Refurbished iPhones for photography: the telephoto models
As of September 16, 2026, 6 of the refurbished iPhone models we track on Back Market US carry an optical telephoto lens. The cheapest of them is the iPhone 15 Pro, at $545. Model selection comes from published hardware specifications; every price comes from our own readings.
The one camera gap no software makes up for is optical zoom: either the device has a third sensor with a telephoto lens, or it enlarges digitally. 6 of the models we track on Back Market US have one. Here they are, with the price we recorded.
The criterion, precisely
The selection
The models that qualify, cheapest first
Entry prices recorded on Back Market US, across all storage sizes and cosmetic grades. Each card also places that price within the model's own history.
iPhone 15 Pro
$545
High
iPhone 15 Pro Max
$634
Average
iPhone 16 Pro
$663
Average
iPhone 16 Pro Max
$804
High
iPhone 17 Pro
$953.67
Average
iPhone 17 Pro Max
$1,179
High
Indicative prices, not a guarantee
Compare
The detail, with recorded prices
The cheapest model in the selection is not necessarily the one in the best buying window. The “lowest” and “average” columns place today's price against each model's history.
| Model | Current price | 30 days | Lowest | Average | Trend | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $545 | $489 | $533 | High | ||
| $634 | $611 | $635 | Average | ||
| $663 | $645 | $670 | Average | ||
| $804 | $758 | $799 | High | ||
| $953.67 | $920 | $963 | Average | ||
| $1,179 | $1,061.95 | $1,131 | High |
The models without a telephoto lens
They shoot very well at wide angle — the focal length of the vast majority of photos — but cannot bring a subject closer without losing quality. The tracked models concerned:
Other selections
If this is not the right criterion, these pages sort the same models differently.
Where this list and these prices come from
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest refurbished iPhone with a telephoto lens?
As of September 16, 2026, it was the iPhone 15 Pro, at $545 on Back Market US.
It is often the best optics-per-euro in the catalogue: a two- or three-generation-old “Pro” keeps its telephoto lens while its price has followed the depreciation of its age.
Is a standard model enough for photography?
For the vast majority of photos, yes: the main sensor of recent standard models is the same as the Pro's across several generations.
The difference shows the moment you need to bring a subject closer — a portrait, a concert, an animal. Without a telephoto lens, the device crops, and quality drops.
Do you test the camera quality of these devices?
No. We record prices, not performance. This page's selection rests on a public hardware characteristic — the presence of a telephoto lens — and on the prices we observe.
No judgement on image quality is published here, because we do not measure it.
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