It’s no secret that iPhones hold their resale value better than any other brand of smartphone – and they are also the most viable as a second-hand purchase since support from Apple and third parties is top-notch. We already looked at some refurbished iPhones last week, but now Amazon has found some newer models.
Let’s start with the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max. It’s only a generation behind the current model, but it is so much cheaper. We have a detailed iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. 17 Pro Max comparison article for you. A few highlights include a sturdier titanium frame instead of the scratch-prone aluminum. Battery life is about the same, though the new model charges noticeably faster (65% vs. 46% in 30 minutes, full charge in 72 minutes vs. 117 minutes).
Camera-wise, you will miss out on the new telephoto module – the 16 Pro Max has a 12MP 5x/120mm camera compared to the upgraded 48MP 4x/100mm on the 17 Pro Max. The 2025 phone also got a revamped 18MP multi-aspect selfie camera with a wider 20mm lens, compared to the 12MP 23mm camera on the older phone.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is even cheaper and the price gap gets wider if you want more than the base 256GB storage. Here’s our in-depth iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. 16 Pro Max comparison. We also have a 15 Pro Max vs. 14 Pro Max article, if you are upgrading from an older model.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a smaller display, 6.7” compared to 6.9” on the two most recent editions. It also has a lower resolution 12MP ultra-wide, down from the 48MP you’d get with a 16 Pro Max. However, the telephoto and selfie cameras are basically the same. Charging is similar enough, but the 16 Pro Max lasts longer (17:18h vs. 16:01h Active use score).
We know some of you prefer smaller phones, so here’s the Apple iPhone 15 Pro. It’s a down-scaled 6.1” version of the Pro Max, however, there are a few other important differences – e.g. the 12MP telephoto camera has a shorter 3x/77mm lens, down from 5x/120mm on the Max. Here’s a detailed comparison between the two iPhone 15 Pros. We also have an iPhone 14 Pro vs. 15 Pro article.
We recommend going for either the 128GB model as the cheapest option or getting the 1TB phone – with only $16 between the 1TB and 512GB options (and just $4 between 512GB and 256GB), you may as well future-proof your phone.
Also check out our previous refurbished iPhone post. It features some older models, including non-Pro iPhones. Do note that the phones listed here are Renewed Premium – that means no scratches on the screen and no major signs of cosmetic damage. Plus, the battery will have at least 90% health. For comparison, the requirement for a Renewed Excellent phone is at least 80% battery health.
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