Richard Goodwin

The iPhone 13 was released five years ago and it is still perfectly functional today. I used one up until earlier this year, and it was fine. The only issue is the limited amount of support left; you're looking at 1 or 2 more iOS updates before it reaches its end of life.

Refurbished phones typically last three to five years from purchase, but the real answer depends on which brand you buy and how old the device already is...

Let's start with the thing everyone argues about. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 48MP main sensor, a 5x telephoto, and Apple's latest image processing chip.

The best $500 iPhone right now is a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro Max. Nothing else comes close. It's a killer phone with class-leading hardware priced like a

May 8, 2026 - First Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ is celebrating its 60th Anniversary on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, 2026

The refurbished Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a genuinely excellent phone. It has one of the best cameras on Android, a gorgeous AMOLED display, S Pen support, and Samsung's longest-ever software commitment.

Modern iPhones – which means: anything released in the last several years – have more processing power under the hood than anyone needs. You do not need a new phone.

And with flagship phones now routinely costing more than $1,000, the argument for buying refurbished has never been stronger.

Refurbished phones typically cost 20–40% less than buying new, depending on the model, grade, and how recently it launched. On premium flagships like the iPhone 15 Pro Max or Galaxy S25 Ultra, that translates to savings of £300–£500.

You can get way more phone than you think for the price of a new Samsung Galaxy A56 5G, and here's the exact models I'd be looking at instead...