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Best refurbished phones you can buy in 2025
Go pre-loved for sustainable savings.
Best refurbished phones 2024
If you're looking to buy one of the best smartphones – like one of the top Samsung phones or one of the leading Pixel phones – you're likely to spend quite a lot of cash. But, there is an option that could make things cheaper.
The best refurbished phones are a fraction of the price of a brand-new handset. You could save money on all sorts of devices, from an Apple flagship such as the iPhone 14 or the iPhone 15, to some of the best Android phones including the Google Pixel 7, Pixel 8 or the Samsung Galaxy S23.
If you care about the health of the planet (spoiler: you should!), you can sleep soundly at night knowing that your re-used device is eco-friendly too. That's because the phone (and the components inside it) get a second lease of life instead of ending up being hurled into a landfill.
You won't be alone: research shows that more than a million UK adults chose to go for a refurbished phone in 2022, with millions more considering ditching shiny new devices in favour of pre-loved handsets for their next upgrade.
Before buying one of these smartphones, you'll need to consider what operating system you'll get on with most, which features are a must-have and which you're happy to go without, how big (or small) you'd like your next mobile to be, how long you want it to last and perhaps most importantly, you'll need to decide how much you intend to spend.
We've scoured the most popular online marketplaces and retailers to find the best refurbished smartphones right now. It's clear that a lot of the demand is for iPhones – these are long-lasting high-end devices that don't often see discounts – but we've also included some of our favourite iPhone alternatives.
What are the best refurbished phones?
Our last price check was conducted on Tuesday, January 21.
Apple iPhone SE (2020) – £104.45 at Amazon
Google Pixel 7 – From £204 at Back Market
Apple iPhone 13 – From £252.59 at Back Market
Apple iPhone SE
Display: 4.7in LCD | Storage sizes: 64/128/256GB | Cameras: 12MP main, 7MP front-facing
Apple's most affordable iPhone, the SE (2020) is shockingly inexpensive if you buy it refurbished – with most major websites offering it in good condition for £150 or less. If you don't mind wear-and-tear, it's available on Amazon for just over £100. Trust us, that's a bargain.
This is for anyone who loves the classic iPhone design with a physical home button and chunky bezels, and as we found in our hands-on review it has more than enough power for browsing social media, sending emails and scrolling websites. It's compact, lightweight and one of the cheapest ways to enjoy iOS.
Also available via eBay, Back Market, giffgaff and Currys.
Google Pixel 7
Display: 6.3-inch OLED | Storage sizes: 128GB | Cameras: 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10.8MP front-facing
The Pixel series has long been one of our favourite ways to get a clean, no-fuss Android experience, and 2022's Pixel 7 is no exception.
Powered by Google's AI smarts, you get a fantastic point-and-shoot camera for crisp, natural-looking pictures – even at night –and helpful tools like automatic transcriptions via the Recorder app and live captions on videos.
It may be a slightly older handset as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series phones have since been released. But Google still lets you download the latest version of Android – and it will also get guaranteed security updates until at least October 2027.
This is a brilliant all-rounder and a great Android-based alternative to the iPhone.
Also available via eBay, musicMagpie and Back Market
iPhone 13
Display: 6.06-inch OLED | Storage sizes: 128/256/512GB | Cameras: 12MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP front-facing
The iPhone 13 is one of Apple's flagship smartphones from 2021, and it still stands up to a lot of the competition over three years later.
This pocket-friendly device has a modestly sized 6.06-inch display, but it's a beauty. It's also speedy and has a very capable camera. At launch, it would cost £779, but you can now buy it refurbished for around £300 — a total bargain.
Also available at Amazon, musicMagpie and giffgaff.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 5G
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 5G
Display: 3.4-inch, 6.7-inch OLED | Storage sizes: 256 / 512GB | Cameras: 12MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP front-facing
Samsung's foldable clamshell smartphone from 2023 is still very much worth buying these days. It's a fashion statement and an impressive bit of tech.
Boasting two screens, a cover display and a folding main display hidden inside, the Z Flip5 is a pleasure to use – check out Digital Spy's full review for more detail on why. Expect adapted software, an all-day battery and plenty of power.
Also available at Back Market.
Google Pixel 6
Display: 6.4-inch OLED | Storage sizes: 128/256GB | Cameras: 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 8MP front-facing
It's no secret that we're big fans of the Pixel series after extensive hands-on testing of all the recent models.
The Pixel 6 is the 2021 flagship, and is often found for around the £150 mark refurbished. It's got a lovely 6.4-inch display, an industry-leading camera system, a bloatware-free user experience and the same unique design as found on the latest models.
Also available via eBay and Back Market
Apple iPhone 12
Display: 6.1-inch OLED | Storage sizes: 64/128/256GB | Cameras: 12MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP front-facing
The iPhone 12 is a few generations now, but we think it's still a great buy even years after release. It's got versatile cameras, MagSafe, smooth iOS software and an OLED screen.
You'll find it new via retailers like John Lewis and Argos for between £400 and £450 – but go for a refurbished model and you can get it for under £200 on Back Market. It's not the latest flagship, but it's still a flagship.
Also available via eBay, musicMagpie, Apple, giffgaff and Envirofone
Google Pixel 6a (128GB)
Display: 6.1-inch OLED | Storage sizes: 128GB | Cameras: 12.2MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 8MP front-facing
Looking for the most affordable way to get the top-performing cameras that Google's Pixel series is known for, along with the cleanest Android experience? We still recommend the Pixel 6a as a great value option for shoppers on a budget.
You'll miss out on some of the features in the Pixel 6 like a high-refresh-rate screen and wireless charging, but if you're not fussed about those this is a fantastic deal with a sleek design, years of software support and excellent cameras.
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Display: 6.2-inch AMOLED | Storage sizes: 128/256GB | Cameras: 12MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 64MP telephoto, 10MP front-facing
We may be on the S24 series (with new phones imminent) when it comes to Samsung's flagship handsets, but the S21 will still give you flagship-level performance.
It's got a great 6.2-inch display and a triple camera with a 64 MP telephoto shooter, and while it's not as powerful as the Ultra line-up, we love the sleek design and user experience.
If you're a fan of Android phones, this is an ideal alternative to the Google Pixel 5. It's found for under £200 in 'fair' condition, but you can generally expect to pay around £300 for one in better shape.
Also available via musicMagpie and Back Market
Where to buy refurbished phones
Refurbished smartphones are available at a wide variety of marketplaces, retailers and UK network providers.
Here are our favourite places to check for used handsets:
• Back Market
• giffgaff
• Amazon Renewed
• Music Magpie
• Argos
• EE
• O2
• Vodafone
• Envirofone
• Currys
• eBay Certified
What is a refurbished phone?
It's a handset that has been returned, traded in or had its box opened by a previous owner, before being tested or repaired to working order. It's then re-sold for a cheaper price, which is determined by its physical condition. All the phones on our list come with a 12-month warranty to cover manufacturing faults, too.
Does refurbished phone grading matter?
Yes – the smartphone's cosmetic condition determines the price. That means you can save even more money if you don't mind buying a device with a few marks, small scratches or blemishes.
At the other end of the scale, you'll find phones listed as 'pristine' or 'excellent' which are likely to look like they've barely been used, possibly because they were returned when a customer changed their mind.
Every website has its own grading system, but they generally go from 'good' to 'excellent', with phones in the best condition being the most expensive.
Do refurbished phones have a warranty?
All the websites on our list above offer at least a 12-month warranty when you purchase a refurbished smartphone.
This doesn't cover accidental damage or drops, but it means if your handset experiences hardware or software problems out of your control – like the battery health draining rapidly, screen malfunctions or failing buttons – you can get a fix or a replacement.
Some websites or marketplaces give you an easy returns process so you can send the phone back without question, and get a full refund, within a certain time. For example, Back Market gives you 30 days, while musicMagpie gives you 14 days.
How Digital Spy finds the best refurbished phone deals
DS finds the best refurbished phone deals by trawling the web for popular models second-hand. Our team of experts tests dozens of phones each year and so we only include our favourites in this list.
The most reliable sites for refurbished phone deals are Amazon Renewed and Back Market, but we do price check against other online retailers too.
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