Best Refurbished iPhone Under £500 in the UK

The best refurbished iPhone under £500 for most people is the iPhone 15 Pro. At recent prices it is the one model in our range that supports Apple Intelligence for under £500, with prices from £449. If you don't need that, the iPhone 14 (from £279) and the iPhone 13 (from £189) are the best value iPhones we sell. Every iPhone has a 12-month warranty.

£500 goes a long way on a refurbished iPhone. At recent prices it covers everything from the iPhone 12 up to the iPhone 15 Pro, all tested and graded. This guide ranks the best options by what each one does well, using "from" prices from our own listings so you know what to expect before you click. If you are new to buying refurbished, our grading guide explains what each condition means, and our returns policy covers the 30-day period.

Key takeaways

• The iPhone 15 Pro is the best overall pick, and the only iPhone under £500 in our range that supports Apple Intelligence.

• The iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 are the best value. They share the same chip, so the extra £90 for the 14 mostly buys safety features.

• "From" prices are for the lowest grade and storage. A better grade or more storage can take a model over £500.

• eSIM-only listings cost less. The iPhone 15 started at £315 as an eSIM-only listing, against £410 for the standard one.

• Stock moves fast, so check what is available today.

The best refurbished iPhones under £500 at a glance

*Prices are "from" prices for the cheapest option of each model, checked in October 2026. Stock and prices change often, and a better grade or more storage costs more. Just over budget, the iPhone 15 Pro Max (eSIM only) started at £519 and the iPhone 16 Pro at £649. If you can stretch that far, see our refurbished iPhone 17 vs iPhone 16 comparison.

What is the best refurbished iPhone under £500?

For most people, the iPhone 15 Pro if you want the newest features, or the iPhone 14 or iPhone 13 if you would rather spend less. Here are the picks in more detail.

1. iPhone 15 Pro: best overall under £500

The iPhone 15 Pro is the only iPhone in this guide that supports Apple Intelligence. It has the A17 Pro chip, a titanium frame, a 120Hz ProMotion display with an Always-On Lock Screen, a 48MP main camera, a 3x telephoto lens and a USB-C port. The listing rates the battery at up to 23 hours of video playback. Recent prices started at £449, or £445 for the eSIM-only version. Those are for the lowest grade and storage, and this is the model most likely to pass £500 once you pick a better grade or more storage, so check the price of the exact option you want. See the iPhone 15 range.

2. iPhone 15: the newest design for less

The standard iPhone 15 brought USB-C, a 48MP main camera and the Dynamic Island to Apple's mainstream lineup. It runs the A16 Bionic chip and is rated at up to 20 hours of video playback. Prices started at £410, and the eSIM-only version started at £315. It does not support Apple Intelligence, which is the main thing you give up against the 15 Pro. See the iPhone 15 range.

3. iPhone 14: best balance of price and features

The iPhone 14 has the A15 Bionic chip, a dual 12MP camera system, Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite, and is rated at up to 20 hours of video playback. It still has a Lightning port, and it doesn't have the Dynamic Island that arrived with the iPhone 15. Prices started at £279, which leaves plenty of your £500 to spend on a better grade or more storage. See the iPhone 14 range.

4. iPhone 13: the best value iPhone

The iPhone 13 is the cheapest of the main picks and, in our view, the best value iPhone under £500. It has the same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 14, a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display and a dual 12MP camera with Cinematic mode. It is rated at up to 19 hours of video playback. Prices started at £189, which is £90 less than the iPhone 14. For that £90, the 14 adds Crash Detection, Emergency SOS via satellite and an extra hour of video playback. If those matter to you, pay it. If not, keep the money. See the iPhone 13 range.

5. Pro and Pro Max models under £500

If you want a Pro, the iPhone 13 Pro started at £290 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max at £340. The iPhone 14 Pro started at £369, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max at £410. Pro models cost more than the standard phone from the same year, and what you gain varies by generation, so read the spec on each listing before you choose.

6. iPhone 12 range: the cheapest way in

If you want a cheap refurbished iPhone in the UK, start here. The iPhone 12 mini started at £109, the iPhone 12 at £129 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max at £199. Apple's iOS 27, announced in June 2026, runs on every iPhone from the iPhone 11 up, so the iPhone 12 range is still supported. Expect the oldest hardware in this guide, a Lightning port and no Apple Intelligence. They suit a spare phone or a first phone. See the iPhone 12 range.

How the main picks compare

These are the points that affect day-to-day use most, taken from our listings.

Do you need Apple Intelligence?

Apple supports Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and every iPhone 16 and later. That means the iPhone 15, 14, 13 and 12 do not get it, whatever grade or storage you choose. If you mostly message, take photos, browse and stream, you are unlikely to miss it. If features such as Writing Tools and the newer Siri are the reason you are upgrading, the iPhone 15 Pro is the one to look at. If you are not sure, the iPhone 14 or iPhone 13 will do the everyday jobs for much less.

What to check before you buy a refurbished iPhone

• Grade. Good and Fair grades cost less than Premium, and every grade is fully tested. Good means light scratches or scuffs, with minor denting possible. Fair means noticeable scratches, scuffs or dents. Cosmetic wear doesn't change how the phone works, and a case hides much of it. 

• Battery health. Every grade is guaranteed at 80% or above, and Premium at 90% or above. When your phone arrives, open Settings, then Battery, then Battery Health & Charging to see the maximum capacity.

• SIM or eSIM. Listings marked eSIM only have no physical SIM slot, and they cost less. Check that your network supports eSIM before you order one.

• Storage. You can't add storage to an iPhone later. Our iPhone 13, 14 and 15 listings range from 128GB to 512GB, so choose for the photos and video you keep.

• What's in the box. Our listings say the box has the phone, a charging cable and a SIM tool. A plug isn't listed, so use one you already own.

• The price you will actually pay. Use the Price Range filter on our iPhone page to cap results at £500, then check the exact grade and storage.

What comes with every iPhone

Every iPhone we sell is tested with Blancco. The platform offers 86+ automated tests, with checks chosen for each device, including battery health, display, cameras and lock and security checks, and it securely erases data. Each device comes with a Blancco report. The 12-month warranty covers repair or replacement for hardware faults, whatever the grade. It doesn't cover accidental or liquid damage.

If you change your mind, you can return the phone within 30 days under our returns policy, subject to conditions. You will need to request a returns number first, and return postage is at your cost. If a fault appears in the first 30 days, we arrange collection at our cost and offer a full refund or an exchange. Orders over £250 ship free, UK standard delivery is £4.99 below that, and Klarna shows 0% interest over 3 months on listings.

What we have in stock right now

Stock moves quickly. If the model you want is sold out, check back or contact us and we will point you to the closest match.

Shop current iPhones under £500

Ready to look? Shop current iPhones under £500 and use the Price Range filter to cap results at £500. Every iPhone is Blancco-tested, graded and covered by a 12-month warranty, with 30-day returns (conditions apply).

Refurbished iPhone under £500: FAQs

1. What is the best refurbished iPhone under £500?

For most people, the iPhone 15 Pro if you want Apple Intelligence and the newest features, or the iPhone 14 or iPhone 13 if you want to spend less. Recent "from" prices were £449, £279 and £189. Check the price of the exact grade and storage before you buy.

2. Can you get a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro for under £500?

Sometimes. Recent prices started at £449, but that is for the lowest grade and storage. A better grade or more storage can take it over £500, so use the Price Range filter on our iPhone page and compare the options.

3. Which iPhones under £500 support Apple Intelligence?

Apple supports Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and every iPhone 16 and later. At recent prices, the iPhone 15 Pro was the only one of those we had under £500. The iPhone 15, 14, 13 and 12 do not support it.

4. What is the cheapest refurbished iPhone you sell?

When we checked, the iPhone 12 mini started at £109, followed by the iPhone 12 at £129 and the iPhone 13 at £189. Prices change often, so check the current listing.

5. Will a refurbished iPhone under £500 still get iOS updates?

Apple's iOS 27 supports the iPhone 11 and later, so every iPhone in this guide can run it. After that, Apple decides how long each model keeps getting updates.

6. What battery health will a refurbished iPhone have?

Every iPhone we sell is guaranteed at 80% or above, and Premium grade at 90% or above. After it arrives, open Settings, then Battery, then Battery Health & Charging to check.

7. What warranty and returns do refurbished iPhones come with?

Every iPhone has a 12-month warranty covering repair or replacement for hardware faults, but not accidental or liquid damage. You also get 30-day returns, with conditions. If a fault appears in the first 30 days, we arrange collection at our cost and offer a full refund or an exchange.