Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Renewed or
refurbished iPhone?
Amazon Renewed, Renewed Premium and Apple Certified Refurbished all sell used iPhones, but they promise very different batteries, return windows and warranties. Here's what each one guarantees, and when fixing the iPhone you already have is the better deal.
Updated 15 November 2026 · program terms checked 15 November 2026 · Apple US repair prices, before sales tax
How this page makes money. Some links below go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links never change a verdict, nothing here is a paid placement, and we don't list Amazon prices because they change by the hour. Repair prices and trade-in values are Apple's own.
The three side by side
| Amazon Renewed | Amazon Renewed Premium | Apple Certified Refurbished | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refurbished by | Sellers approved by Amazon | Sellers approved by Amazon, to a stricter standard | Apple |
| Battery | At least 80% of its original capacity | Over 90% of its original capacity | A new battery |
| Looks | Graded Excellent, Good or Acceptable | No visible wear from about a foot away | A new outer shell |
| Parts | Not guaranteed to be Apple's | Not guaranteed to be Apple's | Genuine Apple parts |
| Returns | 90 days | 365 days | 14 days |
| Warranty | Covered through the return window; some sellers add their own | Covered for a year through the return window | Apple's one-year warranty, the same as a new iPhone |
| AppleCare+ | Usually not available | Usually not available | Can be added |
| Price | Usually the lowest | More than standard Renewed | Apple advertises savings of up to 15% on new |
| Newest models | Months after launch | Months after launch | Often more than a year after launch |
Amazon Renewed
- Refurbished by
- Sellers approved by Amazon
- Battery
- At least 80% of its original capacity
- Looks
- Graded Excellent, Good or Acceptable
- Parts
- Not guaranteed to be Apple's
- Returns
- 90 days
- Warranty
- Covered through the return window; some sellers add their own
- AppleCare+
- Usually not available
- Price
- Usually the lowest
- Newest models
- Months after launch
Amazon Renewed Premium
- Refurbished by
- Sellers approved by Amazon, to a stricter standard
- Battery
- Over 90% of its original capacity
- Looks
- No visible wear from about a foot away
- Parts
- Not guaranteed to be Apple's
- Returns
- 365 days
- Warranty
- Covered for a year through the return window
- AppleCare+
- Usually not available
- Price
- More than standard Renewed
- Newest models
- Months after launch
Apple Certified Refurbished
- Refurbished by
- Apple
- Battery
- A new battery
- Looks
- A new outer shell
- Parts
- Genuine Apple parts
- Returns
- 14 days
- Warranty
- Apple's one-year warranty, the same as a new iPhone
- AppleCare+
- Can be added
- Price
- Apple advertises savings of up to 15% on new
- Newest models
- Often more than a year after launch
From each program's published terms, checked 15 November 2026. Amazon's terms apply to listings sold under its Renewed program; read the condition and return lines on each listing before you buy.
Our take: Apple Certified Refurbished is the only one that is close to new: a new battery, a new shell, Apple's warranty and AppleCare+. Renewed Premium is the best value on Amazon if you'll keep the phone for years, because its 90% battery floor and year-long return window cover the two things most likely to go wrong. Standard Renewed is the cheapest, but plan on paying for a battery.
The battery-health catch
The 80% on a standard Renewed listing is a minimum on the day it ships, not a promise of a good battery. Apple counts a battery below 80% of its original capacity as worn: that's when AppleCare+ will replace it for free. A phone sold at 81% can cross that line within months, and a new battery at Apple costs $99 to $119 for the renewed models most people buy.
- Check it the day it arrives: Settings → Battery → Battery Health shows the maximum capacity. On an iPhone 15 or newer, Settings → General → About also shows the cycle count.
- Check the parts: Settings → General → About → Parts and Service History shows whether the battery, screen or camera has been replaced, and whether the part is genuine Apple. A notice about an unknown part means a non-Apple replacement.
- Below what the listing promised? Send it back within the return window. That's what the guarantee is for.
When your iPhone plus a repair beats a renewed one
Switching to a renewed phone costs its price, minus what you get for your old one. Fixing costs Apple's repair price. So if a worn battery is your only problem, a renewed phone saves money only when it costs less than a new battery plus your trade-in value.
| Your iPhone | Renewed must cost under | Battery at Apple | Apple trade-in, up to | iOS updates left | Screen + battery at Apple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 11 | $194 | $89 | $105 | about 1 yr | $288 |
| iPhone 12 | $209 | $89 | $120 | about 1 yr | $368 |
| iPhone 13 | $269 | $89 | $180 | about 2 yrs | $368 |
| iPhone 13 Pro | $354 | $89 | $265 | about 2 yrs | $368 |
| iPhone 14 | $294 | $99 | $195 | about 3 yrs | $378 |
| iPhone 14 Pro | $384 | $99 | $285 | about 3 yrs | $428 |
| iPhone 15 | $404 | $99 | $305 | about 4 yrs | $378 |
| iPhone 15 Pro | $464 | $99 | $365 | about 4 yrs | $428 |
"Renewed must cost under" is Apple's battery price plus its maximum trade-in value for a phone in good condition. A cracked phone gets less in trade-in, so with a broken screen compare the renewed price with the screen + battery repair plus whatever Apple offers. Updates left is our estimate from Apple's past pattern of about 7 years.
Sources: Apple iPhone repair estimates, checked 9 November 2026 · Apple Trade In, checked 12 November 2026
Take an iPhone 13 with a tired battery: $89 at Apple plus $180 in trade-in makes $269. Compare that number with any renewed listing. If the listing costs more, you're paying the difference for what the renewed phone adds: more years of updates, USB-C, Apple Intelligence or a better camera. That can be worth it, as long as you know that's what you're buying.
A renewed phone makes more sense when:
- Your iPhone is close to the end of updates. The iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro likely get two years or less.
- More than one thing is broken. Apple's other-damage fee for an iPhone 14 Pro is $709.
- You want Apple Intelligence. It needs an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16 or newer, and no repair adds it.
- You're out of storage. A repair can't add any.
Enter your iPhone and what's wrong. The calculator runs this math with Apple's prices.
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Where to buy
From Apple: Apple Certified Refurbished iPhones. Stock changes often, and new models usually take more than a year to appear.
On Amazon: Renewed Premium for the models with the most updates left for the money. Check that the condition line says Premium and the listing says Unlocked.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links go to Amazon's search results, so you can compare sellers yourself.
Renewed Premium iPhone 15 Renewed Premium iPhone 15 Pro Renewed Premium iPhone 16e Renewed Premium iPhone 16 Renewed Premium iPhone 16 Pro
Before you pay, run through the seven-point renewed iPhone checklist: carrier lock, seller, return window and what to check on arrival.
Questions
What's the difference between Amazon Renewed and Renewed Premium?
Renewed Premium is the top grade of Amazon's Renewed program. Its phones have over 90% battery health and a 365-day return window. Standard Renewed phones need at least 80% battery health and come with 90 days to return.
Is Apple Certified Refurbished better than Amazon Renewed?
It's closer to new. Apple fits a new battery and outer shell, uses genuine Apple parts and gives its one-year warranty, and you can add AppleCare+. Amazon Renewed usually costs less, but the battery, parts and cover depend on the grade and seller.
What battery health does a renewed iPhone have?
At least 80% on standard Amazon Renewed, over 90% on Renewed Premium, and a new battery on Apple Certified Refurbished. Check Settings → Battery → Battery Health as soon as it arrives.
Can I get AppleCare+ on a renewed iPhone?
On an Apple Certified Refurbished iPhone, yes. On a phone from another seller it's usually not available, so a renewed phone from Amazon relies on its return window and any seller warranty.
Is a new battery cheaper than a renewed iPhone?
Almost always. Apple charges $89 to $99 for the iPhone 11 to 15 Pro. A renewed phone only saves money if it costs less than that battery plus your phone's trade-in value, such as $269 for an iPhone 13.