Best refurbished iPhone deals and cheap handsets from O2, Back Market, Giffgaff and more

Buying a brand-new iPhone isn’t cheap. With prices creeping up each year, it’s harder to justify the splurge. That’s where a refurbished iPhone come in. Professionally restored, cleaned and tested, these pre-owned phones offer the same core experience as buying new, but at a much more appetising price.

Unlike a second-hand phone sold on eBay, refurbished models go through proper quality checks and usually come with a charging cable and at least a one-year warranty. Most look and perform just like the real deal – because, well, they are. Just not fresh out of the box.

You’ll often see them graded by condition (from pristine to visibly used), but even the slightly scuffed ones are fully functional and internally sound. Going refurbished isn’t just better for your wallet, it’s a more sustainable choice too. Below, we’ve rounded up all the best refurbished iPhone deals at every reputable retailer.

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Launched in 2014, Back Market is a UK marketplace for refurbished devices. It partners with trusted refurbishers in the UK who clean, test and certify the iPhone’s quality before it is sold, ensuring each device’s battery has at least 85 per cent of its original capacity. That’s better than the majority of the retailers on this list, who set the bar at 80 per cent battery health.

Back Market categorises its refurbished iPhones into three grades – excellent (like-new), good (light signs of wear) and fair (signs of wear with no impact on performance). These iPhones also have up to 60 per cent off, compared with buying the handsets new, and each device comes with a minimum 12-month warranty.

Prices are always changing but, at the time of writing, we can see iPhone 15 pro deals in excellent condition (usually £899, now starts from £590, Backmarket.co.uk), iPhone 14 pro max in good condition (usually £1,199, now starts from £410, Backmarket.co.uk), iPhone 13 deals in good condition (usually £599, now starts from £217, Backmarket.co.uk), as well as slightly older devices.

There are refurbished iPhone 12 handsets in fair condition (usually £649, now starts from £161, Backmarket.co.uk), and refurbished iPhone 11 phones (from £185, Backmarket.co.uk). There are many more refurbished iPhone deals on Back Market’s website, including even older models.

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As well as brand-new iPhones, Amazon sells a bunch of refurbished Apple devices under its Renewed programme. Amazon says the company and its suppliers vet every device before it is added to the programme, which includes inspecting, testing, diagnostics, replacement of any defective parts, and thorough cleaning. Every device must also have a battery capacity that is above 80 per cent.

Amazon grades its devices into three categories – ‘excellent’, meaning it’s like new, so there are no cosmetic defects; ‘good’, so there are no scratches on the screen but light scratching on the body, but it works like new; and ‘acceptable’, meaning there might be some shallow scratching on the screen and body. Each device comes with a year’s warranty and either the original charging cable or one from a third party.

Renewed products include the iPhone 15 pro (£609, Amazon.co.uk), the iPhone 14 pro max (£479, Amazon.co.uk), iPhone 13 (£251.50, Amazon.co.uk), iPhone 12 (£189, Amazon.co.uk) and iPhone 11 (£151, Amazon.co.uk).

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Giffgaff might be better known as the home of affordable SIM-only contracts, but the company also sells refurbished handsets, including Apple iPhones. The company says it professionally repairs and tests every phone it re-sells, checking the battery life is at 80 per cent capacity and above, that it is fully cleaned and restored and passes Giffgaff’s quality checks.

The brand also categorises its handsets into four grades of quality – ‘like new’, meaning they have no visible sign of wear and tear at all; ‘excellent’, which means they might have some light show of use but run like new; ‘very good’, meaning there are some small signs of use, but its screens are in top-notch quality; and ‘good’, meaning there are some marks on the screen and body but the phone works beautifully. You also get 12 months or more of warranty.

At the time of writing, we can see a number of deals at Giffgaff on refurbished iPhones. You can save money on the iPhone 15 pro (from £499, Giffgaff.com), iPhone 14 pro max (from £499, Giffgaff.com), iPhone 13 pro (from £329, Giffgaff.com), iPhone 12 (from £179, Giffgaff.com) and more.

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If you’d like to pair your iPhone with a contract, O2 is one of the few carriers that sells refurbished iPhones with data, meaning you can get like-new handsets alongside data, minutes and texts. The company says all of its refurbished and second-hand phones undergo a “thorough quality check” before they are sold.

Each iPhone comes with a 12-month warranty and 14 days to return or exchange the device if it’s not quite right. O2 says all of its phones are “like new”, and each must meet its five-point checklist. It also says that there might be superficial scratches on the back, sides or screen, every refurb handset features no cracks on the screen, and there should not be more than five deep scratches or chips up to 2mm in length.

O2 sells like-new iPhones with pay-as-you-go SIMs or pay monthly tariffs. Right now, O2 is selling a like-new iPhone 15 pro max, iPhone 15 pro, iPhone 14 pro max, iPhone 13 pro max, iPhone 13 pro and more.

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Like O2, Carphone Warehouse (owned by Currys) pairs some of its refurbished iPhone deals with a phone contract but you can also opt to pay for it SIM-free. Carphone Warehouse’s selection of refurbished iPhones is a lot smaller than the other retailers, however.

Refurbished iPhones sold through Carphone Warehouse are tested and repaired (if needed). The data is wiped, it’s professionally cleaned and put back on sale at a discounted price. The iPhone comes with a new charging cable and SIM tool in the box and has a 12-month warranty from Currys.

They all have a battery of at least 80 per cent and are graded on three levels: ‘excellent’, which means it may have minor cosmetic imperfections; ‘very good’, meaning it has minor imperfections and light signs of use; and ‘fair’, meaning it may have multiple cosmetic imperfections and clear signs of use, particularly around ‘high wear’ areas such as camera bezel and charging port.

At the time of writing, Carphone Warehouse has an excellent iPhone 15 (£569, Carphonewarehouse.com), a good iPhone 14 (£449, Carphonewarehouse.com), a very good iPhone 11 (£259, Carphonewarehouse.com) and more.

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Yes, that’s right, Argos also sells refurbished iPhones, as well as brand-new ones, as part of a partnership with Aznu (pronounced “as new”). What makes Argos and Aznu’s devices different is that they are all referred to as “premium refurbished”, meaning they’ve been restored to the highest possible standard, inside and outside. They’ll look new and they’ll run as if they were new.

Argos and Aznu include a SIM tool, a year’s worth of Norton 360 VPN Virus and Spam protection and a cable and charger inside the Aznu box. Each handset has also been fitted with a brand-new screen, and you get a year’s warranty.

Right now, Argos’s refurbished devices include the iPhone 11 pro max (£399.99, Argos.co.uk), iPhone 11 pro (£349.99, Argos.co.uk), the iPhone SE (£179.99, Argos.co.uk) and more. Like with Back Market’s devices, every iPhone has a battery capacity of 85 per cent or more.

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MusicMagpie is a staple of the refurbishment scene, and it has been around since 2007. Starting out with second-hand CDs, it quickly started refurbishing and re-selling pre-owned handsets, including iPhones. The retailer has a 72-point diagnostic test that every iPhone has to pass before it is sold. A battery health test is completed, with MusicMagpie replacing it if it falls below a certain threshold, and each handset comes with a year’s warranty. 

The company also grades its handsets under three categories: ‘pristine’ means it’s in excellent working order with no cosmetic damage; ‘very good’, meaning it has light signs of use but works like new; and ‘good’, which means it has moderate signs of wear and tear but is in great working order. Every iPhone sold also comes with a charging cable.

MusicMagpie sells a number of refurbished iPhones on its website with free delivery. Currently, there’s a good iPhone 15 pro (£589.99, Musicmagpie.co.uk) a good iPhone 14 pro max (£484.99, Musicmagpie.co.uk), a very good iPhone 13 pro (£359.99, Musicmagpie.co.uk), a good iPhone 12 (£204.99, Musicmagpie.co.uk) and many more.

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Launched in 1995, Mobiles.co.uk is one of the longest-running online mobile phone shops in the UK and is now owned by Currys. As well as selling brand-new handsets and carrier contract deals, Mobiles.co.uk also sells refurbished iPhones on its website.

According to the company, most of its refurbished handsets aren’t used phones but “change of mind” returns or, in rare circumstances, due to a manufacturer fault, which are fixed before the devices are re-sold. All of the handsets have a 12-month warranty, and if your purchase develops a fault in the first month, the retailer will swap it for a replacement. Currys will also fix your iPhone if it develops a fault after the first month.

However, it’s worth pointing out that Mobiles.co.uk’s refurbished iPhone deals work a little differently to most retailers. They are often linked with carrier contracts and have cash-back rewards to lower the price even further. If you need a new contract as well as a “like-new” iPhone, Mobiles.co.uk is a good choice. There are currently deals on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 14, iPhone 12, iPhone 11, the second-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone XS and XR.

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For an experience as close as possible to new, it’s worth thinking about going to the source. Apple sells refurbished handsets, and while it doesn’t provide the cheapest iPhone deals – with customers receiving small savings of up to £170 on old devices – you will get a buying experience that is close to buying a new phone.

At Apple, all refurbished iPhone models come with a new battery, a new outer shell, have a one-year warranty and are replaced with genuine Apple parts (if they’re needed) and go through a thorough cleaning. Every one is also repackaged in a brand-new box with accessories and cables.

The more expensive the iPhone, the bigger the discount. Currently, Apple has deals on the iPhone 14 (£509, Apple.com) iPhone 13 pro max (from £679, Apple.com), iPhone 14 pro max (£1,019, Apple.com) and more.

For the latest discounts on phones and other tech offers, try the links below:

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