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Tech · Apple · 2021

Apple iPhone 13

The used-market sweet spot: the A15, a 128GB floor, and a SIM tray even on US models.

Used iPhones on eBay: six worth buying, oldest last — #2

Overall

8.2

out of 10

Axis scores

Strongest on Value (8.8), weakest on Durability (7.8), a 1.0-point spread. The 8.2 overall is the plain average of all 5 Tech axes, with no weighting.

Apple iPhone 13 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Apple iPhone 13: Performance 8.0, Value 8.8, Durability 7.8, Ease of use 8.4, Design 8.0.PerformanceApple iPhone 13 — Performance 8.0 out of 108.0ValueApple iPhone 13 — Value 8.8 out of 108.8DurabilityApple iPhone 13 — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8Ease of useApple iPhone 13 — Ease of use 8.4 out of 108.4DesignApple iPhone 13 — Design 8.0 out of 108.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Display
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR (OLED)
Chip
A15 Bionic (4-core GPU)
Main camera
12MP
Port
Lightning
Battery
Up to 19 hrs video playback
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Water resistance
IP68

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • You want a modern iPhone for a teenager or a second line without new-phone money
  • You swap a physical SIM when traveling
  • 128GB is the minimum storage you'll accept

Skip it if

  • You plan to keep it five more years; it's the oldest chip in the top half here
  • You'd rather pay a little more for USB-C and the battery data on the 15

There are more iPhone 13s on eBay than almost any other model, which is the quiet reason it ranks well. A big supply means you can be picky: hold out for an unlocked unit with battery health in the high 80s and a seller who accepts returns, and you’ll usually find one within a few days.

Battery is the variable to watch. A 13 bought new in 2021 and charged daily has been through a lot of cycles, and the health percentage is the only figure iOS shows. Anything under 85 percent should come off the asking price, since a genuine Apple battery replacement is a paid service.

It shares the A15 with the iPhone 14 and the SE, so day-to-day speed is not the reason to pay for anything newer. Storage starts at 128GB, which makes base-model listings a better deal than the 64GB SE or iPhone 12.

Search “iphone 13 128gb unlocked” rather than the bare model name. eBay’s results mix in the 13 mini and 13 Pro otherwise, and the Pro’s extra camera puts it in a different price bracket.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.