A refurbished iPhone 11 Pro Max is worth it in 2026 if you want a 6.5-inch OLED screen and a telephoto lens for the least money, and you can live with LTE, Lightning and a 2019 battery. It runs iOS 27, but it sits on the oldest row of Apple's support list.
On October 27, 2026, the cheapest unlocked unit was a 64GB phone at $235 at Back Market, and the cheapest unit of any kind was a 64GB phone locked to Verizon at $219, also at Back Market. RefurbMe counted 66 in-stock US offers that day, 65 of them at Back Market and one at Amazon Renewed.
RefurbMe's Time-to-Refurb for the iPhone 11 Pro Max is 47 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. For the 11 Pro Max that first unit appeared on October 26, 2019, at Mac of All Trades.
Buy one if you mostly call, message, stream and take photos, and you want a big screen and a real zoom lens for the lowest price. The iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, the A13 Bionic chip and triple 12MP Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto cameras. (Apple) It weighs 226 grams.
Skip it if you want 5G, since Apple's spec page lists Gigabit-class LTE and no 5G. Skip it too if you want Apple Intelligence, or if you plan to keep the phone for many years, since it is among the oldest iPhones that run iOS 27.
If your budget stretches, a refurbished 12 Pro Max adds 5G, MagSafe and 128GB of base storage. On October 27, 2026, Back Market's cheapest unlocked 128GB 12 Pro Max was $313, $78 more than its unlocked 64GB 11 Pro Max. Our iPhone 11 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max comparison reaches the same verdict: the newer phone is the better buy if you can afford it.
A refurbished iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $235 unlocked on RefurbMe today. Apple's launch release priced the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max at $999 and $1,099, in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB models. The phones reached stores on September 20, 2019. (Apple Newsroom)
These are the cheapest in-stock US listings seen in the past three days, read from RefurbMe's live prices on October 27, 2026. Back Market had almost every offer, so the table splits its unlocked and carrier-locked prices instead of comparing sellers.
| Storage | Back Market unlocked | Back Market carrier-locked | Amazon Renewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64GB | $235 | $219 (Verizon) | No listing |
| 256GB | $278 | $223 (AT&T) | $329 (T-Mobile) |
| 512GB | $298 | $298 (AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon) | No listing |
The grades were not checked listing by listing. RefurbMe's product page lists the $219 Verizon unit and the $298 unlocked 512GB unit as Fair at Back Market, the lowest of its grades, so read the grade on each listing before you pay.
Apple no longer sells the iPhone 11 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 27, 2026. Compare every live listing on the refurbished iPhone 11 Pro Max page.
Canadian supply is thin, with 8 in-stock offers on October 27, 2026. Orchard had an unlocked 64GB unit at CA$459, and eBay Refurbished's cheapest unlocked unit was a 512GB phone at CA$723.
UK buyers have more choice, with 20 in-stock offers. eBay Refurbished had an unlocked 64GB unit at £174, which matches the lowest price RefurbMe has recorded for the model in the UK, first set on October 7, 2026. Back Market followed at £225 and Reboxed at £228. At 256GB, Back Market had an unlocked unit at £260. At 512GB, Reboxed had one at £278, and older listings from Grade Mobile at £269 (October 21) and Back Market at £275 (October 23) may have sold. The policy table below uses each seller's US pages, so check the UK or Canadian terms before you order.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max runs iOS 27, the current release. Apple's iOS 27 compatibility page lists the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone SE (2nd generation) first, and no older iPhone. (Apple) Apple's security releases page lists iOS 27.2, dated October 26, 2026, for iPhone 11 and later.
It does not get 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-of-support date for any iPhone, so nobody can promise the 11 Pro Max another major release. When Apple did drop a generation, the phones kept getting security fixes: the iPhone XR stopped at iOS 18, and Apple's security releases page lists iOS 18.7.11, dated October 26, 2026, for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. Our breakdown of how long Apple supports iPhones has the full history.
The screen is the reason to buy it. Apple lists a 6.5-inch OLED display at 2688 by 1242 pixels and 458 ppi, with 800 nits max brightness (typical) and 1200 nits for HDR. It has no ProMotion, which Apple added on the 13 Pro Max with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz.
The cameras hold up for daylight and Night mode photos. The Telephoto camera gives 2x optical zoom in, the Wide and Telephoto cameras both have optical image stabilization, and the phone records 4K video at up to 60 fps. The 11 Pro Max is rated IP68 to a depth of 4 meters for up to 30 minutes and unlocks with Face ID.
Four things date it. The cellular section lists Gigabit-class LTE and no 5G. The port is Lightning, not USB-C. It charges wirelessly on Qi chargers, without the MagSafe magnets Apple added on the 12 Pro Max. The base model has 64GB of storage, which fills fast with 4K video.
Battery is the main risk on this model. Apple rates the 11 Pro Max at up to 20 hours of video playback, and an original 2019 battery will fall short of that. 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 11 Pro Max 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. If the phone has been repaired, you see a Parts and Service History section there. (Apple) A recent genuine battery replacement is good news on a 2019 phone. 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. Amazon Renewed promises more than 80 percent, and more than 90 percent on Renewed Premium.
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 pages, fetched on October 27, 2026. eBay Refurbished is included for UK and Canadian shoppers, though it had no US listing for this model that day.
| Seller | Grade names | Battery | Warranty | Returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Market | Premium, Excellent, Good, Fair | Minimum 80% at Excellent, Good and Fair; 90% on Premium | 12 months | 30-day free returns |
| Amazon Renewed | Premium, Excellent, Good, Acceptable | 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 |
| eBay Refurbished | Certified, Excellent, Very Good, Good | 85%+ at Excellent, 80%+ at Very Good and Good | One year from vetted sellers; two years on Certified | 30-day free returns |
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". 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. For how grades map across sellers, see our guide to refurbished grades A, B and C.
Skip 64GB unless the phone is a spare. On October 27, 2026, Back Market's unlocked 256GB unit was $278, $43 more than its 64GB unit at $235. Its unlocked 512GB unit was $298, only $20 more than 256GB.
If you shoot video or keep a large photo library, the 512GB unit is the better buy at that gap. Grades differ between listings, so compare the grade as well as the storage.
Pick by how long you want to keep the phone. The 12 Pro Max adds 5G, MagSafe and a 2.5x telephoto in a 6.7-inch body. (Apple) The 13 Pro Max adds ProMotion, a 3x telephoto and eight more hours of rated video playback. (Apple)
| Feature | iPhone 11 Pro Max | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 13 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.5-inch OLED | 6.7-inch OLED | 6.7-inch OLED, ProMotion up to 120Hz |
| Chip | A13 Bionic | A14 Bionic | A15 Bionic |
| Optical zoom in | 2x | 2.5x | 3x |
| Cellular | LTE | 5G | 5G |
| Wireless charging | Qi | MagSafe up to 15W | MagSafe up to 15W |
| Base storage | 64GB | 128GB | 128GB |
| Video playback | Up to 20 hours | Up to 20 hours | Up to 28 hours |
| Weight | 226 grams | 228 grams | 240 grams |
| Cheapest unlocked, base storage (Oct 27, 2026) | $235 at Back Market (64GB) | $313 at Back Market (128GB) | $433 at Back Market (128GB) |
| Cheapest unlocked 256GB (Oct 27, 2026) | $278 at Back Market | $358 at Back Market | $451 at Back Market |
Sources: Apple's iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro Max spec pages; prices from RefurbMe's live listings seen in the past three days.
The 12 Pro Max is the sensible step up. At 256GB, Back Market's unlocked 12 Pro Max cost $80 more than its 11 Pro Max, for 5G, MagSafe and a slightly bigger screen. Battery life does not improve, since Apple rates both at up to 20 hours of video playback. Our refurbished iPhone 12 Pro Max guide has its sellers.
The 13 Pro Max is the better phone and costs much more. Back Market's cheapest unlocked 128GB 13 Pro Max was $433, $198 above the 11 Pro Max floor, and Gazelle listed one at $429 on October 23. At 256GB the gap was $173. If battery life matters most, that money buys eight more hours of rated video playback. Our refurbished iPhone 13 Pro Max guide covers it.
The cheapest 11 Pro Max is carrier-locked. On October 27, 2026, Back Market's 64GB unit locked to Verizon was $219, $16 less than its cheapest unlocked 64GB unit at $235.
The biggest saving is at 256GB. Back Market's 256GB unit locked to AT&T was $223, $55 less than its unlocked 256GB unit at $278. At 512GB, locked and unlocked units cost the same $298. Amazon Renewed's only listing was a 256GB unit locked to T-Mobile at $329.
Buy unlocked unless you already use that carrier. 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) Our guide to unlocked refurbished iPhones explains the trade-off.
We list the sellers by the best US offer, from RefurbMe's live prices on October 27, 2026. Grades were not checked listing by listing, 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 11 Pro Max prices
See live iPhone 11 Pro Max listings, unlocked and carrier-locked, in one place.
Compare PricesSlowly. The lowest price RefurbMe has recorded for a refurbished iPhone 11 Pro Max in the US is $179, at eBay Refurbished on July 13, 2026. Today's cheapest unit, the $219 Verizon phone, is $40 above that record.
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 11 Pro Max goes next. RefurbMe's iPhone 11 Pro Max stats page puts today's $219 floor 80% below the $1,099 launch price.
The record low shows that sub-$200 units do turn up. Set a price alert if you can wait for one.
Yes, if you want a 6.5-inch OLED screen and a telephoto lens for the least money and you can live with LTE, Lightning and a 2019 battery. On October 27, 2026, unlocked units started at 235 dollars at Back Market. It runs iOS 27 but not Apple Intelligence.
On October 27, 2026, Back Market had unlocked units at 235 dollars for 64GB, 278 dollars for 256GB and 298 dollars for 512GB. The cheapest unit was a 64GB phone locked to Verizon at 219 dollars, also at Back Market. Prices move weekly, so check the live listings.
It runs iOS 27, and Apple's iOS 27 list starts with the iPhone 11 family and the iPhone SE (2nd generation). Apple publishes no end date. When Apple dropped the iPhone XR from new releases, it kept shipping security fixes for iOS 18, most recently iOS 18.7.11 on October 26, 2026.
No. Apple's spec page lists Gigabit-class LTE. The iPhone 12 Pro Max and later Pro Max models have 5G.
The 13 Pro Max is the better phone, with 5G, ProMotion and eight more hours of rated video playback. On October 27, 2026, Back Market's cheapest unlocked 128GB 13 Pro Max was 433 dollars, 198 dollars more than its unlocked 64GB 11 Pro Max. The 12 Pro Max sits between them at 313 dollars.
Only if you already use that carrier. On October 27, 2026, Back Market's 256GB unit locked to AT&T was 223 dollars, 55 dollars less than its unlocked 256GB unit. A locked phone works only on that carrier until the carrier unlocks it.
To compare every refurbished iPhone 11 Pro Max listing across sellers in real time, head to the refurbished iPhone page and filter by model, grade and price.
First published: Oct 27, 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.
