The iPhone 13 is cheaper, but the refurbished iPhone 15 is the better buy for most people in 2026.
- You get a newer chip
- a much better main camera
- Dynamic Island
- slightly longer battery life
- and a longer update runway.
With refurbished prices around $400, it’s a lot of iPhone for the money.
The iPhone 13 is still a perfectly usable phone. But it’s five years old now, and the savings over a refurbished iPhone 15 don’t always make sense.
The iPhone 15 is only two years newer, but it brings a more noticeable set of changes than a routine yearly upgrade. The camera is the biggest one. You go from a 12MP main camera to a 48MP sensor, with a useful 2x optical-quality option. You also get the Dynamic Island, Apple’s A16 Bionic chip and a little more rated video playback time.
A refurbished iPhone 15 can currently be found for around $393, depending on condition, storage and seller.
Prices move around, so check the details before buying. But at roughly $400, it’s a strong alternative to paying more for a new phone, especially after Apple raised US iPhone prices by $100 across several models in 2026.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13: the key differences
| Feature | iPhone 15 | iPhone 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 48MP | 12MP |
| Zoom | 2x optical-quality from main sensor | Digital zoom |
| Chip | A16 Bionic | A15 Bionic |
| Display feature | Dynamic Island | Notch |
| Rated video playback | Up to 20 hours | Up to 19 hours |
| Released | 2023 | 2021 |
The iPhone 15 camera is a big step up
The iPhone 13 takes good photos, but its 12MP main camera is starting to show its age. The iPhone 15’s 48MP main camera captures more detail and gives you more room to crop a photo without it falling apart.
It also offers a 2x optical-quality zoom option by using the center of the main sensor. That’s handy for portraits and getting a closer frame without moving. The iPhone 13 doesn’t have that option, so you’re relying on digital zoom when you want to bring a subject closer.
The iPhone 15 still doesn’t have a dedicated telephoto lens, and you shouldn’t expect it to match a Pro model for zoom photography. But for everyday photos, the main camera is a meaningful improvement over the iPhone 13.
You don’t have to pay $1,000+ for a new phone. Buying refurbished saves you, on average, 40% to 50%.
Which means you skip the inflationary price hikes, side-step the 2026 memory cost crisis, and still get the flagship performance and specs you want.
Recommended Options For 2026Dynamic Island makes the front of the phone feel newer
The iPhone 13 has the older notch design. The iPhone 15 replaces it with Dynamic Island, which shows things like music playback, timers, calls and navigation around the front camera cutout.
It won’t change how you use every app, but it makes alerts and live activities easier to glance at. It also gives the iPhone 15 a more modern look.
A newer chip gives you more room to keep using it
The iPhone 15 runs on Apple’s A16 Bionic chip. The iPhone 13 uses the A15 Bionic.
Both are still quick enough for everyday jobs like messaging, browsing, video and social media. You probably won’t notice a night-and-day speed difference opening ordinary apps. The A16 does give the iPhone 15 more performance headroom for newer software, demanding games and camera processing.
The other advantage is age. The iPhone 15 launched two years after the iPhone 13, so it’s likely to receive software support for longer. Apple hasn’t promised a specific end date for either model, and both are compatible with iOS 27 today, but the newer phone has a better chance of staying supported for longer.
You’re paying too much for data. Way too much.
Visible+ gives you unlimited premium data on Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, plus hotspot data and travel perks.
Compare top-ranked plansVisible+ includes
- Unlimited premium dataVerizon 5G Ultra Wideband
- Unlimited hotspot dataSpeeds up to 15 Mbps
- Travel extrasCanada and Mexico coverage, plus 2 days of Global Pass each month
Battery life is better, but don’t expect a huge leap
Apple rates the iPhone 15 for up to 20 hours of video playback, compared with up to 19 hours for the iPhone 13. That’s an improvement, but it’s not a dramatic one.
With refurbished phones, the actual battery matters as much as the model. Battery health varies from device to device, so check the seller’s battery-health policy and the return terms before you buy. A worn iPhone 15 battery can perform worse than a well-kept iPhone 13.
The price makes the iPhone 15 hard to ignore
Apple’s 2026 US price increases have made new iPhones more expensive. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max each launched $100 above their previous-generation starting prices, and Apple also raised prices on several older models it still sells.
That makes a refurbished iPhone 15 more appealing. It gives you a newer design, a far better main camera and more performance than the iPhone 13, while avoiding the cost of a new model.
The refurbished iPhone 15 deals page is the place to compare current offers. You can also browse our refurbished iPhone 13 deals and all refurbished phone deals before deciding.
Should you buy the iPhone 15 or save money with the iPhone 13?
The iPhone 13 is still a reasonable buy if it’s substantially cheaper, has a healthy battery and you mainly need a phone for basic everyday use.
But if the price gap is modest, so it makes way more sense to get the iPhone 15. The 48MP camera, Dynamic Island, newer chip and extra year of age give it a stronger case for keeping over the next few years. At around $400 refurbished, it hits a useful sweet spot: modern enough to feel current, without the inflated price of a brand-new iPhone.
Keep reading
More useful guides from this section of KnowYourMobile.
