The Black Friday, Prime Day and holiday shopping events of 2024 are now behind us. Everyone who wanted a new phone probably got one during one of those promo campaigns. And there’s a good chance they’ll be trading in their old phones, so let’s take a look at what the refurbished wing has to offer.
We want to focus on iPhones this week because Apple devices rarely go on sale, so they rarely feature in these weekly posts. We’ll start with the latest model and go back to the iPhone 13 series (which launched in late 2021).
Surprisingly, there are refurbished iPhone 16 models available. Surprisingly, they cost almost the same as new – that said, some offers, especially for higher storage capacities, enable some decent savings. These are the latest models and all have Apple Intelligence, camera controls and action buttons. Note that the notch is larger than the vanilla model and older notch (6.3”/6.9” vs. 6.1”/6.7”).
Apple still sells older non-Pro iPhones, going back to the 14-series, so we’ve included comparisons with the prices of newer units where available. If you want an older Pro, you’re out of luck, at least as far as Apple is concerned. Amazon is offering a trade-in deal with this refurbished phone for up to $220 in credit if you want to trade up.
The iPhone 15 series was the first to use USB-C, which would be Apple’s connector of choice for many years to come. Compared to the 16-series you’ll miss out on new controls and a 48MP ultra wide camera. Note that the iPhone 15 Pro has a shorter telephoto camera than the Pro Max (77mm vs. 120mm). On the plus side, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max also support Apple Intelligence (the vanilla 15 Duo doesn’t).
The iPhone 14 series was the last to use a Lightning adapter. You probably already have enough Lightning cables at home – and if not, they’re still widely available. And MagSafe is almost universal, so charging shouldn’t be a problem. The two vanilla iPhone 14 models miss out on major camera upgrades (the 15-series has 48MP). However, the Pros have a 48MP main camera.
iPhone 13 series launched again in 2021. They have 12MP main cameras, all four of them, and this was before Apple switched to LTPO. Pro phones still have 120Hz displays, but are less flexible when it comes to frame rates. The iPhone 13 mini was the last of its kind, so if you want a small but capable phone, this is one of the few options left.
We may earn commissions from qualifying sales.
