Certified pre-owned, or new?

So i'm going to get an iphone 4s. But i don't want to pay $200 for it. So i saw you can get a 'Certified Pre-Owned" one rather than a new one for $150. And it fits in my budget. But the problem is my mom made it seem horrible, because of the thought of it being "refurbished'. But i've looked at reviews and people have given good ratings, and i read that its professionally inspected and even 'Re-manufactured' if any thing's broken or defected.someone please help me and tell if it getting a pre-owned one is worse than buying the new one, and please don't be mean, thank you.

Refurbished phones are fine. I personally prefer to get a new phone, but that's just me. They inspect the phone and fix it up. You may find a few minor things (possibly some scratches or nicks) but they fix it up pretty good.

Buying refurbished is a great way to save money and get practically the same phone for less, especially factory refurbished. Some factory refurbished phones will have a brand new screen and battery and used older components, which would mean that the only visible wear item would be the outside of the phone (you'd probably get a case for it anyways so this doesn't matter). Even buying from a third party remanufacturer is good as long as you know what you're getting. That would mean greater than 90% positive reviews for an online seller or getting the chance to physically look over the phone you want at a used phone store.