Where to buy the Best Used iPhones to Buy in 2026: Top Picks Under £50, £100, £150 & £200

with best pick / runner-up / avoid, plus what I’d aim to pay on Back Market, CeX, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace.

I’m basing this on three things: current UK refurb pricing from Back Market and CeX, Apple’s current iOS 26 compatibility list, and the broad Reddit consensus that the iPhone 12 is the floor for a “still feels modern” buy, while the iPhone 13 is the safest value pick overall. I have a post here based on current UK refurbished pricing that are the Best second hand iPhones, Apple’s current software support

Best buys by budget

Around £50

Best realistic pick: Skip this bracket if you can
Only buy: iPhone SE (2020) if it is truly cheap and you need a stopgap.

Why: Apple still supports iPhone SE (2nd gen) on iOS 26, but at this money the market is mostly older, rougher devices with tired batteries. Even Reddit users who still like the SE frame it as a budget or compact-phone choice, not the best long-term buy.

Target prices

• Back Market: usually above this bracket, so not a real £50 option.
• CeX: likely too high once warranty is included.
• eBay: £45–£70 only if battery health and parts history are acceptable.
• Facebook Marketplace: £35–£60, but only if you can verify everything in person.

This is the one bracket where I’d say do not force the purchase. Saving another £40–£60 changes the quality of what you can buy a lot. That judgment is an inference from today’s support list and the fact that the stronger supported models start materially higher in refurb channels.

Around £100

Best pick: iPhone SE (2022)
Runner-up: iPhone 11 if you hate the SE design and can stretch a bit.

The SE (2022) is the cleanest value buy near £100 because it has the A15 chip, current iOS support, and current Back Market pricing starts around £103. CeX is much higher for warranty-backed stock, with 64GB unlocked B-grade at £170, which tells you private-sale targets should be well below that.

The iPhone 11 is still supported on iOS 26 and starts around £110–£113 on Back Market, but it is a stretch from your £100 bracket and Reddit-style advice now tends to place the 12 as the minimum modern-feeling option.

Target prices

• Back Market: SE (2022) £103–£125 is fair.
• CeX: I would only buy the SE (2022) here if you want the warranty badly, because £170 is safe but not cheap.
• eBay: SE (2022) £80–£105 is the buy zone; above that, you are getting too close to Back Market money. eBay’s category pages show used pricing can dip well below refurb retail, even though listings vary hugely by battery and condition.
• Facebook Marketplace: SE (2022) £70–£95 is the target; above that, I’d rather buy with warranty. This range is an inference from current refurb and CeX pricing.

Around £150

Best pick: iPhone 12
Runner-up: iPhone 12 mini if you specifically want small.

This is where the buying guide gets easy. The iPhone 12 gives you OLED, 5G, MagSafe, and the modern flat-edge design, and current UK Back Market pricing starts around £138–£145. CeX B-grade unlocked is about £220, which is a big premium for the safer channel. Reddit consensus also keeps landing on “12 is the lowest I’d go” and 13 is better if affordable.

Target prices

• Back Market: £138–£160 is fair for a base 12.
• CeX: £220 is the going B-grade benchmark. Great for warranty, not for pure value.
• eBay: £115–£145 is the sweet spot. Current eBay UK listings show used and refurbished 12s commonly sitting in roughly that band.
• Facebook Marketplace: £100–£130 is where I’d want to be. Above that, the risk/price trade-off gets worse than eBay or Back Market. This is an inference from the current gap between warranty-backed and peer-to-peer markets.

Around £200

Best pick: iPhone 13
Runner-up: iPhone 12 if you find a bargain under £150.

This is the strongest bracket. Back Market’s current UK guide has the iPhone 13 starting at £188, and live refurb listings show Fair around £185 and Good around £215. CeX’s 128GB unlocked B-grade is £300, which is a lot higher, but it shows how much room there is for a smarter buy elsewhere. Back Market also says the iPhone 13 series remained a top seller, with 31,458 devices sold globally in the last 30 days in 2025, which fits the broader “best-value iPhone” reputation. Reddit comments also keep circling back to the 13 as the balance point.

Target prices

• Back Market: £185–£215 is fair.
• CeX: £300 for 128GB unlocked B-grade. Safe, but expensive.
• eBay: £150–£180 is the target. Current eBay UK pages show used 13s dipping into the mid-£150s, though rough-condition and low-battery examples can be lower.
• Facebook Marketplace: £135–£165 is where I’d aim. Above that, I’d strongly prefer eBay or Back Market unless the seller has proof of battery health, original parts, and no repair history. This range is an inference from current eBay and refurb spreads.

Best / runner-up / avoid

Best overall buy: iPhone 13. It is the strongest mix of price, battery, performance, and longevity in the current UK market.

Best budget buy: iPhone SE (2022). It looks old, but the A15 and iOS 26 support keep it relevant.

Best value modern-feeling buy under £150: iPhone 12. It is still the lowest model many enthusiasts are comfortable recommending.

Avoid unless very cheap: iPhone XR and, to a lesser extent, rough iPhone 11 deals. The main reason is longevity and feel. Apple’s current compatibility list starts at iPhone 11 / SE 2nd gen, so the XR is already on the wrong side of the line for the latest iOS.

Where I’d buy from

Back Market is the middle ground when the price gap versus private sale is not huge, because you get inspection, returns, and warranty. Their UK pages currently show 1-year warranty and 30-day returns. All my customers seem to use them. Backmarket are actually an Ebay type platform for other sellers cleverly tarted up to be a storefront. Sellers get charged commission

My personal favourite and where I buy my phones from believe it or not is

CeX is usually the least aggressive on price but the safest of the high-street-style options, with a 5-year warranty on listed phones. That makes it more attractive for risk-averse buyers than bargain hunters. And their phones are rigourouly tested and always better grade that listed

eBay is where the best deal-to-risk ratio often sits, especially for the iPhone 12 and 13, because current listing prices are clearly below CeX and often below Back Market. But you need to be strict on battery health, parts warnings, network status, and seller history.

A WORD OF WARNING ON EBAY SELLERS – there are a huge amount of ebay scams currently taking place so this is a warning of Buyer Beware. A lot of sellers have only one high end phone that seems at a price too good to be true, they often then send them using postal spoofing where it claims to be sent to your address but actually gets delayed in the postal system and claims to be deleivered, if you do research you’ll find it’s not to your address. Ebay will refdund you but you’ll be waiting around 10-14 days to get your money back. Check Seller ratings and feedback before buying a phone on Bay. Trust me i’ve been on ebay since 2003 and know all the tricks the scammers try on there – i could write a book on it.

Facebook Marketplace should be the cheapest option, but only when the discount is meaningful and you don’t get your leg listed. My rule from today’s market would be: if Marketplace is not at least £20–£40 cheaper than the equivalent eBay buy, skip it. And make sure if you are buying a phone off a private individual you have the knowledge to check it’s blacklist and iCloud status. That is an inference from the fact that you usually lose buyer protection and easy returns compared with eBay, Back Market, or CeX.

My actual 2026 UK shortlist

• £100-ish: iPhone SE (2022)
• £140–£160: iPhone 12
• £185–£215: iPhone 13
• Only if desperate: iPhone SE (2020)
• Avoid as a main recommendation: XR

That ranking follows current support, live refurb pricing, and the strongest repeat pattern in buyer discussions: 12 is the floor, 13 is the sweet spot.

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