Best Buy Joins the Refurbished iPhone Parade

Best Buy has joined AT&T in selling refurbished iPhone 3Gs at a discount, according to a report from Reuters.

Best Buy is selling the used iPhones, which were returned within 30 days of purchase, for $50 off ($149 for 8GB, $249 for 16GB). This matches AT&T's current refurbished pricing (the carrier had been selling refurbished iPhones for $99 / $199, but that promotion ended on 12/31).

It's particularly interesting coming on the heels of an MSNBC report, which noted that in this turbulent economy, many may opt for "lightly used" smartphones, whether they be iPhones, BlackBerrys or T-Mobile G1s.

Kevin Burden, ABI Research’s mobile devices research director told MSNBC:

"We've talked to plenty in the industry who say, 'We sell (some) people a snappy smartphone, and they come back a couple weeks later and say they don’t get it, it's too confusing. They want a phone where they can make a phone call, do text messaging and maybe have something to hold their calendars.'"