Which Refurbished iPhone SE Is Worth Buying in 2026?

RefurbMe's Time-to-Refurb for the iPhone SE (3rd generation) is 203 days, against a 67-day median for the iPhone family (as of October 2026, RefurbMe iPhone stats). Time-to-Refurb counts the days from Apple's announcement of a model to the first refurbished unit RefurbMe saw in stock. Apple announced the SE 3 on March 8, 2022, and the first refurbished unit appeared at Back Market on September 26, 2022. On October 26, 2026, RefurbMe counted 36 in-stock US offers for the SE 3 and 40 for the SE 2.

Which refurbished iPhone SE should you buy?

The SE 3 suits most buyers. It has the A15 Bionic chip, 5G and up to 15 hours of video playback, against the SE 2's A13 Bionic, LTE and up to 13 hours. At Back Market, the unlocked 64GB SE 3 at $126 cost $26 more than the unlocked 64GB SE 2 at $100.

Buy the SE 2 only at a clear discount. On October 26 the clearest one was at 128GB: Amazon Renewed had an unlocked 128GB SE 2 at $102, $83 less than Back Market's unlocked 128GB SE 3 at $185. Our iPhone SE 2 vs SE 3 comparison reaches the same verdict.

Skip the iPhone SE (1st generation). RefurbMe had no US listings for it on October 26, 2026, and it stopped at iOS 15.

Refurbished iPhone SE prices by seller

These are the cheapest unlocked listings at each seller that were in stock and seen between October 24 and October 26, 2026, read from RefurbMe's live prices. The tables compare price only. We did not check the grade of each listing, so read it before you pay.

iPhone SE (3rd generation), unlocked

iPhone SE (2nd generation), unlocked

Two cheaper unlocked 64GB SE 2 listings were still marked in stock but had not been checked since earlier in the week: $92 at Gazelle, last seen on October 22, and $94 at Amazon Renewed, last seen on October 23. They may be gone, so confirm on the refurbished iPhone SE (2nd generation) page.

The SE 3 has one too: an unlocked 64GB unit at $120 at Amazon Renewed, last seen on October 8 and still marked in stock. The refurbished iPhone SE (3rd generation) page shows whether it is still there.

Apple's launch release priced the SE 2 from $399, and it reached stores on April 24, 2020. (Apple Newsroom) The SE 3 launched from $429, with availability from March 18, 2022. (Apple Newsroom) RefurbMe's iPhone SE 3 stats page puts today's cheapest SE 3, a $113 carrier-locked phone, 74% below the $429 launch price.

Carrier-locked units

The cheapest SE 3 is locked to a carrier. These are the cheapest locked listings by model, carrier and storage, from the same read.

At 64GB a lock saves little. Back Market's AT&T SE 3 at $113 was $13 less than its unlocked one at $126, and its AT&T SE 2 at $94 was $6 less than its unlocked one at $100. At 128GB the gap grows: its T-Mobile SE 3 at $141 was $44 less than its unlocked 128GB unit at $185.

Buy locked only if you already use that carrier. Apple says "Only your current carrier can unlock your iPhone". To check a phone you receive, open Settings, General, About. If "No SIM restrictions" appears next to Carrier Lock, your iPhone is unlocked. (Apple) Our guide to unlocked refurbished iPhones explains the trade-off.

Prices in Canada and the UK

In RefurbMe's Canadian read of October 26, 2026, eBay Refurbished had an unlocked 64GB SE 2 at CA$137, and Orchard had one at CA$215. Amazon Renewed had an unlocked 64GB SE 3 at CA$190, and eBay Refurbished had listed one at CA$169, last seen on October 23.

In the UK, Back Market had the cheapest unlocked 64GB units: £85 for the SE 3 and £63 for the SE 2. Both match the lowest prices RefurbMe has recorded for those models in the UK. Reboxed had an unlocked 64GB SE 3 at £150. The policy table below uses each seller's US pages, so check the UK or Canadian terms before you order.

SE 2 vs SE 3: same body, different chip

The two phones look the same. Both have a 4.7-inch Retina HD LCD at 1334 by 750 pixels, Touch ID in the Home button, a single 12MP rear camera and an IP67 rating to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. (Apple SE 3 specs, Apple SE 2 specs)

Apple's SE 3 spec page adds Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4 and Photographic Styles to the camera, which the SE 2 page does not list. Beyond 5G, the gains you will notice are battery life and the newer chip.

For a model-by-model look at the larger iPhone 13 against the SE 3, read our iPhone SE 3 vs iPhone 13 guide.

Do the iPhone SE 2 and SE 3 still get updates?

Yes. Apple's iOS 27 compatibility list includes the iPhone SE (2nd generation) and the iPhone SE (3rd generation). (Apple)

Neither gets Apple Intelligence. Apple says Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 is "available on iPhone Duo, iPhone 16 models or later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air". (Apple)

Apple publishes no end date for either phone. The SE 2 sits at the top of the iOS 27 list with the iPhone 11 models, so it is the likelier of the two to miss a future version, though Apple has said nothing either way. Our breakdown of how long Apple supports iPhones has the full history.

The first iPhone SE gets only security fixes on iOS 15. On Apple's security releases page, iOS 15.8.8, dated May 11, 2026, lists the iPhone SE (1st generation). (Apple)

64GB, 128GB or 256GB: storage on a phone with no card slot

The SE has no memory card slot, so the storage you buy is the storage you keep. Take 128GB if you shoot video or keep a large photo library on the phone.

On October 26 the cheapest way to 128GB was the SE 2: Amazon Renewed's unlocked 128GB unit at $102 cost $2 more than Back Market's unlocked 64GB SE 2 at $100. On the SE 3, Back Market's unlocked 128GB unit at $185 was $59 more than its 64GB unit at $126, and its T-Mobile-locked 128GB unit cost $141.

Skip the 256GB SE 3 unless you need it. Back Market's unlocked 256GB unit at $237 cost $111 more than its 64GB unit.

Battery health and condition: what to check on a refurbished SE

Ask for 85 percent battery health or more and treat 80 percent as the floor. Apple says batteries of iPhone 14 models and earlier are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions. (Apple)

The SE shows less battery data than newer models. Apple says the cycle count appears in Settings only on iPhone 15 models and later. Open Settings, tap Battery, then tap Battery Health & Charging to see the maximum capacity, and do it the day the phone arrives, inside the return window.

Then open Settings, tap General, and then tap About. On the SE 2 and SE 3, Apple's Parts and Service History covers the battery: if it has been replaced, you see it there. (Apple) Our iPhone battery health guide explains what happens below 80 percent.

Each seller sets its own battery floor. Back Market promises a minimum 80 percent battery capacity on its Excellent, Good and Fair phones and 90 percent on Premium. Amazon Renewed promises more than 80 percent, and more than 90 percent on Renewed Premium. eBay Refurbished lists 85 percent or more at Excellent and 80 percent or more at Very Good and Good.

The table below comes from each seller's own US policy page, fetched on October 26, 2026.

Back Market says an Excellent device shows "Almost no signs of wear. The body may have very light micro-scratches." Amazon sorts Renewed products into "one of four conditions: Premium, Excellent, Good, or Acceptable". For how grades map across sellers, see our guide to refurbished grades A, B and C.

iPhone SE or iPhone 16e, 13 mini or 12: what a bit more buys

Apple has released no SE since the third one and stopped selling it in February 2025. Apple announced the iPhone 16e, with Face ID and no Home button, on February 19, 2025. It went on sale on February 28, 2025, from $599. (Apple Newsroom) Apple's buy page now lists the iPhone 17e from $699.

Sources: Apple's iPhone 12, iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 16e spec pages; prices from RefurbMe's live listings. Gazelle had cheaper unlocked units last seen on October 22: an iPhone 12 at $149 and an iPhone 16e at $349.

The iPhone 12 is the cheapest step up, with a 6.1-inch OLED screen and Face ID for $42 more than the SE 3 at $124. The 13 mini stays small, with the same A15 Bionic as the SE 3 and an all-screen 5.4-inch OLED display. Our guides to the refurbished iPhone 12 and refurbished iPhone 13 mini cover their sellers.

The 16e is the only phone in the table with Apple Intelligence: Apple says it "is also built for Apple Intelligence". It cost $245 more than the SE 3. Our iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 comparison covers it in detail.

Where to buy a refurbished iPhone SE

We list the sellers by their best unlocked offer on an iPhone SE 2 or SE 3, from RefurbMe's live prices on October 26, 2026. Grades were not checked listing by listing, so read each listing's grade before you pay.

1. Back Market. An unlocked 64GB SE 2 at $100 and an unlocked 64GB SE 3 at $126, plus the only unlocked 128GB and 256GB SE 3 units. Back Market promises a minimum 80 percent battery capacity on its Excellent, Good and Fair phones, with a 12-month warranty and 30-day free returns.
2. Amazon Renewed. An unlocked 128GB SE 2 at $102 and an unlocked 64GB SE 3 at $124. Most Renewed items come with a 90-day return period, and select items have a 30-day return period followed by an 11-month Asurion warranty, so check the product page.
3. eBay Refurbished. An unlocked 64GB SE 2 at $109 and an AT&T-locked 64GB SE 3 at $114. Its grades come with a battery floor, a one-year warranty from vetted sellers and 30-day free returns.
4. Gazelle. An unlocked 64GB SE 2 at $92, last seen on October 22, so check it is still in stock.

For more detail on each seller, read our guide to the best places to buy refurbished iPhones and the reviews of Back Market and Amazon Renewed. If your budget tops out near $100, our list of cheap refurbished iPhones under $100 has other options.

Will refurbished iPhone SE prices fall further?

The SE 2 is close to its floor. The lowest price RefurbMe has recorded for a refurbished SE 2 in the US is $79, at eBay Refurbished on October 5, 2026. For the SE 3 the record is $99, at Back Market on September 26, 2022, the day RefurbMe first saw it in stock.

RefurbMe's Refurb Discount for the iPhone family, the median saving of a refurbished unit against its launch price, is 77 percent (as of October 2026, RefurbMe iPhone stats). That median covers every iPhone RefurbMe tracks, from this year's models to ones many years old, so it says little about where the SE goes next. If you can wait for a lower price, set a price alert.

FAQ

To compare every refurbished iPhone SE listing across sellers in real time, head to the refurbished iPhone page and filter by model, grade and price.