Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Apple starts selling refurbished iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

Apple has started selling certified refurbished iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro handsets on its website.

The move comes almost 18 months after the high-end phone launched in 2020.

Recommended Videos

All of the handsets offer decent savings when comparing to the cost of a new iPhone 12, which Apple continues to sell alongside the new and more expensive iPhone 13. As the iPhone 12 devices offer various storage options, prices vary for the refurbished phones.

For example, on Monday, March 14, Apple’s U.S. store for refurbished gear featured a total of 14 iPhone 12 and 12 Pro devices. At the lower end of the price scale, an unlocked, black 64GB iPhone 12 was available for $619, which is $110 off the regular price.

At the other end, an unlocked, Pacific Blue 512GB iPhone 12 Pro was available for $1,019 — that’s $180 cheaper than a brand new one.

The site currently has no iPhone 12 Mini or iPhone 12 Pro Max handsets available, though anyone interested in either of these devices should periodically check Apple’s online store as they could appear at any time.

Refurbished iPhone 12 handsets for sale on Apple's online store.
Apple

All of Apple’s refurbished iPhones are fitted with a new battery and a new outer shell, and come with a one-year warranty.

According to Apple’s website, all refurbished devices are thoroughly cleaned, fully tested, and use genuine Apple replacement parts, if required.

Refurbished iPhones are also packaged in a new box with accessories and any cables, and come with free shipping.

“Supply is limited and availability is guaranteed once we receive your full payment,” Apple says on its website.

As anyone who has bought a refurbished item from Apple will know, the product always looks and performs as good as new.

The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are still very powerful devices and may suit you if you’re considering upgrading from an older handset but don’t want to spend top dollar on the iPhone 13, as the refurbished models offer a notable savings over not only the iPhone 13, but also a new iPhone 12.

Digital Trends compared the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 so you can see just how similar they are, while this article compares the cameras on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro. You may be surprised at the results.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
If your iPhone can handle iOS 18.2, it can probably handle iOS 19
An iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18, showing its home screen.

The last few iPhone updates have brought a lot of changes with them. Just take a look at iOS 18.2: It introduced a ton of AI-powered features that had never before been available. If you have an older phone, it's easy to worry that its hardware won't be up to snuff for the next round of updates. For now, you can breathe easy: If your iPhone can handle iOS 18, then it should also work with iOS 19, according to a new leak.

The news comes from the French site iPhoneSoft. Although Apple guarantees five years of support for its devices, some devices get supported for longer periods of time, but this tip suggests that any phone currently capable of downloading and installing iOS 18 will also work with iOS 19, although some features could be limited.

Read more
Have an old iPhone or iPad? You can no longer use this iCloud feature
An iPhone 6S in gold held against a red pipe.

If you own an older iPhone or iPad, it may be time to consider upgrading. As of December 18, the minimum requirement for using iCloud backups is iOS 9 or later, as support for iOS 8 and earlier versions has ended. This information was initially communicated to Apple users in November.

As noted by MacRumors, while iCloud support for devices running iOS 8 or earlier has ceased, you can still create manual backups on a Mac or Windows PC. If your device is currently on iOS 8, but can upgrade to a newer version, your iCloud backup capabilities will be restored.

Read more
Wish you had Apple AirDrop on an Android phone? It might actually happen
iPhone showing iOS 17 prompt to receive AirDrop photo transfer.

AirDrop and AirPlay are popular features that significantly benefit users, but are currently unavailable to non-Apple users. This may change in the future in the European Union (EU), where proposals are being developed that could require Apple to make these features accessible on Android devices.

According to TechRadar, the proposed changes under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) would require Apple to make its exclusive features available to other developers and smartphone manufacturers.

Read more