- Where to buy refurbished iPhones
- Popular SIM-only mobile plans you can pair with a refurbished iPhone
- Is it worth getting a refurbished iPhone?
- Do any mobile plan providers sell refurbished iPhones?
- Cheap non-refurb iPhones
- What to expect from a preowned phone
- Can you get AppleCare Plus on refurbished iPhones?
- Refurbished iPhone FAQs
Refurbished phones can get a bad rap but there's nothing to fear from a preloved phone. A quick browse across the Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree will present you with hundreds of options for preowned phones, but the problem is that you have no control over that handset. When you buy an iPhone from someone online you're not covered by consumer law in the same way you are through a certified seller.
If you're looking for a cheaper Apple product, opting for a refurbished iPhone through a reputable distributor is the best possible option. Your purchase comes with a 12-month warranty and it's guaranteed to work - which is more than can be said for an iPhone bought based on a photo someone took and posted online.
Buying a refurbished iPhone in Australia is surprisingly easy. There are plenty of reputable retailers that sell older models both outright and on plans. Stock and prices do vary between sellers, so if you see something you like at a good price you'll want to be ready to commit straight away or you may miss out.
The Australian refurbished iPhone retailers that we think are worth a look at are:
- Amazon
- Boost
- Frank Mobile
- JB Hi-Fi
- Kogan
- numobile
- OzMobiles
- reebelo
Where to buy refurbished iPhones
Here we've detailed some of the pros and cons of the more popular refurbished iPhone sellers including the starting prices at the time of writing.
Amazon offers a range of refurbished iPhones under its "Amazon Renewed" branding. It stocks a range of older models all the way up to more recent models.
You may also be able to trade-in your old device and receive an Amazon gift card. Refurbished iPhones from Amazon typically include accessories and generic packaging.
- Amazon Renewed products are professionally inspected
- Refurbished iPhones offered by Amazon suppliers undergo testing and cleaning
- Minimum six-month supplier-backed warranty
- Accessories included may be generic
| Model | Prices starting from | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 series | $915 | See on Amazon |
| iPhone 15 series | $689 | See on Amazon |
| iPhone 14 series | $494 | See on Amazon |
| iPhone 13 series | $639 | See on Amazon |
Note: Price and availability is subject to change.
OzMobiles has been operating in Australia since 2011 and specialising in refurbished goods such as phones, tablets, smartwatches and other devices. Each refurbished iPhone purchase is packed in a recyclable box and includes a compatible charge cable and SIM pin.
OzMobiles has iPhones with conditions running from "very good" to "excellent" and also ex-demo models that it describes as "like new".
- 30-day risk-free returns
- Price beat guarantee if you find a cheaper deal somewhere else
- Not the cheapest refurbished iPhones
| Model | Prices starting from | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 series | $1,319 | See on OzMobiles |
| iPhone 16 series | $659 | See on OzMobiles |
| iPhone 15 series | $749 | See on OzMobiles |
| iPhone 14 series | $599 | See on OzMobiles |
| iPhone 13 series | $409 | See on OzMobiles |
Note: Price and availability is subject to change.
Retailer JB Hi-Fi sells refurbished iPhones online direct from itself and via Marketplace vendors. For our purposes we're only looking at the refurbished phones offered by JB Hi-Fi itself.
Unlike other refurbished product sellers JB Hi-Fi doesn't provide unit-level gradings. It says the devices it sells may have some cosmetic blemishes and slight scratches.
- Trade-in old device for JB Hi-Fi gift cards
- Price beat guarantee for non-marketplace devices
- Not easy to compare the quality of refurbished devices
- Some products are from third-party marketplace sellers
| Model | Prices starting from | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 series | $1,299 | See on JB Hi-Fi |
| iPhone 16 series | $789 | See on JB Hi-Fi |
| iPhone 15 series | $999 | See on JB Hi-Fi |
Note: Price and availability is subject to change.
Kogan has decent prices on refurbished iPhone models which makes it a good place to pick up a new iPhone for less.
The grading on refurbished iPhones varies more widely on Kogan with phones marked between "very good" and "excellent". You may be able to save more money on a "very good" phone with more cosmetic imperfections.
- Some of the cheapest prices for refurbished iPhones
- Earn Kogan First rewards points
- Package contents vary
- Not all products come with a warranty and some are from third-party marketplace sellers
| Model | Prices starting from | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 series | $862 | See on Kogan |
| iPhone 15 series | $648 | See on Kogan |
| iPhone 14 series | $484 | See on Kogan |
| iPhone 13 series | $633 | See on Kogan |
Note: Price and availability is subject to change.
reebelo's mission is to ensure access to affordable electronics through sustainability. rebeelo promotes a circular economy so you can both sell your old device and purchase an updated refurbished model.
reebelo has refurbished iPhones with conditions running from "acceptable" to "premium" as well as brand-new handsets.
- Refurbished iPhones sold on reebelo go through 70-point check process
- One tree planted for every purchase
- Wall chargers not included
| Model | Prices starting from | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 series | $712 | See on Reebelo |
| iPhone 16 series | $568 | See on Reebelo |
| iPhone 15 series | $416 | See on Reebelo |
| iPhone 14 series | $284 | See on Reebelo |
| iPhone 13 series | $251 | See on Reebelo |
Note: Price and availability is subject to change.
Popular SIM-only mobile plans you can pair with a refurbished iPhone
Once you've bought your refurbished iPhone the only thing left to do is pair it with a SIM-only mobile plan to get connected to a mobile network.
See the most popular SIM-only plans with at least 20GB of data in our database:
|
SpinTel
Editor's Pick
$23 Mobile Plan
$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
|
|
Boost Mobile
$39 Prepaid
$39.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
30GB Small Plan
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Yomojo
Starter 29GB Plan
$24.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Tangerine Telecom
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
Pivotel
25GB Mobile Swift Plan
$11.45/mth
Min. cost $11.45
|
|
Swoop
30GB SIM Only 5G
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
|
|
Vodafone
$58 Small SIM Only Plan
$45.00/mth
Min. cost $45
|
|
felix mobile
felix 25GB Mobile Plan
$30.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
Is it worth getting a refurbished iPhone?
If you want a new iPhone but can't afford to fork out $1,000 then a refurbished one for less is a good alternative.
You can generally save at least $150 on an iPhone that's still readily available or hundreds on older phones that still have updates planned for quite a while. For example, the iPhone 16 is available at Apple from $1,249 but can be found on OzMobiles in "good" condition for $250 less.
When it comes to much older models such as the iPhone 8 or iPhone X you might want to consider future upkeep. These iPhone series and older no longer receive software and security updates from Apple. Most apps require iPhones to be updated to the latest iOS to run properly.
As new devices such as the iPhone 17 are released, older devices also become incompatible with new operating systems. The next to fall out of the support cycle is likely to be the iPhone 11 series, iPhone 12 series and iPhone SE (2020) which probably won't be compatible with iOS 28 next year.
Cheap non-refurb iPhones
If you don't love the idea of having someone's sloppy seconds, then you can still pick up a brand-new iPhone for a relatively low price. Apple is increasingly releasing more affordable handsets such as the iPhone 17e. Paired with a 24-month mobile plan, you can get a new iPhone for less than $100 per month.
Here are the cheapest iPhone 17e plans available at the moment over either a 24- or 36-month repayment period:
iPhone 17e 256GB Plans
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$80.61/mth
Min. cost $1,037.64
|
|
Vodafone
$58 Small Plan
$92.87/mth
Min. cost $1,193.88
|
|
Vodafone
$68 Medium Plan
$97.87/mth
Min. cost $1,198.88
|
|
Vodafone
$78 Large Plan
$102.87/mth
Min. cost $1,203.88
|
|
Optus
$69 Optus Promo Plan
$110.61/mth
Min. cost $1,067.64
|
|
Optus
$70 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$111.61/mth
Min. cost $1,068.64
|
|
Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$121.87/mth
Min. cost $1,222.88
Link not supplied
|
|
Telstra
$74 Basic Upfront Mobile Plan
$121.87/mth
Min. cost $1,222.88
Link not supplied
|
|
Optus
$90 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$131.61/mth
Min. cost $1,088.64
|
|
Telstra
$99 Premium Upfront Mobile Plan
$131.87/mth
Min. cost $1,232.88
Link not supplied
|
iPhone 17e 256GB Plans
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$66.74/mth
Min. cost $1,037.64
|
|
Vodafone
$58 Small Plan
$76.91/mth
Min. cost $1,193.76
|
|
Vodafone
$68 Medium Plan
$81.91/mth
Min. cost $1,198.76
|
|
Vodafone
$78 Large Plan
$86.91/mth
Min. cost $1,203.76
|
|
Optus
$69 Optus Promo Plan
$96.74/mth
Min. cost $1,067.64
|
|
Optus
$70 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$97.74/mth
Min. cost $1,068.64
|
|
Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$105.91/mth
Min. cost $1,222.76
Link not supplied
|
|
Telstra
$74 Basic Upfront Mobile Plan
$105.91/mth
Min. cost $1,222.76
Link not supplied
|
|
Telstra
$99 Premium Upfront Mobile Plan
$115.91/mth
Min. cost $1,232.76
Link not supplied
|
|
Optus
$90 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$117.74/mth
Min. cost $1,088.64
|
Do any mobile plan providers sell refurbished iPhones?
A few telcos used to sell refurbished iPhones in addition to SIM-only plans, but these days Boost Mobile is the only one.
Boost Mobile offers refurbished iPhones sometimes with up to 15% off. Each refurbished phone is backed by a 12-month warranty and 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Boost will throw in a free $39 SIM. However, you can also pair them with any of the following Boost SIM-only plans:
|
Boost Mobile
$14 Prepaid
$14.00
Per 7 Day Renewal
|
|
Boost Mobile
$28 Prepaid
$28.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
Boost Mobile
$39 Prepaid
$39.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
Boost Mobile
$49 Prepaid
$49.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
Boost Mobile
$59 Prepaid
$59.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
Boost Mobile
$74 Prepaid
$74.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
Boost Mobile
$180 Prepaid
$180.00
Per 6 Month Renewal
|
|
Boost Mobile
$300 Prepaid
$300.00
Per 12 Month Renewal
|
|
Boost Mobile
$365 Prepaid
$305.00
Per 12 Month Renewal
|
What to expect from a preowned phone
Refurbished iPhone retailers take the handsets through extensive testing before selling them on to consumers, but you can’t expect the same experience you get walking out of the Apple Store.
Preloved iPhones are exactly that, they’ve been used before so you won’t get a shiny new impeccably boxed phone. Consider how your phones generally look after two years of use and how they operate, you’re likely to get something akin to that but tweaked for better performance.
You can anticipate that your refurbished iPhone:
- Will be a genuine Apple handset
- May have some superficial damage like light scratches or scuffs
- Will have at least 80% battery capacity
- Will have no leftover personal data from the previous owner
Some retailers will sell refurbished iPhones in Australia using a grading system from "Good" to "Excellent". While even good devices will live up to the standards above, they generally will have more cosmetic damage than an excellent model will. It's the same situation with refurbished iPads.
Can you get AppleCare Plus on refurbished iPhones?
Unfortunately, AppleCare Plus can only be bought and applied to iPhone during a limited 60-day window after its original purchase. Apple does offer AppleCare Plus plans on products that are Apple Certified Refurbished which means they were refurbished by Apple itself. However, Apple doesn't currently offer refurbished iPhones in its Australian online store.
Refurbished iPhone FAQs
Does Apple sell refurbished iPhones in Australia?
No, while Apple offers refurbished iPhones in other markets it doesn't currently offer them in Australia. You can, however, find refurbished iPads, Mac computers, Apple Watches and more available from Apple in Australia.
Who has the cheapest refurbished iPhones?
Prices for refurbished iPhones can vary depending on demand, stock and which model you're after. You can compare prices at the time of writing using the tables above.
Is it safe to buy a second-hand iPhone?
Yes, so long as you are purchasing your refurbished iPhone from a verified retailer it should be safe. Buying from a retailer as opposed to some stranger off Gumtree is safer because you have consumer rights protections.
Dylan Crismale
Digital Content Editor
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