10 Old iPhones That Are Still A Good Buy In 2026

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Let's face it: top-tier smartphones aren't cheap, especially not Apple's latest offerings. Sure, the base iPhone 17 offers a lot for $799, including a 120 Hz ProMotion display, but that's still a considerable chunk of change in a world that's getting pricier by the day. The $599 iPhone 17e is an option, of course, but you're making a lot of sacrifices to hit that price point, not least a 60 Hz display.

That said, the fact that your budget may not stretch to the best of Apple's newest iPhone lineup doesn't mean you're entirely out of luck — at least, not if you're willing to buy an older, preferably refurbished, iPhone. While you won't necessarily get a box-fresh, mint-condition device, a refurb from a reputable source can last you years, if not longer. That makes it a great way to save money on an iPhone without making too many sacrifices.

That is only, of course, if you buy the right iPhone. After all, while you can get a renewed iPhone 12 from Amazon for under $200, that model is getting a bit long in the tooth and may be too old to run iOS 26 without compromises, making for a bargain purchase that may just frustrate you instead. That won't be the case if you get one of the following models, though.

Any iPhone 16 model will be relatively pricey compared to older iPhones, but that comes with some advantages. One is that you'll get years of OS and security updates: Apple generally supports its phones for seven years, so an iPhone 16 from 2024 will be relevant until 2031. Another plus is that you'll have modern features like the Camera Control and Action buttons regardless of which iPhone 16 model you get. Apple Intelligence features, such as Live Translation, are also available across all four versions (16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max).

Performance shouldn't be a concern, either. While the iPhone 17 chips perform significantly better in synthetic benchmarks, the A18 (and A18 Pro) chips in the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro remain competitive: the iPhone 16's A18 chip, for example, still trades blows with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phone like the Honor Magic8 Pro in Geekbench, so it's by no means a slouch. 

As of mid-2026, you can still buy the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus from Apple for $699 and $799, respectively. That's not bad, but you may want to consider refurbs, too. Saving $100 on the former versus the iPhone 17 may not make up for only having 128GB of storage, but that may be less of a concern if you're paying closer to $600 for an Amazon-renewed iPhone 16 instead. Refurbs are also the only way to get a like-new 16 Pro or Pro Max, as they're no longer available new from Apple. Expect to pay between $700 and $800 for a renewed 256GB iPhone 16 Pro from Amazon.

Apple's iPhone 15 lineup offers two paths for buyers, depending on what they value. Those who want as much feature parity as possible with newer iPhones will want the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, especially since they support Apple Intelligence features such as AI-powered Shortcuts, Live Translation, and Visual Intelligence. All of these, plus the Action Button, are present only on the iPhone 15 Pro models and up.

Both the Pro and Pro Max have 120 Hz ProMotion OLED screens with Always-On support, offering experiences similar to the latest iPhones. The most appealing aspect, however, is that you can purchase refurbished units directly from Apple. These will have new shells and batteries, plus one-year warranties, but those perks come at a cost: Apple's prices start at just over $900 for a refurbished 512GB iPhone 15 Pro.

If you're on a much tighter budget, then consider the iPhone 15 or 15 Plus instead. These will get the same seven years of OS updates as the Pro models, taking them to 2030, but they won't get access to Apple Intelligence, nor do they have ProMotion displays or the Pro models' fancy camera setups. You also get a slower USB-C port than the Pro models, though it's still USB-C — no Lightning here, thankfully. Refurbished iPhone 15s can be found for very compelling prices: Fair-condition refurbished iPhone 15s from specialists Back Market start at $380, while you can get a 128GB Renewed Premium iPhone 15 from Amazon for around $470.

If you only have Google Pixel 10a money but definitely want an iPhone, the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max might be just the ticket. These came out in 2022, so they're definitely not spring chickens, but they're by no means outdated in terms of features or specs. That spiffy Dynamic Island feature present on newer iPhones? It debuted on the 14 Pro and Pro Max. The same goes for the Always-On Display, which debuted on these phones and was made possible by an updated LTPO OLED panel capable of dropping to a battery-saving 1Hz refresh rate.

The camera hardware is still strong and will likely beat many phones in its current price class, given its triple-camera setup (main camera, telephoto, and ultra-wide) and strong processing chops. This is backed up by the fact that no mid-range (sub-$600) phones have outperformed the 14 Pro and Pro Max in DxOmark's smartphone camera tests as of mid-2026. You're getting a flagship-tier camera at mid-range prices here.

A renewed 128GB iPhone 14 Pro from Amazon will set you back $439, while a higher-grade Renewed Premium unit will cost $534. Bumping up the storage to 256GB, which we'd recommend, brings the price of a renewed unit to a still-affordable $479, although you won't get the premium treatment here. The Pro Max will be pricier, but not by that much: Amazon has renewed iPhone 14 Pro Maxes starting at $474 with 128GB of storage. You will have to live with the slight hassle of still needing a Lightning cable in 2026, but that's probably worth it given the savings.