [Back Market](/demand/uk/brands/back-market) - [Envirofone](/demand/uk/brands/envirofone) - [giffgaff](/demand/uk/brands/giffgaff) - [musicMagpie](/demand/uk/brands/musicmagpie) - [Samsung](/demand/uk/brands/samsung) ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which brand is most popular in search among refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom? 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. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Refurbished phone retailers in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-refurbished-phone-retailers This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-refurbished-phone-retailers. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.