iPhone 15 Pro
$500.99
Lowest: $460-7.7%30d
Last reading today.Recorded todayBack Market US· USD
Refurbished iPhones for photography: the telephoto models
As of November 1, 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 $500.99. 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
We keep models fitted with an optical telephoto lens — the “Pro” and “Pro Max” ranges. Standard models stop at wide and ultra-wide: their zoom is a crop, not a lens.
From advice to real prices
iPhone 15 Pro
Recorded price
$500.99
Is this price worth it? Compare it with earlier readings for this model.
Back Market US · recorded November 1, 2026
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 Max
$603
Lowest: $559-6.4%30d
Last reading today.
iPhone 16 Pro
$633
Lowest: $594-3.8%30d
Last reading today.
iPhone 16 Pro Max
$736
Lowest: $720-3.4%30d
Last reading today.
iPhone 17 Pro
$934
Lowest: $903-6.6%30d
Last reading today.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
$1,012
Lowest: $993-10.1%30d
Last reading today.Back Market prices change often, depending on the seller, the stock and the cosmetic grade. The prices shown here are indicative and based on our latest observations. Always check the final price on Back Market before buying. How we record prices
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500.99 | -7.7% | $460 | $524 | Average | |
 | $603 | -6.4% | $559 | $621 | Average | |
 | $633 | -3.8% | $594 | $650 | Average | |
 | $736 | -3.4% | $720 | $780 | Low | |
 | $934 | -6.6% | $903 | $983 | Low | |
 | $1,012 | -10.1% | $993 | $1,111 | Very low |
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
Model selection comes from published hardware specifications — screen size, connector, chip, lenses — which never change. The prices come from our own readings of the Back Market page, once or twice a day, and change constantly. We do not blur the two: we publish no price we have not observed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest refurbished iPhone with a telephoto lens?
As of November 1, 2026, it was the iPhone 15 Pro, at $500.99 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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