Best iPhone Deals: New vs Refurbished, Where to Buy, How Much to Save
A refurbished iPhone 14 costs $479 vs $799 new. Here's every way to get a cheaper iPhone — refurbished, older models, carrier deals, trade-in — ranked by actual value.
You're almost certainly overpaying for your iPhone
The average iPhone buyer pays $900+ for the latest model, finances it over 24-36 months through their carrier, and upgrades again before it's paid off. This is the most expensive way to own a phone. Every alternative below saves 20-60% with minimal compromise.
Option 1: Buy refurbished (save 30-50%)
The single best value in smartphones is a refurbished iPhone that's 1-2 generations old. An iPhone 14 (released 2022) costs $479 refurbished from Back Market — 40% below the original $799 retail. It runs the same iOS, gets the same security updates, and will be supported by Apple for another 4-5 years.
Where to buy refurbished iPhones (ranked by trust)
Back Market — 1-year warranty on everything, 30-day free returns, condition grading system (Fair/Good/Excellent). The category leader in refurbished phones. Available in US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and more.
See refurbished iPhone 14 prices
Amazon Renewed — 90-day minimum warranty, Amazon's standard return policy. More variable quality than Back Market (depends on the specific third-party refurbisher), but you get Amazon's customer service if anything goes wrong.
Apple Certified Refurbished — Apple's own refurbished store. 1-year warranty identical to new, best-quality refurb available. But: stock is limited, discounts are only 15-20% (vs 30-50% on Back Market), and popular models sell out within hours of listing.
Which generation to buy refurbished
| Model | Refurbished price | Years of iOS updates left | Worth it? | |---|---|---|---| | iPhone 15 Pro | $750-850 | 5-6 years | Only if you need ProMotion/titanium | | iPhone 15 | $550-650 | 5-6 years | Good value, but small discount vs new | | iPhone 14 Pro | $550-650 | 4-5 years | Sweet spot for Pro features | | iPhone 14 | $400-500 | 4-5 years | Best overall value | | iPhone 13 | $300-400 | 3-4 years | Excellent budget option | | iPhone 12 | $220-300 | 2-3 years | Still usable, getting old | | iPhone 11 | $150-220 | 1-2 years | Too close to end-of-life |
The sweet spot is iPhone 14 or iPhone 13. Both get years of updates remaining, both have modern features (5G, good cameras, Face ID), and both hit the 30-50% discount zone on the refurbished market.
Option 2: Buy the previous generation new (save 10-20%)
When Apple releases a new iPhone, the previous generation drops $100-200 at all retailers. The iPhone 15 dropped to $699 when the iPhone 16 launched. Carriers and retailers often stack additional discounts.
This is the "safe" approach for people who don't want refurbished but don't want to pay flagship prices.
Option 3: Carrier trade-in deals (save $200-800, with strings)
US carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T) run aggressive trade-in promotions: "Get the iPhone 16 for $0/month when you trade in any iPhone and switch to our premium plan." The math works out to $800-1000 in credits over 24-36 months.
The catch: you're locked into their most expensive plan for 2-3 years, and the phone isn't truly "free" — you're paying for it through the inflated plan cost. Run the numbers: if their plan costs $15/month more than your current plan, you're paying $360-540 over the financing period. That's not free.
Trade-in deals are worth it ONLY if you were going to switch carriers anyway, or if the plan price matches what you're currently paying.
Option 4: Buy from a private seller (save 20-40%, highest risk)
Swappa (US), Facebook Marketplace, and eBay sell used iPhones from individual sellers. Prices are 20-40% below new, but there's no warranty, battery health is unknown until you receive it, and the risk of stolen/blacklisted devices is real.
Only buy private-sale if: the seller provides the IMEI for you to check (use imei.info), the battery health is shown in screenshots, and the platform has buyer protection (Swappa and eBay do, Facebook Marketplace mostly doesn't).
The bottom line
| Method | Savings | Risk | Best for | |---|---|---|---| | Refurbished (Back Market) | 30-50% | Low (1-yr warranty) | Best overall value | | Refurbished (Amazon Renewed) | 25-40% | Low-medium | Amazon shoppers | | Previous gen new | 10-20% | None | People who want new | | Carrier trade-in | $200-800 | Medium (plan lock-in) | People switching carriers | | Private sale | 20-40% | High | Experienced buyers |
For most people: buy a refurbished iPhone 14 from Back Market for $479. You save $320 vs new, get a 1-year warranty, and the phone will work identically for 4+ more years.
Refurbished iPhone 14 on Back Market Browse all refurbished tech Refurbished buying guide
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