Compare and Recycle
22/04/2020

Best Refurbished Smartphones to Buy For Any Budget

lime green iPhone 11 on white box with text "best refurbished phones to buy right now"

As much as we love hearing about announcements for brand new phones and seeing how manufacturers push the limits of their portfolios, we definitely aren’t fans of the lack of sustainable offerings and hefty prices that manufacturers charge for their latest and greatest.

If you’re like us and want a decent phone for less while making your smartphone purchase a bit kinder to the environment, the refurbished smartphone market is the place to look. Refurbished phones offer ‘like new’ functionality at sometimes hefty discounts on what you’d typically pay for a brand new device.

Here are our top picks in 2024 for any budget:

  • Refurbished iPhone Under £500: iPhone 14 Plus
  • Refurbished Android Under £500: Samsung Galaxy S23+
  • Refurbished iPhone Under £400: iPhone 13 Pro
  • Refurbished Android Under £400: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
  • Refurbished iPhone Under £300: iPhone 13
  • Refurbished Android Under £300: Google Pixel 7a
  • Refurbished iPhone Under £200: iPhone 11
  • Refurbished Android Under £200: Google Pixel 6a

Note: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase via those links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Refurbished iPhone Under £500: Apple iPhone 14 Plus

Thta's right, you can now buy an iPhone 14 Plus for under £500 and with the technology and features included, we think it’s a major steal. To kick things off it has an IP68 dust and water rating, allowing it to withstand detrimental damage in up to 6m of water for 30 minutes. Not only can you tick off that it’s adventure proof, but with a Super Retina XDR OLED display, the content you capture on your travels will be brought to life by the vibrant colours and crisp detail.

Powered by the A15 bionic chip and 6GB RAM, this refurbished iPhone has reliable performance and not to mention is kinder to the environment than any brand new iPhone 14. With a respectable 4323mAh battery and 4K video capabilities, you’ll have long lasting power to support beautiful video content. You will be able to stay connected no matter where you are with the help of 15W wireless charging giving you the opportunity to explore, capture and create more in your day to day endeavours.

Shop this Refurbished iPhone 14 Plus at UR

Refurbished Android Under £500: Samsung Galaxy S23+

There is no denying the fact that the Galaxy S23+ lineup was impressive and certainly something to rave about which is why the good news is that you can get your hands on it for less than £500.

It offers a blend of durability, performance and innovation. This device comes with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection accompanied by a sleek design and the combination of both ensures it has durability against scratches and drops. The Galaxy S23+ also comes with an IP68 dust and water rating which adds another layer of peace of mind, giving you no limits when exploring and going about your day to day life. You won’t struggle when capturing your memories because it’s equipped with 8K video capabilities which is impressive and on top of that, with a Dynamic AMOLED display, you’ll enjoy the vibrant colours and detail.

The Galaxy S23+ is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and 8GB of RAM which delivers impressive performance especially when you’re streaming your favourite shows, playing an addictive game or simply multitasking throughout the day. This device includes a 4700mAh battery which is more than enough, but if you do end up running out of charge on a rare occasion, the Galaxy S23+ supports 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. If that’s not enough, then you should revisit your smartphone habits and maybe do a detox!

Shop this Refurbished Galaxy S23+ at UR

Refurbished iPhone Under £400: Apple iPhone 13 Pro

The fact that you can buy a Pro model iPhone, like the iPhone 13 Pro, is a great steal. Although Apple played it safe with this device, only focusing on camera and display enhancements, the quality of this phone is undeniable. First off the stainless steel frame and 6.1-inch OLED and Super Retina XDR display gives it a premium feel straight away. What stood out for this mobile phone was the improvement to the cameras. The iPhone 13 Pro comes with a dual 12MP camera system (main and ultra wide cameras) as well as impressive 2x optical zoom out and digital zoom of up to 3x.

This refurbished iPhone 13 Pro includes FaceID authentication technology along with a 2532x1170-pixel resolution. Although it is equipped with a 3095 mAh battery, it will still have you powered up throughout the day, and not to mention the A15 Bionic chipset adds improvement to system management settings and performance optimisation. This device received iOS 15 in its official release back in 2021 and will continue to be supported all the way up until 2028 giving you peace of mind that you’re really getting value for money.

Shop this Refurbished iPhone 13 Pro at Mozillion

Refurbished Android Under £400: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G has distinctive features and offers premium specs in an elegant body. The display tech consists of a Dynamic AMOLED panel at 6.8 inches at 3088 x 1440 resolution, coated with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ and will deliver a crisp and sharp viewing experience. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, offers 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and 15W wireless charging.

Spectacular shots in any lighting condition are delivered by the 108MP quad camera setup, 120Hz refresh rate and 4K video capabilities. The Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G can easily be titled as one of the most feature-packed devices, even though it is from Samsung's 2022 lineup. In addition to a fantastic camera setup, the refurbished S22 Ultra offers a long-lasting battery coming in at 5000 mAh and launched with Android 12, it is going to receive Android 16 with One UI 6 under Samsung’s promise of 4 years of guaranteed software support . This specifications list and OS support make the refurbished Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G a decent pick for under £400.

Shop this Refurbished Galaxy S22 Ultra at Mozillion

Refurbished iPhone Under £300: Apple iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 offers a noteworthy 6.1-inch super retina XDR display alongside 2532x1170 resolution. A wide-angle 12MP camera paired with a 12MP telephoto lens, 2x optical zoom, digital zoom up to 3x and will produce quality photos in daylight and low-light conditions. Getting a refurbished iPhone 13 will deliver a perfect balance of features and value for money three years down the line as Apple is not going to drop software support any time soon. With a 3095 mAh battery and powered by the A15 bionic chip, this combination is a recipe for longevity and reliability. It doesn't have an old-school design and if you don’t mind embracing FaceID technology and a powerful dual camera sounds like enough for you, the refurbished 13 is your pick.

Shop this Refurbished iPhone 13 at Mozillion

Refurbished Android Under £300: Google Pixel 7a

The Pixel 7a is among those several high-end phones with 6.1-inch screen that can be found today on the refurbished market and it sports a large battery of 4385mAh. The vibe around Pixels at the moment is that budget models deliver better experiences than the flagship Pixels, and getting it refurbished will further boost your savings and tick a few sustainability boxes. With a dust and water resistant rating of IP67, it means that it will do just fine under 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. Not only this, but it comes equipped with the Google Tensor G2, 4K video capabilities and supports 18W of wired charging and 7.5W wireless. It also comes with 8GB RAM and will have software and security updates up until 2028.

Shop this Refurbished Pixel 7a at Mozillion

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Refurbished iPhone Under £200: Apple iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 still feels like a flagship even though it's seen two iterations of upgrades, the iPhone 12 and 13 lineups. Apple has carved a place in its lineups since the iPhone XR for non Pro models to tap into the sub-flagship category with somewhat lower starting prices. While the iPhone 11 has a slightly less premium display than its Pro siblings, it's a decent piece of tech and the great news is that you can get it for a very accessible price these days when buying refurbished.

This refurbished iPhone has a notch for its FaceID authentication technology on top of the 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display. A 3,110 mAh battery will get you through the day, and the A13 Bionic chipset will act more intuitively when it comes to system management settings and performance optimisation.

This device has a dust and water resistant rating of IP68, 4K video capabilities, and supports wireless charging. The refurbished iPhone 11 received the latest iOS 17 and will keep on having software updates until 2026 which, packed with the phone's features, is a great combination and value for money.

Shop this Refurbished iPhone 11 at Mozillion

Refurbished Android Under £200: Google Pixel 6a

The Google Pixel 6a features a notable 6.1-inch screen and great battery at 4410mAh. It was released with Android 12, upgradeable to Android 14 and is on track to continue to get security patches well into 2027. It comes with a dust and water resistant rating of IP67 and the fantastic Gorilla Glass 3 and OLED screen. The Google Tensor 5nm also kicks it up a notch allowing this device to support 18W wired charging, 4K video and 6GB of RAM. So, if you’re on a tight budget, the refurbished Pixel 6a can be a good option.

Shop Refurbished Google Pixel at UR

Note: Prices mentioned are correct at the time of writing and may be subject to change.

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Antonia

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