Which Used or Refurbished Phone Should You Buy in 2026? (Ranked by Updates Left)
Short answer: a Pixel 8 or newer, a Galaxy S24 or S25, or an iPhone 13 or newer. Those still have roughly four or more years of security updates ahead. Skip the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Galaxy S21 and S22, and iPhone XR: their updates have ended or end within about a year, so the "bargain" turns into a phone your bank app eventually refuses. This page ranks popular refurbished phones by how long they'll stay supported, using each maker's own promises where they exist and clearly marked estimates where they don't.
Why updates matter more than specs on a used phone
A phone without security updates still turns on, but new security holes stop getting fixed. Banking, payment and work apps gradually stop supporting old versions. So the real price of a used phone is price ÷ years of updates left. A €150 phone with one year left costs more per year than a €300 phone with four.
Ranked: years of updates left (checked 18 October 2026)
| Phone | Updates until | Where that date comes from | Years left (about) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixel 9a | April 2032 | Google's 7-year promise, on sale April 2025 | 5.5 |
| Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra | about February 2032 (our estimate) | Samsung's 7-year promise from the January/February 2025 launch | 5.3 |
| Pixel 9, 9 Pro XL | August 2031 | Google's 7-year promise, on sale August 2024 | 4.8 |
| Pixel 8a | May 2031 | Google's 7-year promise, on sale May 2024 | 4.5 |
| Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra | about January 2031 (our estimate) | Samsung's 7-year promise from the January 2024 launch | 4.2 |
| Pixel 8, 8 Pro | October 2030 | Google's 7-year promise, on sale October 2023 | 4 |
| iPhone 15 | at least September 2028 (Apple's minimum); likely longer (our estimate) | Apple's UK filing: "minimum 5 years from the first supply date" of 22 Sep 2023 | 2 guaranteed, probably 4+ (estimate) |
| iPhone 13 | around 2030 (our estimate) | No Apple promise; runs iOS 27 today; Apple's track record | about 3 (estimate) |
| Galaxy S23 | about February 2028 (our estimate) | Samsung's 5-year security promise from the February 2023 launch | 1.3 |
Google's dates follow its rule that "Pixel 8 and later phones will get updates for 7 years starting from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US" (Google), applied to the months in Google's availability table. Samsung's promises come from its launch announcements; Samsung doesn't print end dates, so those are our maths. Apple doesn't publish end dates either, but its UK statement of compliance for the iPhone 15 sets a "minimum 5 years from the first supply date" of 22 September 2023. In practice Apple has usually gone well past that, which is why we rate older iPhones higher than the bare minimum suggests.
Our picks
- Best value Android: Pixel 8 or Pixel 8a. Four-plus years of guaranteed updates, and they're the oldest Pixels on the 7-year promise, so they're usually the cheapest way in. Details: when does the Pixel 8 stop getting updates.
- Best Samsung: Galaxy S24. It's getting One UI 9 now and has four more Android upgrades promised. A used Galaxy S23 is cheaper but is on its last major upgrade. If the price gap is small, a used Galaxy S25 adds about a year (to about February 2032, our estimate).
- Best iPhone on a budget: iPhone 13. It runs iOS 27, the same version as the newest iPhones. Apple gives no date, so this is a judgement call based on history. If you want something Apple has put in writing, an iPhone 15 has a minimum until September 2028.
Phones to skip in 2026
| Phone | Why |
|---|---|
| Pixel 6, 6 Pro | Google's guaranteed updates ran until October 2026 |
| Pixel 7, 7 Pro | Guaranteed only until October 2027, about a year |
| Galaxy S21 | Off Samsung's security update list |
| Galaxy S22 | Quarterly updates only, ending around February 2027 (our estimate) |
| iPhone XR | Can't run iOS 26 or 27; only occasional iOS 18 fixes |
| iPhone 11 | Supported today, but the oldest iPhone on iOS 27, so the most likely to miss iOS 28 (our estimate) |
What about the new EU rules?
From 20 June 2025, the EU's ecodesign rules for smartphones (Regulation (EU) 2023/1670) say that makers who update a phone's operating system must keep those updates available, free, for at least five years after the model stops being sold in the EU (European Commission). That's good news for phones launched from mid-2025 on. For the older models on this page, the maker's own promise is the safer thing to plan around, so that's what we used.
Five checks before you pay
- Look up the model's end-of-support date on our device list. Not the year you buy it: support counts from the model's launch.
- Check it's on a current version: Android 17 for Pixels, One UI 8.5 or 9 for Galaxys, iOS 26 or 27 for iPhones.
- Make sure it's signed out of the previous owner's account (Google account or Apple ID / Find My). Otherwise it can lock you out after a reset.
- Check it isn't carrier-locked or reported stolen.
- Ask about the battery and the warranty. A refurbished phone from a business seller in the EU comes with a legal guarantee; a private sale usually doesn't.
Our own guide, Safe to Buy Used? The Second-Hand Phone & Gadget Checklist, walks you through every check in detail. It's a paid PDF we make ourselves; checking a model on our device list stays free.
Compare prices
Search results on bol.com (check the seller, condition and warranty before you buy):
- Refurbished Pixel 8 at bol.com
- Pixel 8a at bol.com
- Pixel 9 at bol.com
- Refurbished Galaxy S24 at bol.com
- Refurbished iPhone 15 at bol.com
- Refurbished iPhone 13 at bol.com
Affiliate disclosure: bol.com links are affiliate links; we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure.
Sources
- Google, Learn when you'll get software updates on Google Pixel phones and Find when your Pixel device became available (checked 18 Oct 2026)
- Samsung Newsroom, Enter the New Era of Mobile AI With Samsung Galaxy S24 Series (17 Jan 2024) and Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Sets the Standard of AI Phone as a True AI Companion (January 2025)
- Samsung Mobile Security, Security update scope (checked 18 Oct 2026)
- Apple, UK PSTI statement of compliance, iPhone 15 (A3090) (29 Apr 2024)
- Apple, Apple security releases (checked 18 Oct 2026)
- EUR-Lex, Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1670 and European Commission, New EU rules for durable, energy-efficient and repairable smartphones and tablets start applying (20 Jun 2025)
- Our own device articles linked above, each with its own sources
Dates marked "our estimate" are our reading of the maker's promise or track record, not a statement from the maker. Always check the official pages before you buy.