A refurbished iPhone 13 Pro Max is still worth buying in 2026 if you want a big 120Hz screen, a 3x telephoto lens and long battery life for around $400. On October 13, 2026, the cheapest unlocked 128GB unit RefurbMe tracked was $409 at Gazelle, under 40 percent of its $1,099 launch price. Before you buy, check the refurbished iPhone 14 Pro Max, which cost only $22 more that day.
RefurbMe's Time-to-Refurb for the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 67 days, in line with the 68-day median for the iPhone family (as of October 2026, RefurbMe iPhone stats). RefurbMe recorded its first in-stock refurbished iPhone 13 Pro Max on November 18, 2021, at Mac of All Trades, about nine weeks after Apple announced the phone on September 14, 2021. Supply is deep now, with 84 in-stock US offers on RefurbMe on October 13, 2026.
Buy one if you want the largest screen and the longest battery life for the least money, and you do not need Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display with ProMotion and adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, and a 12MP camera system with Telephoto, Wide and Ultra Wide cameras. (Apple) Apple rates it at up to 28 hours of video playback.
The catch is the price of its successor. On October 13, 2026, an unlocked 128GB iPhone 14 Pro Max in Fair condition cost $431 at Gazelle, $22 more than the 13 Pro Max floor in the same grade at the same seller. For that you get Dynamic Island, a 48MP Main camera and the A16 chip. At 256GB the gap grows to $41, which is where the 13 Pro Max makes the most sense.
Skip it if you want Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 runs on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, and the 13 Pro Max is not on Apple's list.
A refurbished iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $409 unlocked on RefurbMe today. Apple sold the iPhone 13 Pro Max for "$1,099 (US) before trade-in" at launch, and it went on sale on September 24, 2021. (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 13, 2026. The table compares price only. Grades differ between listings and between sellers, so read the grade table further down before you pick.
| Storage | Gazelle | Back Market | eBay Refurbished | Amazon Renewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128GB | $409 | $432 | No unlocked listing | No unlocked listing |
| 256GB | $474 | $424 | $489 | $517 |
| 512GB | $494 | $472 | No unlocked listing | No unlocked listing |
| 1TB | $534 | $585 | No unlocked listing | No unlocked listing |
Gazelle's $409 unit is the floor, and it is a Fair unit. Gazelle's iPhone 13 Pro Max product page lists its cheapest unlocked 128GB unit in Fair condition, the lowest of its three grades, so compare it with care against a better grade elsewhere. Gazelle's $534 unit at 1TB is a Good unit.
Storage barely costs extra. At Back Market, an unlocked 256GB unit was $424, cheaper than its own 128GB unit at $432 and only $15 above Gazelle's 128GB floor. An unlocked 512GB unit was $472 at Back Market, $63 above the floor for four times the storage. If you shoot ProRes video or keep a large photo library, skip 128GB. Apple's spec page notes that ProRes recording on the 128GB model is limited to 1080p at 30 fps.
Apple no longer sells the iPhone 13 Pro Max new. The "All models" shelf of Apple's US iPhone store lists the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e and iPhone 16, which we checked on October 13, 2026. RefurbMe had no Apple Certified Refurbished listing for the model that day, so every unit above comes from an independent refurbisher or program. Compare every live listing on the refurbished iPhone 13 Pro Max page.
Canadian supply is thin. RefurbMe counted 3 in-stock offers for the iPhone 13 Pro Max in Canada on October 13, 2026, and none of them had been seen in the past three days, so check the live listings before you count on one.
UK buyers have far more choice, with 126 in-stock offers. The cheapest unlocked 128GB unit was £329 at Back Market. eBay Refurbished also had one at £329. At 256GB, Back Market had the cheapest unit at £361, and at 1TB MusicMagpie led at £429. The policy table below uses each seller's US pages, so check the UK or Canadian terms before you order.
The cheapest iPhone 13 Pro Max on RefurbMe is locked to a carrier. On October 13, 2026, Back Market had a 128GB unit locked to AT&T at $359, $50 below the cheapest unlocked unit. Back Market also had a 128GB unit locked to T-Mobile at $399.
A locked phone works only on that carrier until the carrier unlocks it. Apple says "Only your current carrier can unlock your iPhone", and you can check the status in Settings, General, About. If "No SIM restrictions" appears next to Carrier Lock, your iPhone is unlocked. (Apple)
The discount is not always real. Back Market's cheapest 256GB unit locked to T-Mobile was $425, one dollar more than its unlocked 256GB unit at $424. Amazon Renewed had no unlocked 128GB unit that day, and its cheapest 256GB unit locked to Verizon was $544, more than its unlocked 256GB unit at $517. Take a locked phone only if you already use that carrier and the saving is real. Our guide to unlocked refurbished iPhones explains the trade-off in more detail.
The 13 Pro Max has one advantage over newer US models here. Its spec page lists Dual SIM with nano-SIM and eSIM, while Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max spec page lists a SIM tray only on "models purchased outside the U.S." (Apple) If you move a physical SIM between phones, the 13 Pro Max still takes it.
Battery is the biggest risk on a phone that first went on sale in September 2021. 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) That is half the 1,000-cycle rating Apple gives iPhone 15 models and later.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max shows less battery data than newer models. Apple says the cycle count appears in Settings only on iPhone 15 models and later. On a 13 Pro Max you see the maximum capacity and whether a replacement is recommended, under Settings, Battery, Battery Health & Charging. Check it the day the phone arrives, inside the return window, and ask the seller for the cycle count before you buy if the listing does not give it.
Then open Settings, General, About. If the phone has been repaired, a Parts and Service History section lists the replaced parts, and Apple marks a nongenuine part as Unknown. (Apple) A recent genuine battery replacement is good news on a 2021 phone, since it resets the clock on the part most likely to wear out. 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 13 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 13, 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 13 Pro Max page | Not stated on the iPhone 13 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 |
A few details sit behind those cells. Back Market says an Excellent device shows "Almost no signs of wear. The body may have very light micro-scratches." 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".
Warranty terms vary more than grades. Back Market's limited warranty covers defects "for 12 months after the delivery date". 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" and sells a separate one-year protection plan for $49.99 that covers accidental damage. For the general picture of how grades map across sellers, see our guide to refurbished grades A, B and C.
The 13 Pro Max has a notch, a 12MP Main camera and a Lightning port. The iPhone 14 Pro Max added Dynamic Island, an Always-On display and a 48MP Main camera, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max moved to USB-C with a 5x telephoto. (Apple, Apple) Only the 15 Pro Max runs Apple Intelligence.
| Feature | iPhone 13 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | A15 Bionic | A16 Bionic | A17 Pro |
| Top of the screen | Notch | Dynamic Island | Dynamic Island |
| Main camera | 12MP | 48MP | 48MP |
| Telephoto | 3x | 3x | 5x |
| Port | Lightning | Lightning | USB-C |
| Video playback | Up to 28 hours | Up to 29 hours | Up to 29 hours |
| Apple Intelligence | No | No | Yes |
| Cheapest unlocked (Oct 13, 2026) | $409 (128GB) | $431 (128GB) | $594 (256GB) |
Sources: Apple's iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max spec pages and the Apple Intelligence requirements; prices from RefurbMe's live listings at Gazelle.
The 15 Pro Max is a different budget. Its cheapest unlocked unit was $594 at Gazelle for 256GB, its base storage, $170 more than the cheapest unlocked 256GB 13 Pro Max at Back Market. That money buys Apple Intelligence, USB-C and the longer zoom. Our iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone 15 Pro Max comparison covers the full spec sheet, and our guide to the refurbished iPhone 15 Pro Max has its prices.
Pick by size first, then by price gap. The iPhone 13 Pro has the same A15 chip and 3x telephoto in a 6.1-inch body that weighs 204 grams, against 240 grams for the 13 Pro Max. (Apple) Apple rates the 13 Pro at up to 22 hours of video playback, six hours less than the Pro Max.
The 13 Pro is the cheaper phone. The cheapest unlocked 128GB 13 Pro was $334 at eBay Refurbished on October 13, 2026, $75 below the 13 Pro Max floor. Read our guide to the refurbished iPhone 13 Pro if the smaller screen suits you, or the refurbished iPhone 13 if you can live without the telephoto and ProMotion.
The 14 Pro Max is the harder call, because the gap depends on storage:
| Storage | iPhone 13 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 128GB | $409 at Gazelle | $431 at Gazelle | $22 |
| 256GB | $424 at Back Market | $465 at Gazelle | $41 |
| 512GB | $472 at Back Market | $489 at Back Market | $17 |
Cheapest unlocked listings seen in the past three days, RefurbMe live prices, October 13, 2026.
At 128GB both floor units are Fair grade at Gazelle, so the $22 buys a newer phone and nothing else changes. At that gap we would take the 14 Pro Max for Dynamic Island and the 48MP camera. At 256GB the 13 Pro Max saves $41, which is the best case for it. Our iPhone 13 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max comparison goes through every difference, and the refurbished iPhone 14 Pro Max page has its live listings.
Looking one generation back instead? Our guide to the iPhone 12 Pro Max bought refurbished covers the older model.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max runs iOS 27, the current release. Apple's iOS 27 compatibility page lists the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 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 13 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.
We list the sellers by the best offer on an unlocked 128GB iPhone 13 Pro Max, from RefurbMe's live prices on October 13, 2026, and note where another storage size changes the order. 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 13 Pro Max prices
See live iPhone 13 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 13 Pro Max in the US is $313, at Back Market in November 2022. Today's cheapest unit, the $359 AT&T-locked one, is $46 above that record, and the unlocked floor of $409 is $96 above it.
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 the newest to models many years old, so it says nothing about what a 13 Pro Max will cost next month. Today's $409 unlocked floor is about 63 percent below the $1,099 launch price.
The floor has more to do with the phones around it than with the 13 Pro Max itself. When a refurbished 14 Pro Max costs $22 more, the 13 Pro Max has little room to hold its price. Set a price alert if you can wait. If your budget is tighter, our iPhone 12 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 Pro Max comparison covers the older 6.7-inch Pro.
Yes, if you want a 6.7-inch 120Hz screen, a 3x telephoto and long battery life for around 400 dollars, and you do not need Apple Intelligence. On October 13, 2026, the cheapest unlocked 128GB unit on RefurbMe was 409 dollars at Gazelle, in Fair condition. Check the 14 Pro Max first: it was 22 dollars more that day.
On October 13, 2026, unlocked units started at 409 dollars for 128GB at Gazelle and 424 dollars for 256GB at Back Market. The cheapest unit of all was 359 dollars at Back Market, locked to AT&T. Prices move weekly, so check the live listings.
Only if you already use that carrier. The AT&T-locked unit at Back Market was 50 dollars cheaper than the cheapest unlocked one on October 13, 2026, but at 256GB the T-Mobile unit cost more than the unlocked one. Check Settings, General, About: No SIM restrictions next to Carrier Lock means the phone is unlocked.
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 13 Pro Max does not show the cycle count in Settings, so ask the seller.
At 128GB, yes. On October 13, 2026, both Fair-grade units at Gazelle were 22 dollars apart, and the 14 Pro Max adds Dynamic Island, an Always-On display and a 48MP camera. At 256GB the 13 Pro Max saved 41 dollars.
It gets iOS 27, which Apple lists for the iPhone 13 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.
Apple publishes no end-of-support date. The iOS 27 list still includes the iPhone 11 family and the second-generation iPhone SE, both older than the 13 Pro Max, which points to more updates but guarantees none.
To compare every refurbished iPhone 13 Pro Max listing across sellers in real time, head to the refurbished iPhone page and filter by model, grade and price.
First published: Oct 13, 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.
