A refurbished iPhone 17 Pro Max is worth it if the $244 you save against a new iPhone 18 Pro Max matters more to you than a newer chip and longer battery life. On October 20, 2026, the cheapest unlocked unit was $1,055 at Back Market, while Apple sells the 18 Pro Max from $1,299.
RefurbMe's iPhone 17 Pro Max stats page put the cheapest refurbished unit at $868 on October 20, 2026, 28% below launch. That $868 phone is locked to AT&T, at eBay Refurbished. RefurbMe's Refurb Discount, the median saving of a refurbished iPhone against its launch price, is 77% for the whole iPhone family (as of October 2026, RefurbMe iPhone stats). That family median leans on models many years old, so a phone this recent sits far closer to its launch price. RefurbMe counted 114 in-stock US offers for the 17 Pro Max that day.
It is worth it for some buyers, not for most. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch OLED display with ProMotion up to 120Hz, the A19 Pro chip and three 48MP rear cameras, including a 4x Telephoto. (Apple) It runs iOS 27 and gets Apple Intelligence, so you give up nothing on software today.
The problem is the price gap. The cheapest unlocked unit, $1,055 at Back Market, is only $144 below the phone's $1,199 launch price and $244 below a new 18 Pro Max. A new phone comes with Apple's one-year warranty and a fresh battery. Buy the refurbished 17 Pro Max if you want a locked deal on your own carrier or if $244 decides it. If you want the big Pro screen for much less, a refurbished 16 Pro Max costs far less, as the comparison below shows.
A refurbished iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,055 unlocked on RefurbMe today. Apple's launch release said the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 (U.S.), and it went on sale on September 19, 2025.
These are the cheapest unlocked listings at each seller that were in stock and seen from October 18 to October 20, 2026, read from RefurbMe's live prices on October 20. The table compares price only. We checked the grade of Gazelle's units and no other, so read the grade on each listing before you pay.
| Storage | Back Market | Gazelle | eBay Refurbished | Amazon Renewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 256GB | $1,055 | $1,079 | $1,112 | $1,165 |
| 512GB | $1,139 | $1,179 | None seen since Oct 18 | None seen since Oct 18 |
| 1TB | $1,302 | $1,399 | None seen since Oct 18 | None seen since Oct 18 |
| 2TB | $1,473 | None seen since Oct 18 | None seen since Oct 18 | None seen since Oct 18 |
The $1,079 Gazelle unit is a Fair one. Gazelle's iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB product page lists it in Fair condition, the lowest of its three grades, and its Good units cost $50 more.
Storage costs real money on this model. Back Market's 512GB unit costs $84 more than its 256GB one, and its 1TB unit costs $247 more. The 2TB option exists only on the Pro Max; the 17 Pro tops out at 1TB.
Apple no longer sells the iPhone 17 Pro Max new. The "All models" shelf of Apple's US iPhone store lists the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e and iPhone 16, which we checked on October 20, 2026.
Canadian supply is thin, with 8 in-stock offers on October 20, 2026. Amazon Renewed had the only fresh unlocked units: CA$1,865 for 256GB and CA$1,799 for 512GB, so the bigger model was the cheaper one that day.
UK buyers have more choice, with 95 in-stock offers. Back Market had the cheapest unlocked 256GB unit at £924. Amazon Renewed followed at £934, eBay Refurbished at £950 and Reboxed at £972. The policy table below uses each seller's US pages, so check the UK or Canadian terms before you order.
No. Apple's Certified Refurbished iPhone store listed iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models on October 20, 2026, and no iPhone 17 Pro Max. Every unit in this guide comes from an independent refurbisher or program.
The 18 Pro Max keeps the 6.9-inch screen at the same resolution, the same 48MP Ultra Wide and the same 4x Telephoto at 100 mm. It also keeps USB-C with USB 3 speeds up to 10Gb/s, MagSafe charging up to 25W and storage from 256GB to 2TB. (Apple)
Four upgrades matter. The A20 Pro chip replaces the A19 Pro. The 18 Pro Max Main camera has a variable aperture with four stops from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0, where the 17 Pro Max has a fixed ƒ/1.78. Apple rates the 18 Pro Max at up to 45 hours of video playback, against up to 39 hours on the 17 Pro Max. And it charges to 50% in around 15 minutes with a 60W-capable adapter, against 20 minutes with a 40W adapter on the 17 Pro Max.
The 18 Pro Max is heavier, at 249 grams against 233 grams. Apple's launch release put it at $1,299 (U.S.), $100 more than the 17 Pro Max cost at launch. (Apple Newsroom)
| Feature | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone 18 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch OLED, ProMotion up to 120Hz | 6.9-inch OLED, ProMotion up to 120Hz | 6.3-inch OLED, ProMotion up to 120Hz |
| Chip | A19 Pro | A20 Pro | A19 Pro |
| Main camera aperture | ƒ/1.78 | ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0 | ƒ/1.78 |
| Video playback | Up to 39 hours | Up to 45 hours | Up to 33 hours |
| Weight | 233 grams | 249 grams | 206 grams |
| Storage | 256GB to 2TB | 256GB to 2TB | 256GB to 1TB |
| Price, 256GB (Oct 20, 2026) | $1,055 refurbished at Back Market | $1,299 new at Apple | $949 refurbished at Gazelle |
Sources: Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro spec pages and its iPhone 18 Pro tech specs page; refurbished prices from RefurbMe's live listings seen from October 18 to 20, 2026, unlocked units only.
My take: the 18 Pro Max is the better buy at a $244 gap if you keep phones four years or more, because you get six more hours of rated video playback and a chip one generation newer. The refurbished 17 Pro Max makes sense when the gap grows, which today means a locked unit on your own carrier.
Pick by screen size and budget. The 17 Pro is the same phone in a 6.3-inch body with a shorter rated battery life and no 2TB option. Gazelle's cheapest unlocked 256GB 17 Pro was $949, $130 below its 17 Pro Max. Our refurbished iPhone 17 Pro guide has its sellers, and our iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro comparison covers the smaller pair.
The 16 Pro Max is the value pick. Back Market's cheapest unlocked 256GB 16 Pro Max was $774, $281 below its 17 Pro Max. It also gets Apple Intelligence in iOS 27. Our refurbished iPhone 16 Pro Max guide covers what you give up.
The cheapest 17 Pro Max in the US is a locked one. On October 20, 2026, eBay Refurbished had a 256GB unit locked to AT&T at $868, $187 below Back Market's unlocked floor of $1,055. It was a single listing, so it may not last.
At Back Market, the cheapest 256GB unit locked to Verizon was $997, $58 less than its unlocked unit. Its AT&T 256GB unit was $1,050, only $5 less. The bigger saving at Back Market sits at 1TB, where an AT&T unit was $1,213 against $1,302 unlocked.
Buy locked only if you already use that carrier and plan to stay. A locked phone works only on that carrier until the carrier unlocks it, and 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)
A US 17 Pro Max has no SIM tray. Apple says the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max "use advanced eSIM technology for more convenience and security (not compatible with physical SIM cards)". Ask your carrier how to move your line to eSIM before the phone arrives. Our guide to unlocked refurbished iPhones explains the trade-off in more detail.
The 17 Pro Max shows you the full battery record. Apple says iPhone 15 models and later show the battery's maximum capacity, the cycle count, when the battery was manufactured and when it was first used. Open Settings, tap Battery, then tap Battery Health. (Apple)
Apple designs batteries of iPhone 15 models and later to retain 80 percent of their original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions. On a phone this new, ask for 90 percent or more and check the reading the day the phone arrives, inside the return window.
Then open Settings, tap General, and then tap About. If the phone has been repaired, you see a Parts and Service History section there, and Apple marks a nongenuine part as Unknown. (Apple) Our iPhone battery health guide explains what happens to performance 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. eBay Refurbished lists 85 percent or more at Excellent and 80 percent or more at Very Good and Good. Amazon Renewed promises more than 80 percent, and more than 90 percent on Renewed Premium. Gazelle's iPhone 17 Pro Max page does not state a battery minimum.
One seller's "Excellent" is not another's, so compare the terms before the price. The table below comes from each seller's own US policy or product page, fetched on October 20, 2026. Where a page does not state a value, the cell says so.
| Seller | Grade names | What a grade means | Battery | Warranty | Returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Market | Premium, Excellent, Good, Fair | Excellent has almost no signs of wear and no screen scratches | Minimum 80% at Excellent, Good and Fair; 90% on Premium | 12 months | 30-day free returns |
| Gazelle | Excellent, Good, Fair | Not stated on the iPhone 17 Pro Max page | Not stated on the iPhone 17 Pro Max page | 1-year warranty shown on the product page | Free 30-day returns |
| eBay Refurbished | Certified, Excellent, Very Good, Good | Excellent is like-new with no visible wear; Good has moderate wear | 85%+ at Excellent, 80%+ at Very Good and Good | One year from vetted sellers; two years on Certified | 30-day free returns |
| Amazon Renewed | Premium, Excellent, Good, Acceptable | Excellent shows no cosmetic damage when held 12 inches away | Above 80%; above 90% on Premium | Not stated for most items; select items add an 11-month Asurion warranty | 90 days on most items; 365 days on Renewed Premium |
Back Market says an Excellent device shows "Almost no signs of wear. The body may have very light micro-scratches." Its limited warranty covers defects "for 12 months after the delivery date". eBay Refurbished describes its Excellent grade as like-new condition with no visible wear from quality-vetted sellers. Amazon sorts Renewed products into "one of four conditions: Premium, Excellent, Good, or Acceptable".
Amazon says most Renewed items include a 90-day return period, and that select items include its 30-day return period followed by a free 11-month limited warranty serviced by Asurion. Gazelle's product page shows "Free 30-day Returns 1-Year Warranty". For the general picture of how grades map across sellers, see our guide to refurbished grades A, B and C.
We list the sellers by the best offer on an unlocked 256GB iPhone 17 Pro Max, from RefurbMe's live prices on October 20, 2026. Grades were not checked listing by listing, except Gazelle's units, so read each listing's grade before you pay.
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.
Compare refurbished iPhone 17 Pro Max prices
See live iPhone 17 Pro Max listings from Back Market, Gazelle, eBay Refurbished and Amazon Renewed in one place.
Compare PricesRefurbMe first saw a refurbished 17 Pro Max on October 19, 2025, at Back Market, a month after the phone went on sale. The lowest price RefurbMe has recorded for one in the US is $868, eBay Refurbished's AT&T unit on October 20, 2026. The unlocked floor of $1,055 was $187 above it.
An unlocked unit under $1,000 would need a drop of more than $55 from today's floor. Set a price alert if you can wait for an unlocked unit under $1,000.
Only if the saving decides it. On October 20, 2026, the cheapest unlocked unit was 1,055 dollars at Back Market, 244 dollars below a new iPhone 18 Pro Max at 1,299 dollars. The 18 Pro Max adds the A20 Pro chip, a variable-aperture Main camera and up to 45 hours of video playback against 39.
On October 20, 2026, unlocked units started at 1,055 dollars for 256GB at Back Market, and Back Market had the only unlocked 2TB unit at 1,473 dollars. The cheapest phone overall was an AT&T-locked 256GB unit at 868 dollars at eBay Refurbished. Prices move weekly, so check the live listings.
No. On October 20, 2026, the All models shelf of Apple's US iPhone store listed the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, iPhone 16 and iPhone Duo, with no 17 Pro Max. Refurbished units come from sellers such as Back Market, Gazelle, eBay Refurbished and Amazon Renewed.
Only if you already use that carrier. On October 20, 2026, eBay Refurbished's AT&T unit at 868 dollars was 187 dollars below the cheapest unlocked one, while Back Market's AT&T 256GB unit saved only 5 dollars. Check Carrier Lock in Settings, General, About when the phone arrives.
Ask for 90 percent or more on a phone this new. Apple designs iPhone 15 and later batteries to keep 80 percent capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles, and the 17 Pro Max shows its cycle count in Settings, Battery, Battery Health.
No. On October 20, 2026, Apple's Certified Refurbished iPhone store listed iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models and no iPhone 17 Pro Max.
To compare every refurbished iPhone 17 Pro Max listing across sellers in real time, head to the refurbished iPhone page and filter by model, grade and price.
First published: Oct 20, 2026
CEO and Founder at RefurbMe. I made this project back when I was 15 when I had to wake up at 2am to buy my own refurbished Macbook Pro. Passionate about circular economy, great UX and goats.
