If you’re trying to buy a new iPhone but don’t quite want an iPhone 17, it can often be hard to find something on a tighter budget. Sure, Apple offers the iPhone 16e at $599 – but not everyone finds that to be a compelling phone. Luckily, there’s plenty of great options if you want to buy used, and I’ll be delving into five great picks for varying needs.
#1 – iPhone 15 Pro
If you’re after higher end features like a ProMotion display, Apple Intelligence, and a telephoto lens – the iPhone 15 Pro is hands down the best overall pick, presuming your budget allows for it.
It runs the A17 Pro chip (which is still used in the latest generation iPad mini) – making it great for Apple Intelligence features, and giving you plenty of power for years to come.
At the time of writing, you can pick up an unlocked 128GB iPhone 15 Pro from Amazon Renewed for $640, making it only a bit more expensive than a new iPhone 16e, while packing tons of premium features. If you’re into a larger screen size, you can grab an unlocked iPhone 15 Pro Max with double the storage for just $70 more, at $710.
#2 – iPhone 15
If you want the cheapest iPhone with USB-C or Dynamic Island, the iPhone 15 is an awesome choice. You get a nice 48MP camera sensor, and if you’re into the physical mute switch – the iPhone 15 is the last iPhone to offer that. Battery life is quite stellar, and it has a pretty compelling color lineup.
You can currently pick up an unlocked 128GB iPhone 15 for $478 on Amazon Renewed, making it a sub-$500 option to get a pretty complete iPhone package. If bigger phones are your jam, you can get the 128GB iPhone 15 Plus for $522.
#3 – iPhone 13 mini
If you’re a small phone fan, the iPhone 13 mini remains the best option for you – since Apple decided to give up on making smaller iPhones. It’s still quite capable with its A15 Bionic chip, though you’ll have to live with the Lightning charging port. Either way, thanks to its great 800 nit OLED display and sweet camera system, this phone shouldn’t feel too dated, despite being four years old.
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