About The iPhone 13
A refurbished iPhone 13 gives you Apple's 2021 flagship at a lower price, fully tested and ready to use.
The iPhone 13 was announced on 14 September 2021 at Apple's "California Streaming" event and went on sale on 24 September 2021. Apple sold it around five main ideas: better cameras, longer battery life, faster performance, brighter screens, and more storage as standard.
Counterpoint later reported that the iPhone 13 was the best-selling smartphone in the world in 2022, accounting for around 5% of global smartphone sales and 28% of all iPhone sales that year.
The device was incredibly popular at launch. AppleInsider even reported that a stampeding crowd in China entered a shopping centre to buy the iPhone 13, forcing the store to stop selling the model and turn customers away! The reaction was especially impressive considering that this was during the pandemic, so the launch was expected to be much quieter and less busy than previous releases.
Despite this excitement, the iPhone 13 was not marketed as a complete redesign. It looked very similar to the iPhone 12, but Apple made it a "quietly better at everything" upgrade. Based on the model's continued popularity today, these features make the iPhone 13 a strong and reliable mobile phone in 2026.
iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12
The iPhone 13 kept the familiar look, but improved the things people notice most: camera quality, battery life, screen brightness, speed and storage.
Feature | Technical upgrade | What you notice day to day |
Main camera | Still 12MP, but with a larger Wide sensor and bigger pixels. Captures 47% more light. | Brighter, clearer photos indoors and at night. Better results in everyday lighting. |
Image stabilisation | Sensor-shift stabilisation added to the main camera. | Sharper photos and steadier video when your hand moves. |
Video | New Cinematic mode with automatic focus shifts and background blur. | Videos look more film-like and polished with less effort. |
Battery life | Up to 2.5 hours longer battery life than iPhone 12. | Gets through the day more comfortably with less charging stress. |
Chip | A15 Bionic instead of A14 Bionic. | Faster feel, smoother apps and stronger long-term performance. |
Display brightness | Brighter OLED display — up to 800 nits typical brightness. | Easier to read outdoors and in bright sunlight. |
Storage | Starts at 128GB instead of 64GB. | More room for photos, apps, videos and downloads as standard. |
Notch and design | Smaller notch and diagonal rear camera layout. | A slightly cleaner look with a more recognisable updated design. |
Camera Note
The iPhone 13 did not increase rear camera megapixels over the iPhone 12. Both are 12MP. The improvement came from a larger sensor, better stabilisation and smarter image processing.
Big Phone Store Team Summary
Compared with the iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 gives you better battery life, better low-light photos, a brighter screen, more storage and a faster chip, all while keeping the same familiar iPhone experience.
Popularity Among TBPS Customers
The iPhone 13 is our #2 best-selling model out of 29 iPhones for the last 18 consecutive months.
Our Expert Opinion
"I've seen people use an iPhone 13 side by side with a current model and genuinely struggle to tell the difference in day to day use. At refurbished prices, it's one of the most sensible technology purchases you can make right now.
The iPhone 13 gives you the main things people actually notice day to day: better battery life than the iPhone 12, stronger low-light photos, smoother performance and more storage as standard. No wonder it's one of our best-selling devices.
We particularly recommend the iPhone 13 for those looking to upgrade from the iPhone 11, buy a phone for their teenage child, or get an affordable and reliable phone for everyday usage."
— The Big Phone Store Team
Availability
Find a cheap iPhone 13 deal across our grades, colours and storage options.
Grades: Like New, Pristine, Very Good, Good
Colours: Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Pink, Green, Product Red
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Every grade at The Big Phone Store is fully functional. The grade describes cosmetic condition only. If you are putting a case on it (which most people do) a Very Good or Good grade phone looks identical in use. Pick a Good or Very Good grade and you can get an iPhone 13 cheap with no difference in everyday use.
Key Specifications
Feature | Technical Details | Why It Matters |
Screen | 6.1" Super Retina XDR OLED, 2532x1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi | The OLED panel gives you true blacks and strong contrast for a premium viewing experience. Whether you’re viewing photos and videos or reading a blog, the screen stays sharp and clear. |
Camera | 12MP dual camera (12MP wide + 12MP ultrawide) | The main and ultrawide lenses make it easy to grab quick photos of people, places and events, even at night. Most shots come out sharp and bright enough to share without editing. |
Battery life | Up to 19 hours video playback (Apple rating), minimum 85% health on all our devices | This battery lasts most people a full day without needing to charge. Choose Like New for 100% guaranteed battery health if you are a heavy user. |
iOS | Latest - iOS 26 | Apple's history suggests that the iPhone 13 will be supported for several more years. This is a phone that will continue to offer the best and newest iPhone features. |
Dimensions | 146.7 × 71.5 × 7.65mm, 174g | A comfortable one-hand size for most people. Lighter than many Android phones in the same price range. |
If you're looking for something else:
Model Highlight
The iPhone 13 takes clear photos in everyday conditions, especially indoors, at night or when the lighting is not perfect. Apple sold it as the iPhone for people who wanted their phone to last longer, take better photos in real life, shoot nicer videos, and feel faster without needing to learn anything new. These features make it a popular choice among our customers, especially those who value snapping pictures of their family and friends.
How We Test The iPhone 13
Every iPhone 13 we sell is reconditioned in-house. Each reconditioned iPhone 13 is tested, cleaned and graded before dispatch.
The camera is the iPhone 13's standout feature and the thing customers are most likely to rely on. It is also one of the most common fault areas we see on older iPhones — focus issues, lens damage and camera module failures can all be invisible until you try to take a photo. So we do not just check that the camera app opens. We shoot actual test images on every device to confirm focus, colour accuracy and sharpness on both the wide and ultra-wide lenses.
Beyond the camera, every iPhone 13 goes through our full 90+ point check before dispatch:
85%+ Battery health confirmed and Lightning charging tested
Display brightness, colour and full-screen touch response
Face ID — tested, not assumed
Front camera and video
Speakers, microphone and haptic feedback
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile signal
All buttons, sensors and MagSafe response
IMEI and network history check via CheckMEND
Full data wipe
Why Buy From The Big Phone Store?
In 2025, we sold more than 72,000 refurbished smartphones. Our fault-specific return rate was 1.6%. That is not a target, it is the result of a process we have been refining since 1999.
What Matters | How We Help | Why It Matters to You |
Experience | Refurbished electronics specialist since 1999 | No one has more expertise in this industry than us. We've been refurbishing phones since before the iPhone existed. |
Trust | 4.8 Trustpilot rating with 80,000+ reviews | We have over 80,000 satisfied customers, and you can become one of them. |
Security | Devices are data-wiped, network and history is checked for blacklisting, theft, loss or outstanding finance | Buying with will ensure you don't get scammed or ripped off. Unlike with private buyers, these comprehensive checks are guaranteed. |
Quality | 90+ point quality check | We refuse to sell devices that don't work the same as if they were new. Your device is ready to go straight out of the box. |
Support | UK-based customer support | Get help from real people who won the Customer Service award at the MNA 2026 (even beating EE). |
Stock | Website stock means actual stock | Unlike other sites, all devices on our website are in stock and ready to ship. No false listings or seller delays. |
Device quality | Every part of the process is done in-house | We have full control over the refurbishment process. Unlike others who outsource their process, we confirm the quality of the devices ourselves. |
Every refurbished iPhone 13 includes a 12-month warranty as standard, which you can upgrade to 2 years, 5 years, or lifetime. You also get free UK delivery for any order over £30 and a 45-day returns process.
