Five refurbished iPhones under $500 that are still holding up well in 2026


If you’re looking to buy a new iPhone but don’t want to buy the iPhone 17, it can often be difficult to find something on a tighter budget. Sure, Apple offers the iPhone 17e for $599, but not everyone thinks it’s an attractive phone. Fortunately, there are plenty of great options if you’re looking to buy used, and I’ll dive into five great options for a variety of needs.

#1 – iPhone 15 Pro

If you need advanced features like ProMotion display, Apple Intelligence and telephoto lens – iPhone 15 Pro It’s the best overall choice, given that your budget allows for it.

It runs the A17 Pro chip (still in use the latest generation iPad mini) – making it great for Apple Intelligence features and giving you plenty of power for years to come.

At the time of writing, you can buy it unlocked 128 GB iPhone 15 Pro from Amazon updated for 487 dollarsmaking it cheaper than the new iPhone 17e while packing tons of premium features. If you’re leaning towards a larger screen size, you can grab one unlocked iPhone 15 Pro Max $85 more with double storage, at 572 dollars – although this is beyond the budget.

#2 – iPhone 15

If you want the cheapest iPhone with USB-C or Dynamic Island, iPhone 15 is a great choice. You get a nice 48-megapixel camera sensor, and if you’re into physical silence – that iPhone 15 it’s the last iPhone to offer it. The battery life is quite excellent and it has a very attractive color range.

You can select currently unlocked 128GB iPhone 15 for $389 Amazon Updated, this is a sub-$400 option to get a pretty complete iPhone package. If bigger phones are your jam, you can get it 128GB iPhone 15 Plus for $408.

The three best-selling smartphones in the world are last year's iPhones The main iPhone 15 is shown in different colors

#3 – iPhone 13 mini

If you’re a small phone enthusiast, this one iPhone 13 mini Apple remains your best bet – because Apple has decided not to make a smaller iPhone. It’s still quite capable with the A15 Bionic chip, though you’ll have to live with the Lightning charging port. In any case, thanks to the excellent 800 nit OLED display and sweet camera system, this phone shouldn’t get too old despite being four years old.

Currently the iPhone 13 mini get about $230 In the 128GB configuration, that makes it one of the cheapest iPhones you can buy on this list, and that’s special.

#4 – iPhone 14 Plus

Conversely, if you want the cheapest large iPhone (at least not too old) – this is it iPhone 14 Plus remains the best overall choice. It has a powerful camera system and an even more powerful battery – with a powerful color range, including an awesome yellow. This phone replaced the previously mentioned iPhone 13 mini.

Not much to say about it iPhone 14 Plus – it’s just a solid device that will do everything you’d want from a larger-screen iPhone. Right now, you can get one About $309 on Amazon refurbishedmaking it a truly great value option.

As an honor, you can count iPhone 13 Pro Max – ProMotion will offer premium enthusiast features such as a telephoto camera lens and stainless steel construction. These bring $409 for 128GB.

poll: Do you like the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus yellow color?

#5 – iPhone SE 3

Last but not least, iPhone SE 3. It packs an A15 chip and 5G, making it a phone fit for 2025 – although it comes in a more dated form factor. You’ll still have the same 4.7-inch LCD screen and home button as the iPhone 8. You will also only have one rear camera. That said, if you only want your iPhone to meet the basic requirements, iPhone SE 3 can be found quite cheaply.

for only $129you can take iPhone SE 3 Updated on Amazon. If you want an iPhone, this is as cheap as they’ll get, and it still stacks up pretty well. 64GB of storage might be a bit tight, so you can take your pick 128GB – $179 if you think it will work better for you.

iPhone SE 3 and SE 2 colors

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