3 reasons to buy a used iPhone 17 Pro now

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The iPhone 18 Pro is here, and as expected, due to the ongoing RAM shortage, Apple introduced it at a $100 premium over the iPhone 17 Pro’s launch price. The company even increased the prices of the iPhone 17 series models that officially remain on sale. These price increases certainly make it harder for many people to choose the iPhone they want without stretching their budget and shelling out a lot of money. However, if you’re not committed to buying a brand new iPhone, there are good reasons to go for a used iPhone 17 Pro. More importantly, as soon as the existing stock of iPhone 17 Pro runs out, you will no longer be able to get the phone in new condition, as Apple has discontinued it to push buyers towards the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max models.

The iPhone 17 Pro has all the features you’d expect from an Apple flagship, including a beautiful OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a powerful A19 Pro processor with vapor chamber cooling, a professional-grade triple rear camera system with a telephoto lens, solid battery life, and access to Apple Intelligence, including the new Siri AI. That said, when buying a used iPhone 17 Pro, make sure you get an iPhone with a good battery of at least 85%, with a clean IMEI, unlocked or locked to a carrier you use, and without activation lock (essentially disconnected from iCloud). An easy way to ensure all of this is to buy the used iPhone from a reputable refurbisher or to thoroughly check the device during a face-to-face exchange.

By opting for a used iPhone 17 Pro, you can save a good chunk of change even if you buy last year’s flagship model. With the release of the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and the much-anticipated iPhone Duo, a number of people who love to get their hands on the latest iPhone will trade in or sell their old iPhone 17 Pro, increasing the availability of used iPhones in the market.

Keep in mind that savings will not be as aggressive as in previous years. Due to the rising prices of smartphones, more and more people are choosing to buy second-hand phones, increasing demand. Still, there are plenty of places to look for good deals, from Amazon and BackMarket to Best Buy and Plug. Refurbished iPhone 17 Pro models in excellent condition cost as little as $960 at Best Buy, while on Swappa you can find one for as little as $800.

When you buy an iPhone that’s only one generation old, you’re not making any major compromises in features or performance. The A19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro is incredibly powerful and remains a good option even after the A20 Pro chip arrives in the iPhone 18 Pro. It can handle just about anything you throw at it, including graphics-intensive mobile games, on-device AI processing, and multitasking. This is one of the reasons why all the new Apple Intelligence features introduced in iOS 27 with the iPhone 18 Pro have been brought to the iPhone 17 Pro.

The phone’s ProMotion display is also consistent with that of the iPhone 18 Pro and is unlikely to see any major upgrades for at least a few generations. The same goes for many other features like 25W MagSafe charging, a USB-C port with USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds, IP68 dust and water resistance, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity. Most importantly, none of this is affected by the fact that you’re getting a used iPhone 17 Pro and not a brand new device.

Let’s not forget its professional-grade camera system. While it may lack the new variable aperture of the iPhone 18 Pro models, it’s still a very impressive camera setup that features three 48MP cameras, including ultra-wide and telephoto cameras. As we found in our iPhone 17 Pro review, the phone performs pretty well in all situations and captures bright, vibrant, and detailed images. Its photos also look natural, and even at 20x zoom, the iPhone 17 Pro’s telephoto lens retains tons of detail.

Another advantage of opting for an older iPhone 17 Pro is that you have access to Apple’s long period of software support. Even if you have an older iPhone, you’ll continue to receive iOS updates for the next four to six years, as the company typically supports iPhones for five to seven years. The iPhone 17 Pro has already been receiving updates for a year, including iOS 27. Each major iOS update brings new features, ensuring that your phone doesn’t become outdated. Although you may not benefit from all the new features in future updates, you will still benefit from the features that your iPhone’s hardware can perform well.

More importantly, Apple isn’t completely abandoning its iPhones, even after the support period ends. iPhones continue to receive important security patches to ensure their software doesn’t go unprotected. Security patches can continue for up to ten years after the launch of an iPhone.