GuidesUpdated By Federico Ragusa
Best phone under £200: used and refurbished, newest first
The best phone under £200 is usually a flagship two or three years old or a recent mid-range Samsung, bought used or refurbished. This page lists every one we follow whose typical price today, postage to the UK included, is under £200.
The list runs by release date, newest first, because a newer phone usually has more years of updates ahead; it is not our verdict on which phone is best. Which phones appear depends on the market that day: a model joins when its price falls under £200 and leaves when it climbs back over.
How the list is ordered
The order follows a rule, not our opinion. We follow twelve phones people look for at this budget: the Samsung Galaxy A14, A26, A53, A54 and A55, the Galaxy S20, S21, S22 and S23, and the iPhone 11, 12 and 13. A phone appears only when its typical price today, postage to the UK included, is under £200, and those that appear are sorted by release year, newest first, because newer usually means more years of updates ahead.
Typical means the middle of comparable offers for the same model, read from used and refurbished offers on several marketplaces and shops. The price next to each phone is the typical price of its most common version, read today; other versions, such as an Ultra or a model with more storage, can cost more.
Prices are read when you open the page, so tomorrow the list may be longer or shorter, and a phone missing today may be back next week. Whether a phone on it suits you depends on the line under it and on the checks further down.
Galaxy A26
Released in 20252 versions · 13 offers
5G · 256GB: typical price £174
The newest phone on this list: Samsung promised it six years of Android and security updates, and it is water resistant. The cameras are mid-range, so do not expect much in low light.
Lowest today£153.34
See all 13 offers
Galaxy A54
Released in 20232 versions · 17 offers
128GB: typical price £144
A 2023 mid-range Galaxy with an OLED screen and IP67, launched with four Android versions and five years of security updates promised. A plain, sensible phone with a good share of its updates still to come.
Lowest today£108.59
See all 17 offersGalaxy A14
Released in 20232 versions · 113 offers
64GB: typical price £89
The simplest phone on this list, with an LCD screen and budget cameras. Fine if you need calls, messages, maps and not much else.
Lowest today£55.56
See all 113 offersGalaxy S22
Released in 20228 versions · 595 offers
128GB: typical price £195
A compact 2022 flagship with a good camera and wireless charging, held back by the base model's 3,700 mAh battery, which is known for running short. Check the battery health closely, or look at an S22+ if the price allows.
Lowest today£119.62
See all 595 offersGalaxy A53
Released in 20221 versions · 82 offers
5G · 128GB: typical price £120
The oldest Galaxy A here: OLED screen, IP67, and four Android versions and five years of security updates promised from 2022. Buy it for the price, and only with a healthy battery.
Lowest today£73.00
See all 82 offersGalaxy S21
Released in 20219 versions · 469 offers
5G · 128GB: typical price £161
A 2021 flagship, sold in the UK with an Exynos chip, launched with three Android versions and raised to four in 2022. A good camera in a compact body, but the fewest years of Samsung updates left of the Galaxies here.
Lowest today£98.26
See all 469 offersiPhone 12
Released in 202013 versions · 1502 offers
128GB: typical price £193
5G, an OLED screen and MagSafe, in the flat-edged design. The base model starts at 64 GB and the battery is its weak point, especially on the 12 mini.
Lowest today£97.08
See all 1502 offersGalaxy S20
Released in 20206 versions · 88 offers
FE · 128GB: typical price £132
Samsung's 2020 flagship, with a 120 Hz screen, and it still feels like one. It has had its last Android version, so check the date of the latest security update before you pay.
Lowest today£88.88
See all 88 offersiPhone 11
Released in 20199 versions · 1285 offers
64GB: typical price £130
The oldest phone on this list, and the oldest iPhone that runs iOS 26. The base 11 has an LCD screen and no 5G; buy it for the price and the iPhone apps, knowing it will probably stop getting new versions of iOS before the others.
Lowest today£78.52
See all 1285 offers
Samsung or iPhone, flagship or mid-range
At this budget the choice is mostly between a newer mid-range phone and an older flagship. The Galaxy A53, A54 and A55 are mid-range: OLED screens, IP67 water resistance, plainer cameras and no wireless charging. The Galaxy S models were flagships, with better cameras and wireless charging in smaller bodies, and they are older. None of the Samsungs from the S21 on came with a charger in the box, so check whether the seller includes one.
Updates matter more at this price, because part of the phone's life is already gone. The S22, S23, A53, A54 and A55 launched with four major Android versions and five years of security updates promised; the S21 launched with three Android versions, raised to four in 2022. Those years count from launch. The iPhones that can come in under £200 are the oldest that iOS 26 runs on, and our iPhone ranking explains how long that is likely to last.
Then storage and battery. The iPhone 11 and 12 start at 64 GB, which photos fill quickly; the others start at 128 GB. The base Galaxy S22 is the one known for running short on battery, and any phone at this price has had years of charging, so ask how long it lasts in a day.
What to check on a used Samsung
Most bad buys at this price are locked phones and worn screens, and both are quick to check.
- Google account lock (FRP): after a reset the phone asks for the last Google account used on it. If the seller did not remove the account first, you will not get past that screen.
- Samsung account: it has its own reactivation lock. Ask for both accounts to be signed out before the phone is reset.
- Burn-in: all these Galaxies have OLED screens. Open a plain grey or white image at full brightness and look for the ghost of the keyboard or the status bar.
- Battery: Android does not always show battery health. The Samsung Members app has a diagnostics check that covers the battery; ask for a screenshot.
- The IMEI: check the phone is not reported lost or stolen, or locked to a network you are not on.
What to check on a used iPhone
The phone must be signed out of the seller's Apple Account, with Find My off, and reset: after the reset it should not ask for anyone's password. Read the battery health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health; below 80 per cent Apple calls the battery worn, and a replacement goes on top of the price. Set up Face ID with your own face, and look in Settings > General > About for a message about a screen, battery or camera that is not a genuine Apple part. The base iPhone 11 has an LCD screen, so burn-in is not a worry; the 12 and 13 have OLED, so the grey-screen test applies to them too.
Used or refurbished, and your rights in the UK
Buy from a trader (a refurbisher, a second-hand shop, a business selling on eBay) and the Consumer Rights Act applies: the phone must be as described and of satisfactory quality, you have 30 days to reject it if it is faulty, and 14 days to cancel an online purchase for any reason. A private seller only has to describe the phone truthfully, so the checks above are all the cover you get. A refurbisher's own warranty adds to your legal rights and never replaces them.
Where people in the UK buy a phone under £200
Private sellers list on eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Vinted, usually at the lowest prices, with every check left to you. CeX and musicMagpie sell graded second-hand phones, and Back Market lists refurbishers of every size, each grading on its own scale.
We compare offers for the same model from several of these marketplaces and shops, with postage to the UK included, so you can see whether a listing sits inside the usual range before you pay. Each phone in the list links to its own page, with its versions and today's offers.
What is the best phone under £200?
It changes as prices move. The list on this page shows the phones whose typical price today, postage included, is under £200, newest first. For the most years of updates, take the newest one you can get in good condition; if the camera matters most, an older Galaxy S usually beats a newer Galaxy A.
Is a used Samsung or a used iPhone better under £200?
Mostly it depends on what you use now, because moving photos, chats and paid apps from one to the other is a chore. With no preference, compare the years of updates: Samsung stated an update promise for each of these models at launch, Apple states none, and an iPhone under £200 is an older model that iOS 26 still runs on.
Is the Galaxy S22 still worth buying?
It can be, if you watch the battery: the base S22 has a 3,700 mAh battery and a reputation for running out before the evening. It launched with four major Android versions and five years of security updates promised, counted from 2022. The S22+ and S22 Ultra have bigger batteries.
How many years of updates does a Samsung Galaxy get?
The Galaxy S22, S23, A53, A54 and A55 launched with four major Android versions and five years of security updates promised. The S21 launched with three Android versions, raised to four in 2022. The years run from launch, so a phone from 2022 has already used several of them.
Is a refurbished phone under £200 worth it?
Often, if you cannot check the phone yourself: a refurbisher has tested it, and your rights under the Consumer Rights Act come with the purchase. Compare it with good used offers for the same model, postage included, and decide whether the difference is worth the cover.