Refurbished vs new iPhone: what the gap is actually worth
As of September 16, 2026, across the 14 refurbished iPhone models we track on Back Market US, the refurbished price sits 39% below the reference new price shown on the same listing. The widest gap is on the iPhone 13, at 63% ($399). Every figure comes from our own readings on that date.
Every Back Market US listing shows two amounts side by side: the refurbished “from” price and a reference new price. We record both at the same moment, for the 14 models we track. This page publishes the gap exactly as our readings give it, with no convenient rounding and no average borrowed from elsewhere.
Which “new price” this is
The table
The gap, model by model
Sorted widest gap first. The pattern is regular: the older the model, the wider the gap, because the reference price stays frozen while the refurbished price falls.
| Model | Refurbished | New (reference) | Gap | Gap % | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $230 | $629 | $399 | 63% | Compare |
 | $276 | $629 | $353 | 56% | Compare |
 | $324 | $729 | $405 | 56% | Compare |
 | $401 | $829 | $428 | 52% | Compare |
 | $634 | $1,199 | $565 | 47% | Compare |
 | $392 | $729 | $337 | 46% | Compare |
 | $545 | $999 | $454 | 45% | Compare |
 | $367 | $599 | $232 | 39% | Compare |
 | $663 | $999 | $336 | 34% | Compare |
 | $804 | $1,199 | $395 | 33% | Compare |
 | $601 | $829 | $228 | 28% | Compare |
 | $537 | $729 | $192 | 26% | Compare |
 | $953.67 | $1,099 | $145 | 13% | Compare |
 | $729.99 | $829 | $99 | 12% | Compare |
Indicative prices, not a guarantee
How to read the gap without fooling yourself
A wide gap does not mean a good deal, and a narrow one does not mean a bad deal. A four-year-old model mechanically sits far below its launch price: that mostly says the device has aged, not that today's price is low for it.
The useful question is not “how far below new” but “how far below its own usual price”. That is what each model's history measures, and why every row of the table leads to its own page.
The two readings complete each other: the gap against new says whether refurbished is worth it for that model; the history says whether today is the day.
Both extremes
Where refurbished changes everything, and where it barely helps
The two ends of the table show the same mechanism from both sides.
- Widest gap: iPhone 13, 63% below its reference new price, or $399.
- Narrowest gap: iPhone 17, at 12%, or $99.
Go deeper
Each model's own comparison
Each page covers one model's gap, alongside its price history and the lowest price we have recorded.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you actually save on a refurbished iPhone?
As of September 16, 2026, across the 14 models we track on Back Market US, the refurbished price sits 39% below the reference new price shown on the same listing.
The gap runs from 12% on the iPhone 17 to 63% on the iPhone 13. It is a range, not a single number: the average alone says nothing about the model you care about.
Is that “new price” what new costs today?
No, and it matters. It is the reference new price the listing displayed at the time of our reading. For a model Apple no longer sells, that is a historical list price, not something you could pay today.
We do not record new prices elsewhere, so we claim nothing about them. What the table shows is a gap between two amounts observed on the same listing, on the same date.
Does a wider gap mean a better deal?
Not necessarily. The gap widens mostly with the model's age: a four-year-old device sits far from its launch price because it has aged, not because it is well priced today.
To judge today's price, the useful benchmark is the model's own history — its lowest recorded price, its average, its recent trend. Every row of the table leads there.
Which models does refurbished help least on?
The most recent ones. As of September 16, 2026, the narrowest gap was on the iPhone 17, at 12%.
Their reference price is still the current selling price and refurbished stock is young: few devices have been resold, so there is little downward pressure. The gap then widens generation after generation.
Wait for the right moment rather than the right argument
The gap against new barely moves. The refurbished price moves every week. Set an alert on the model you want and we will email you when your price is reached.