Should I buy a refurbished iPhone? What you need to know in 2026
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Updated 24 October 2026.
Yes. For most people a refurbished iPhone is a sensible buy in 2026. Pick a model Apple still updates, and buy from a seller with a proper warranty. Every iPhone from the iPhone 11 onwards runs iOS 27, and a refurbished iPhone 13 costs £160 today.
We track refurbished prices from Back Market, musicMagpie, Phones Direct, Loop Mobile and Envirofone every day. This page sums up what that data tells us, and what to check before you pay.
What a refurbished iPhone actually is
A refurbished iPhone is a used phone that has been tested, repaired where needed, wiped and resold with a warranty. A plain second-hand phone from a private seller usually has none of that.
The difference matters most when something goes wrong. Our page on refurbished vs used vs pre-owned explains the labels sellers use.
What refurbished iPhones cost in October 2026
These are the cheapest in-stock prices we found for each grade when we checked on 24 October 2026. They are for 128GB models, except the iPhone 11 and 12, which are 64GB.
| Model | Fair | Good | Excellent | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 11 (64GB) | £100 | £110 | £159 | – |
| iPhone 12 (64GB) | £120 | £146 | £182 | £229 |
| iPhone 13 | £160 | £199 | £227 | £300 |
| iPhone 14 | £190 | £253 | £260 | £299 |
| iPhone 15 | £293 | £334 | £359 | £393 |
| iPhone 15 Pro | £340 | £430 | £471 | £510 |
| iPhone 16 | £410 | £487 | £535 | £610 |
| iPhone 16 Pro | £465 | £552 | £600 | £670 |
Prices move every day, so treat these as a guide. You can see today’s figures on our iPhone price pages.
Two things stood out in our tracking. No single retailer was cheapest for every model. Also, Back Market’s headline price for a grade can belong to a different colour or a new-battery version. Open the exact listing before you decide.
What the grades mean for you
Grades describe how the phone looks, not how it works. A Fair phone should work as well as an Excellent one, but it will show more scratches and scuffs.
- Fair: visible marks on the screen or body. The cheapest way in if you use a case and screen protector anyway.
- Good: light wear you notice up close. Usually £20–£60 cheaper than Excellent in our data, which makes it the best value for most buyers.
- Excellent: close to new, with few or no visible marks.
- Premium: the top grade some retailers offer. Check the listing for exactly what it includes.
Each retailer words its grades slightly differently. Our guide to gradings and warranties sets them side by side.
Which refurbished iPhone should you buy?
Pick the model first, then the grade. Software support is the part people forget. All of the phones in our table run iOS 27, but older models will drop off the list first.
Best value: iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 is the one we suggest to most people. It costs £160 in Fair and £199 in Good today. It is newer than the iPhone 11 and 12, so it should keep getting updates for longer.
Cheapest with Apple Intelligence: iPhone 15 Pro
Apple Intelligence runs on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and on every iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 model. The standard iPhone 15 does not get it. At £360 in Fair, the iPhone 15 Pro was the cheapest way in when we checked.
Tightest budget: iPhone 11 or iPhone 12
At £100 and £130 in Fair, these are the cheapest iPhones that still run iOS 27. They are the oldest phones Apple supports, so expect them to lose new iOS versions sooner than the iPhone 13 onwards.
Middle ground: iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 costs £190 in Fair and £253 in Good. It gets you a newer phone than the 13 for around £40 more.
For a fuller model-by-model breakdown, read our best refurbished iPhones for 2026.
Where to buy, and what the warranty covers
Stick to sellers that give you a warranty and an easy return. These are the terms for three big names:
- Back Market: a marketplace of vetted refurbishers. You get a one-year warranty from delivery and 30 days from delivery to return for any reason.
- musicMagpie: refurbishes its own stock. It gives a free 12-month warranty, a 14-day money-back guarantee and free UK delivery.
- Amazon Renewed: phones are backed by the Amazon Renewed Guarantee. Read the guarantee on the listing before you buy. You can search Amazon Renewed iPhone 13 listings here.
We compare the three in more detail in Back Market vs musicMagpie vs Amazon Renewed.
Five checks before you pay
- Open the exact listing. Confirm the colour, storage and grade match the price you saw.
- Look for what the listing says about the battery. Some listings offer a new battery for a higher price.
- Check the phone is not locked to one network if you want to use any SIM.
- Check what is in the box. Many refurbished iPhones come with a cable only, or no accessories at all.
- Note the return window and keep the packaging until you have tested the phone.
If you can wait, Black Friday is on 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday on 30 November. We will track the prices in our Black Friday refurbished phone deals page.
Our verdict
Buy refurbished if you want a good iPhone without paying new-phone money. For most people the iPhone 13 in Good grade is the sweet spot. It costs £199 today, and it should get updates for years yet.
Go for the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 if you want Apple Intelligence. Whatever you choose, compare prices on the day, because the cheapest retailer changes often.
