Nearly each year, Apple releases a brand-new iPhone. With the latest in features and tech, these products are always revolutionary.
Even if you can’t afford a new iPhone, this is great news for consumers, because that means great discounts on Apple’s older devices. Many smart buyers even use this as a great opportunity to get Apple’s premium phones, like the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13, for a fraction of their original price.
If you looking to save big and find a great quality used phone, we will discuss how you can do that in the following article. Keep reading to learn the best place to buy used iPhone models.
What You Need to Know About Buying Used iPhones
iPhones are arguably the best smartphones on the market. Even older-model iPhones can compete against newer rivals. That’s because Apple packs each phone with great storage capacity, ram, and other amazing features.
Apple also has fairly long product cycles. For example, the iPhone 6 was supported by iOS for 5 years. Even older iPhones are still functional today. That’s why there’s such a huge resale market for them.
Some of the things you should consider before buying a used iPhone include:
- Is the device still supported by iOS?
- What is the phone’s condition?
- Is the phone unlocked?
- What’s the phone’s storage capacity?
- How much ram does it have?
- Has the phone been reset to factory conditions?
- How’s the battery health?
- Is there any water damage according to the LCI?
- What’s the background of the phone seller?
- Has the phone been fully paid off?
- Are there any warranty or insurance options?
Unlike buying a new iPhone, you should use caution when buying a used one. You can’t guarantee the quality of a used phone.
Depending on the circumstances, you may even want to take the device to a third-party iPhone retailer or repair shop to verify its condition. Now, let’s take a look at some of the places you can buy a used iPhone.
1) eBay
The online auction site eBay has long been a place to buy used electronics. It’s fairly simple to use. Just search for the phone you want and see what you can find.
Anybody who has used eBay before knows that it’s different from just buying a used phone outright, although some retailers do offer a “Buy It Now” function.
Instead, you place a bid on a product and keep track of it until the timer expires. If you beat the other bids, along with the reserve price set by the seller, than the phone is yours.
It can be an exciting way to find a used phone, and, in some cases, you can get an amazing deal. eBay is a massive marketplace.
You have everything from trusted sellers there who may have refurbished a product to a person trying to sell their used phone. There are some protections, too. If you buy a product and it’s not as promised, you can get your money back, although that can be a hassle.
Overall, eBay is a decent option, but you might want to check out some of the other possibilities on our list before trying it out for yourself.
Pros:
- It’s a massive marketplace with a huge selection.
- You can find trusted sellers with high-quality products.
- You have the possibility of saving a lot of money.
- It’s exciting for some buyers.
Cons:
- It’s hard to know the phone’s quality when buying it online.
- Some sellers can be difficult to work with.
- It’s sometimes difficult to win auctions.
- Auctions can be more of a hassle than some buyers want.
- The search function isn’t great.
2) Swappa
Although not as famous as eBay, Swappa is one of the best places to buy a used iPhone. It’s an e-commerce platform where you can buy new and used tech, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, cameras, and more.
Swappa is easy to use and gives you a huge number of great options. You also can get a price range of what certain products have sold for over the past six months and take advantage of other useful features, such as user reviews.
All postings are also reviewed and approved by the Swappa staff to ensure legitimacy. You’re not likely to find great deals on there, but you should be able to buy a quality phone.
Some sellers even offer warranties and other additional forms of coverage. Similar to other used platforms, make sure you test your phone thoroughly after you receive it to ensure it has no defects.
Overall, Swappa is a great choice for buying a used iPhone and probably better for the average phone buyer than eBay.
Pros:
- The site is easy to use.
- You can easily verify a seller’s quality.
- There’s an active staff to answer questions or solve issues.
- You’ll find a great selection.
Cons:
- PayPal is the only accepted payment form.
3) Craigslist
When it comes to classic internet icons, few have the history and longevity of eBay and Craigslist. Craigslist has always been the low tech, easy to use, free alternative to eBay.
Craigslist hasn’t changed much in its nearly three-decade history. Users create personal listings for whatever they want to sell on the platform. It doesn’t charge fees, but it doesn’t track users or verify their history either.
There are pros and cons to this. Craigslist makes it easy to view listings of used iPhones in your area. However, everything else requires a great deal of caution.
While the vast majority of people who use Craigslist are normal people, you never know who can be on the other end of the conversation. Also, there’s no real way to verify a phone’s quality.
With Craigslist, it’s possible to find some incredible deals, but it’s by far the riskiest place to buy anything, including used iPhones.
If you have some extra time on your hands and don’t mind taking a risk and going through the vetting process, you might utilize this option. There are plenty of online retailers where you can more conveniently buy a used iPhone, though. The others we mentioned on this list are more likely to result in you buying a highly-quality used device.
Pros:
- You can buy a phone locally.
- You might get a great deal.
- You can test the phone in person before you buy it.
Cons:
- You don’t know the seller’s reputation.
- You need to do more homework to ensure the phone doesn’t have issues.
- Meeting and interacting with different sellers can take a lot of leg work.
- The site’s search functionality isn’t very good.
4) Apple
Who better to buy a used iPhone from than the original manufacturer? With Apple, you can get certified refurbished or new phones. Also, most of them qualify for AppleCare with coverage for up to two years.
The only major downside is that Apple offers a very limited selection, depending on what they have in stock. Also, you’re not likely to find a great deal there.
Overall, if you want to ensure quality and aren’t looking for a used phone at a rock-bottom price, it’s a good option.
Pros:
- You’re buying directly from the manufacturer, so you can trust them.
- You can usually get AppleCare coverage with the device.
- You’re ensuring you get the highest quality of used iPhone.
Cons:
- There’s usually a very limited selection.
- You’re not going to find any great deals.
5) Amazon
Amazon sells everything, so it should come as no surprise that you can find a wide selection of used iPhone there. What makes Amazon an excellent choice is that you have the opportunity to buy either from third-party resellers or directly from manufacturers.
You can find a refurbished phone sold directly by Apple and use your Prime membership to get it delivered in two days or less. Amazon also directly sells “certified refurbished phones” with a 90-day warranty.
Most consumers consider Amazon to be an excellent choice. It’s definitely a place where you’ll find plenty of options and prices, even if you ultimately choose to buy a used iPhone on one of the other platforms we’ve mentioned.
Pros:
- It features iPhones sold directly by Apple.
- You can deal with certified sellers to ensure better quality.
- Amazon phones come with a 90-day warranty.
- There’s a wide selection.
- It’s easy to use.
Cons:
- None.
What’s the Best Place to Buy a Used iPhone?
Nowadays, you have more choices than ever if you want to buy a used iPhone. This top five list doesn’t even include additional options, like Best Buy, GameStop, Gazelle, and others.
Most consumers feel that the best place to buy a used iPhone is anywhere you can find a great deal. You will also probably want to buy from an entity that gives you some form of insurance, such as a 90-day warranty or AppleCare coverage.
The best strategy is often to begin with Amazon to get a sense of prices and what options are available. From there, you might check out sites like Swappa and eBay to see if you can find any great deals.
If you have more money to spend, you may want to check out a refurbished phone directly from Apple. Whatever strategy you choose, if you take your time and compare the various options, you’re sure to find the best iPhone to match your budget and needs.
If you’re looking for extra cash to put toward your phone purchase, make sure you sell your used iPhone and other devices to Buyback Boss. At Buyback Boss, we make selling your old phone simple and easy.
Click here to get an instant quote. You’ll get the highest price guaranteed for your phone, and the money can be yours within a couple of days.
For more Apple essentials, head over to our blog. You can learn more about upgrading your iPhone. You can find out how to troubleshoot any problems you may be experiencing, like how to fix a broken iPhone charger. You can also learn how to sell your phone and much more.
