3 Reasons To Buy A Used iPhone 17 Pro Right Now

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The iPhone 18 Pro is here, and as expected, because of the ongoing RAM shortage, Apple introduced it at a $100 premium over the launch price of the iPhone 17 Pro. The company even increased the prices of the iPhone 17 series models that officially remain on sale. These price hikes certainly make it harder for a lot of people to pick an iPhone they want without stretching their budget and shelling out the big bucks. However, if you aren't set on getting a brand-new iPhone, there is a good case to be made for opting for a used iPhone 17 Pro. More importantly, as soon as the existing iPhone 17 Pro stock runs out, you won't be able to get the phone in brand-new condition, as Apple has discontinued it to push buyers to the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max models.

The iPhone 17 Pro has all the bells and whistles you 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 pro-grade triple rear camera system featuring a telephoto shooter, solid battery life, and access to Apple Intelligence, including the newly introduced Siri AI. That said, when you're buying a used iPhone 17 Pro, ensure you're getting an iPhone with a battery health of at least 85%, with a clean IMEI, either unlocked or locked to a carrier you use, and without an activation lock (basically signed out of iCloud). An easy way to ensure all of this is to purchase the pre-owned iPhone from a reputable refurbisher or check the device thoroughly in a face-to-face trade. 

By opting for a pre-owned iPhone 17 Pro, you can save a decent chunk of change even though you're buying last year's flagship model. With the release of the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and the much-anticipated iPhone Duo, a number of folks who like to get their hands on the latest iPhone will trade in or sell their older iPhone 17 Pro, which will increase the availability of used iPhones on the market.

Keep in mind that the savings aren't going to be as aggressive as in previous years. Because of smartphone price hikes, more people than ever are choosing to buy pre-owned phones, increasing demand for them. Still, you have plenty of places to look for a good deal, from Amazon and BackMarket to Best Buy and Plug. Refurbished iPhone 17 Pro models in excellent condition are going for as low as $960 at Best Buy, whereas on Swappa, you can find one for as low as $800.

As you're picking up an iPhone that's only a generation old, you aren't making any major compromises in terms of features or performance. The iPhone 17 Pro's A19 Pro chip is incredibly powerful and remains a good option, even after the arrival of the A20 Pro chip in the iPhone 18 Pro. It can handle pretty much anything you throw at it, including graphics-intensive mobile gaming, on-device AI processing, and multitasking. This is one of the reasons why all of the new Apple Intelligence features introduced in iOS 27 with the iPhone 18 Pro have come to the iPhone 17 Pro.

The phone's ProMotion display is also in line with the iPhone 18 Pro and is unlikely to see any major upgrades at least for a couple of 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 connectivity, and Bluetooth 6. Most importantly, none of this is impacted by the fact that you're getting a pre-owned iPhone 17 Pro and not a brand-new unit. 

Let's not forget its pro-grade camera system. While it might lack the newly introduced variable aperture of the iPhone 18 Pro models, it's still a very impressive camera setup that includes three 48 MP shooters, including ultrawide 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 camera maintains tons of detail.

Another benefit of going with an old iPhone 17 Pro is that you get access to Apple's long software support period. Despite getting an older iPhone, you will 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 received updates for one year, including iOS 27. Each major iOS update brings new features, ensuring your phone doesn't become obsolete. While you might not get every single new feature in future updates, you will continue to get whichever features your iPhone's hardware can run smoothly.

More importantly, Apple doesn't completely ditch its iPhones even after the support period has ended. iPhones continue to receive important security patches to ensure their software isn't left unprotected. Security patches can continue for up to ten years after an iPhone's launch.