Best Refurbished iPhones Under £300 UK (2026): iPhone 11 vs 12 vs 13 vs 14

A £300 budget can buy a surprisingly capable refurbished iPhone in 2026. Depending on current stock and cosmetic grade, your choice can stretch from the affordable iPhone 11 through the 5G-enabled iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 to selected iPhone 14 models.

But buying the newest iPhone you can find for £299 is not always the smartest move. Storage, cosmetic condition, battery condition, connectivity and the size of the saving all matter.

Quick answer: the iPhone 13 128GB is our strongest all-round choice under £300 in the current market. The iPhone 14 becomes attractive when a suitable grade drops below £300, while iPhone 11 and 12 remain useful for buyers prioritising a lower price.

Shop current iPhone stock →

Tech Market Price Check — 27 August 2026

Examples available or recently listed when this guide was refreshed include:

Stock and prices change constantly. Treat these as a dated market snapshot rather than guaranteed future pricing.

Best Refurbished iPhones Under £300: Quick Ranking

🏆 Best overall: iPhone 13 128GB
🚀 Best newer model near £300: iPhone 14
💷 Best value around £200: iPhone 12
💰 Lowest-cost sensible option: iPhone 11
📸 Best camera near the budget ceiling: iPhone 14
📱 Best balance for most people: iPhone 13

1. iPhone 13 128GB — Best Overall Under £300

The iPhone 13 currently sits in an unusually strong position in the refurbished market.

You get:

✓ A15 Bionic performance
✓ 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
✓ 5G
✓ Face ID
✓ MagSafe
✓ dual 12MP cameras
✓ 128GB starting storage

The 128GB storage is important.

Many cheaper iPhone 11 and 12 deals are 64GB models, while iPhone 13 starts at a much more comfortable 128GB.

At current Tech Market pricing around £239.99–£249.99 for selected 128GB examples, iPhone 13 is exceptionally difficult to beat.

Why We Prefer iPhone 13 to a Cheaper iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 is still excellent, but iPhone 13 improves battery efficiency, camera performance and storage options while retaining the modern OLED/MagSafe/5G experience.

If the difference is only £30–£50 between comparable 128GB models, we would normally stretch to iPhone 13.

If the iPhone 12 saves substantially more, it becomes much more compelling.

2. iPhone 14 — Best If You Find One Below £300

The standard iPhone 14 is an incremental rather than revolutionary upgrade over the iPhone 13.

It retains:

✓ 6.1-inch OLED display
✓ A15 Bionic architecture
✓ Face ID
✓ MagSafe
✓ 5G

while adding camera and safety improvements.

At the time of this update, an iPhone 14 128GB RED in Acceptable condition was £289.99.

That demonstrates an important refurbished principle:

Condition grade can put a newer generation inside your budget.

If cosmetic marks do not bother you, an Acceptable iPhone 14 can cost less than a higher-grade example of an older device.

iPhone 13 Pristine or iPhone 14 Acceptable?

This is a much more useful decision than simply asking whether 14 is better than 13.

At today's sampled prices:

iPhone 13 128GB Pristine: £249.99
iPhone 14 128GB Acceptable: £289.99

That's around £40 difference.

Choose iPhone 13 Pristine if:
Cosmetic appearance matters.
You want maximum value.
You don't need the iPhone 14's incremental improvements.

Choose iPhone 14 Acceptable if:
You prefer the newer generation.
Cosmetic wear doesn't bother you.
You intend to use a case anyway.

3. iPhone 12 — Best Around £200

iPhone 12 remains an important step up from iPhone 11 because it introduced:

✓ OLED Super Retina XDR
✓ 5G
✓ MagSafe
✓ flat-sided modern design
✓ A14 Bionic

If you're moving from an older LCD iPhone such as XR or 11, the OLED display is one of the most visible improvements.

The main issue is storage.

Many cheaper iPhone 12 units have 64GB. If you take lots of photographs or install many games, 128GB is worth prioritising.

4. iPhone 11 — Still Useful at the Right Price

iPhone 11 is now the budget option in this group.

It does not provide 5G, MagSafe or an OLED display, but it still covers the basics extremely well:

WhatsApp
banking
email
social media
maps
YouTube
FaceTime
photography

It can make sense for:

✓ a first iPhone
✓ children and teenagers
✓ a secondary handset
✓ someone who simply wants the lowest purchase price

OLED vs LCD

This is one of the biggest hardware dividing lines.

iPhone 11: LCD Liquid Retina display.

iPhone 12 / 13 / 14: OLED Super Retina XDR.

OLED gives you deeper blacks and stronger contrast.

If display quality matters, we would try to reach at least iPhone 12.

Do You Need 5G?

iPhone 12, 13 and 14 support 5G.

iPhone 11 does not.

5G is useful, but it should not be the sole buying factor. Coverage varies and 4G remains perfectly adequate for many everyday tasks.

64GB or 128GB?

In 2026, we generally prefer 128GB when the price difference is reasonable.

64GB can work for light users relying heavily on cloud storage and streaming.

128GB is safer for:

photos
4K video
games
offline Netflix/Spotify
school apps
years of updates

This is one reason iPhone 13 is such a strong recommendation: 128GB is standard on the base configuration.

Which Is Best for a Child or Teenager?

If cost is the priority, iPhone 11 remains useful.

If the phone is expected to last several years, iPhone 13 128GB is usually the better long-term purchase.

The extra storage and newer generation reduce the likelihood that the handset feels restrictive too quickly.

Which Is Best for Photography?

Within this budget, prioritise iPhone 13 or iPhone 14.

Both provide strong main and Ultra Wide cameras and excellent 4K video.

iPhone 14 adds further imaging improvements, but iPhone 13 remains an excellent camera phone for its current refurbished price.

Which Is Best for Long-Term Use?

Our order is:

1. iPhone 14
2. iPhone 13
3. iPhone 12
4. iPhone 11

But that's only when storage and condition are comparable.

A 128GB iPhone 13 in Pristine condition may be a smarter long-term purchase than a heavily worn 64GB alternative merely because that phone is one year newer.

Battery Health Matters

With refurbished iPhones, the age printed on the specification sheet does not tell you everything about the individual battery.

Battery performance depends on previous use and battery condition.

Read our refurbished iPhone battery-health guide for a deeper explanation.

Condition Grade vs Newer Generation

This is one of the smartest ways to shop under £300.

Instead of only searching for a Pristine phone, compare:

Pristine older generation
versus
Very Good or Good newer generation

Every Tech Market grade represents a fully functional, professionally checked device; the grade primarily describes cosmetic condition.

If you use a case, minor cosmetic wear can unlock a much better internal specification for the same budget.

Final Verdict

For most UK buyers with £300 to spend, iPhone 13 128GB is the sweet spot.

At around £240–£250 in current Tech Market examples, it combines 128GB storage, 5G, OLED, MagSafe, A15 Bionic performance and strong cameras at an unusually competitive price.

Choose iPhone 14 if you find the right grade below £300 and prefer the newer generation.

Choose iPhone 12 if your budget is closer to £200.

Choose iPhone 11 when keeping the purchase cost as low as possible matters more than OLED, 5G or MagSafe.

Shop current refurbished iPhones at Tech Market →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best refurbished iPhone under £300?

At current pricing, iPhone 13 128GB offers the strongest overall balance for most buyers.

Can you get an iPhone 14 for under £300?

Yes, selected refurbished grades can sometimes fall below £300. Stock and prices change regularly.

Is iPhone 12 still worth buying?

Yes, especially around £200. It provides OLED, 5G and MagSafe at a lower cost than iPhone 13.

Is 64GB enough?

It can be for light users, but we prefer 128GB for buyers intending to keep the phone for several years.

Which refurbished iPhone is best for a teenager?

iPhone 13 128GB is our preferred balance of storage, performance and longevity when the budget allows.

Why Buy from Tech Market?

Tech Market iPhones are professionally checked, unlocked where stated and available in Pristine, Very Good, Good and Acceptable condition grades. Devices include a 1-year warranty for peace of mind.