A refurbished iPhone 12 Pro Max is worth it in 2026 if you want a 6.7-inch screen and a telephoto lens for under $300, and you accept a 2020 battery. On October 16, 2026, the cheapest unlocked 128GB unit was $285 at Gazelle, and the phone runs iOS 27 but not Apple Intelligence.
RefurbMe's Time-to-Refurb for the iPhone 12 Pro Max is 94 days, against a 68-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 12 Pro Max that first unit appeared on January 13, 2021, at Mac of All Trades. On October 16, 2026, RefurbMe counted 43 in-stock US offers for it.
Buy one if you want a big screen and a real zoom lens for the least money. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch OLED display, the A14 Bionic chip and a Pro 12MP camera system with Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto cameras. (Apple) It weighs 228 grams.
Skip it if battery life comes first. Apple rates the 12 Pro Max at up to 20 hours of video playback, against 28 hours for the iPhone 13 Pro Max. (Apple) On a phone that first went on sale in November 2020, the battery is the part most likely to let you down. Skip it too if you want Apple Intelligence, which the 12 Pro Max does not get.
The $285 floor is a Fair unit. Gazelle's iPhone 12 Pro Max product page lists that unit in Fair condition, the lowest of its three grades. If you want a better grade, read the grade on each listing before you pay, since the other sellers' unlocked units cost $59 or more above it.
A refurbished iPhone 12 Pro Max starts at $285 unlocked on RefurbMe today. Apple's launch release priced the iPhone 12 Pro Max from $1,099, with the iPhone 12 Pro from $999. The Pro Max reached stores on November 13, 2020. (Apple Newsroom)
These are the cheapest unlocked listings at each seller that were in stock and seen in the past three days, read from RefurbMe's live prices on October 16, 2026. The table compares price only. We checked the grade of Gazelle's unit and no other, so read the grade on each listing before you pay.
| Storage | Gazelle | Back Market | eBay Refurbished | Amazon Renewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128GB | $285 | $372 | No unlocked listing | No unlocked listing |
| 256GB | No unlocked listing | $374 | $344 | No unlocked listing |
| 512GB | No unlocked listing | $364 | $369 | No unlocked listing |
Storage costs almost nothing extra on this model. Back Market's cheapest unlocked 512GB unit was $364, $8 less than its own 128GB unit at $372. eBay Refurbished had the cheapest unlocked 256GB unit at $344. If you shoot a lot of video, skip 128GB, since the 512GB unit costs only $79 more than Gazelle's Fair 128GB floor.
Apple no longer sells the iPhone 12 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 16, 2026. RefurbMe had no Apple Certified Refurbished listing for the 12 Pro Max that day, so every unit above comes from an independent refurbisher or program. Compare every live listing on the refurbished iPhone 12 Pro Max page.
Canadian supply is thin, with 16 in-stock offers on October 16, 2026. The cheapest unlocked 128GB unit was CA$500 at Amazon Renewed. Orchard had one at CA$605. At 256GB, Orchard had an unlocked unit at CA$589.
UK buyers have more choice, with 88 in-stock offers. Back Market had the cheapest unlocked 128GB unit at £262. Reboxed followed at £268 and MusicMagpie at £279. At 256GB, MusicMagpie led at £289, and Back Market had an unlocked 512GB unit at £303. The policy table below uses each seller's US pages, so check the UK or Canadian terms before you order.
Battery is the main risk on this model. 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 12 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 whether a replacement is recommended. Check it the day the phone arrives, inside the return window, and ask the seller for the cycle count if the listing does not give it.
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) A recent genuine battery replacement is good news on a 2020 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. 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 12 Pro Max page does not state a battery minimum.
A battery service pays only if you plan to keep the phone for years and the rest of it is clean. If a unit arrives with a replacement already recommended, return it inside the window instead, since the seller sold you a worn part.
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 16, 2026. Where a page does not state a value, the cell says so.
| Seller | Grade names | What a grade means | Battery | Warranty | Returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gazelle | Excellent, Good, Fair | Not stated on the iPhone 12 Pro Max page | Not stated on the iPhone 12 Pro Max page | 1-year warranty shown on the product page | Free 30-day 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 |
| 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.
The screen is the reason to buy it. The 12 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display at 2778 by 1284 pixels and 458 ppi, the same size and resolution as the 13 Pro Max. What it lacks is ProMotion, which Apple added on the 13 Pro Max with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz.
The camera still holds up. The Telephoto camera gives 2.5x optical zoom in, the Wide camera has sensor-shift optical image stabilization, and the phone shoots Apple ProRAW photos and HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 60 fps. Apple's launch release says "iPhone 12 Pro models also introduce a new LiDAR Scanner for immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences and MagSafe". The LiDAR Scanner enables Night mode portraits.
The rest of the spec sheet has aged well. The phone charges on MagSafe wireless chargers at up to 15W, supports 5G on sub-6 GHz and mmWave networks, and is rated IP68 to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes. It takes a nano-SIM and an eSIM. The port is Lightning, not USB-C.
Pick by battery and budget. The 13 Pro Max adds ProMotion, the A15 Bionic chip, a 3x telephoto and eight more hours of rated video playback. The iPhone 12 keeps the A14 chip in a smaller 6.1-inch body but drops the telephoto and the LiDAR Scanner. (Apple)
| Feature | iPhone 12 Pro Max | iPhone 13 Pro Max | iPhone 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.7-inch OLED | 6.7-inch OLED, ProMotion up to 120Hz | 6.1-inch OLED |
| Chip | A14 Bionic | A15 Bionic | A14 Bionic |
| Rear cameras | Ultra Wide, Wide, Telephoto | Telephoto, Wide, Ultra Wide | Main, Ultra Wide |
| Optical zoom in | 2.5x | 3x | None |
| LiDAR Scanner | Yes | Yes | No |
| Video playback | Up to 20 hours | Up to 28 hours | Up to 17 hours |
| Weight | 228 grams | 240 grams | 164 grams |
| Cheapest unlocked 128GB (Oct 16, 2026) | $285 at Gazelle | $427 at Back Market | $180 at eBay Refurbished |
Sources: Apple's iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 12 spec pages; prices from RefurbMe's live listings seen in the past three days.
The 13 Pro Max is the better phone, and the price gap decides it. On October 16, 2026, the cheapest unlocked 128GB 13 Pro Max was $427 at Back Market, $142 above the 12 Pro Max floor at Gazelle. At the same seller the gap is smaller, since Back Market's cheapest unlocked 128GB 12 Pro Max was $372, $55 less than its 13 Pro Max. If you were going to buy at Back Market anyway, $55 for eight more hours of rated video playback and ProMotion is worth paying. Our iPhone 12 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max comparison covers every difference, and our refurbished iPhone 13 Pro Max guide has its sellers.
The iPhone 12 saves money if you can live without the zoom. Its cheapest unlocked 128GB unit was $180 at eBay Refurbished, $105 below the 12 Pro Max floor. You give up the telephoto, the LiDAR Scanner and 0.6 inch of screen, and Apple rates its battery three hours shorter. Our guide to the refurbished iPhone 12 has its prices. If you are weighing a newer Pro Max, read our iPhone 12 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max comparison.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max runs iOS 27, the current release. Apple's iOS 27 compatibility page lists the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. (Apple) It does not get Apple Intelligence. Apple says Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 is "available on 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 you a number of future iOS releases. The oldest phones on the iOS 27 list are the iPhone 11 family and the second-generation iPhone SE. The 12 Pro Max is newer than both, which points to more updates but guarantees none. Our breakdown of how long Apple supports iPhones has the full history.
On the 12 Pro Max, the cheapest unit is unlocked. On October 16, 2026, the cheapest locked unit was a 128GB phone locked to AT&T at $304 at eBay Refurbished, $19 more than Gazelle's unlocked floor of $285.
At Back Market, a locked unit can save a little. Its cheapest 128GB unit locked to Verizon was $344, $28 less than its unlocked 128GB unit at $372. At 256GB, Back Market's AT&T unit was $408, $34 more than its unlocked 256GB unit at $374. Amazon Renewed had no unlocked unit seen in the past three days, only a 128GB unit locked to AT&T at $418.
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 in more detail.
We list the sellers by the best offer on an unlocked 128GB iPhone 12 Pro Max, from RefurbMe's live prices on October 16, 2026, and note where another storage size changes the order. Grades were not checked listing by listing, except Gazelle's unit, 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 12 Pro Max prices
See live iPhone 12 Pro Max listings from Gazelle, Back Market, eBay Refurbished and Amazon Renewed in one place.
Compare PricesSlowly. The lowest price RefurbMe has recorded for a refurbished iPhone 12 Pro Max in the US is $212, at eBay Refurbished on July 15, 2026. Today's unlocked floor of $285 is $73 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 12 Pro Max goes next. RefurbMe's iPhone 12 Pro Max stats page puts today's $285 floor 74% below launch.
The record low shows that sub-$250 units do turn up. Set a price alert if you can wait for one.
Yes, if you want a 6.7-inch screen and a telephoto lens for under 300 dollars and you can live with a 2020 battery. On October 16, 2026, the cheapest unlocked 128GB unit was 285 dollars at Gazelle, in Fair condition. It runs iOS 27 but not Apple Intelligence.
On October 16, 2026, unlocked units started at 285 dollars for 128GB at Gazelle. eBay Refurbished had the cheapest unlocked 256GB unit at 344 dollars. Back Market had the cheapest unlocked 512GB unit at 364 dollars. Prices move weekly, so check the live listings.
Aim for 85 percent or more and treat 80 percent as the floor. Apple designs iPhone 14 and earlier batteries to keep 80 percent capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. The 12 Pro Max does not show the cycle count in Settings, so ask the seller.
It gets iOS 27, which Apple lists for the iPhone 12 Pro Max on its compatibility page. It does not get Apple Intelligence, which needs an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air or an iPhone 16 model or later.
The 13 Pro Max is the better phone, with ProMotion and eight more hours of rated video playback. On October 16, 2026, Back Market's cheapest unlocked 128GB 13 Pro Max was 55 dollars more than its 12 Pro Max. Against Gazelle's Fair 12 Pro Max at 285 dollars, the gap was 142 dollars.
Only if you want the telephoto lens, the bigger screen or the LiDAR Scanner. On October 16, 2026, the cheapest unlocked 128GB iPhone 12 was 180 dollars at eBay Refurbished, 105 dollars below the 12 Pro Max floor.
Rarely. On October 16, 2026, the cheapest locked unit cost more than the cheapest unlocked one. Back Market's Verizon unit at 344 dollars was 28 dollars below its own unlocked unit, so it only makes sense if you already use Verizon.
To compare every refurbished iPhone 12 Pro Max listing across sellers in real time, head to the refurbished iPhone page and filter by model, grade and price.
First published: Oct 16, 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.
