Seven hundred dollars is the number most Australians land on when they stop wanting a cheap phone and start wanting a good one. It is also the point where the refurbished market gets genuinely interesting: the best refurbished phone under $700 is not a budget handset at all, it is a two or three year old flagship that cost well over $1,300 new. The question is no longer whether you can afford a proper phone. It is which brand gives you the most for the money.
The quick answer
At the time of writing, three phones split the under-$700 bracket between them. The Google Pixel 8 from $449 is the longevity pick, because Google promises seven years of software support on it. The Apple iPhone 14 from $499 is the safe pick, and it runs iOS 27 today, the same version as a brand-new iPhone. The Samsung Galaxy S24 5G from $569 is the newest hardware you can get under the cap, with Samsung's seven-year update promise behind it. If your budget is firmer than your brand loyalty, the Samsung Galaxy S23 5G from $419 is the cheapest way into a real flagship.
[IMAGE: detail — close-up of the Pixel 8 and iPhone 14 back panels side by side, showing the camera bars. Suggested alt text: "Refurbished Google Pixel 8 and Apple iPhone 14 camera detail, both under $700"]
What $700 actually buys you in Australia right now
The useful thing about shopping refurbished is that your money moves backwards through time rather than down through quality. New, $700 buys you an entry-level phone with a plastic back and a mid-tier chip. Pre-owned, the same $700 buys you something that sat at the top of its maker's range.
Here is how the ladder looks today, using the lowest in-stock price for each model as at 5 October 2026:
- Under $300 — Apple iPhone SE 2022 from $219, Apple iPhone 12 from $299.
- $400 to $500 — Samsung Galaxy S23 5G from $419, Apple iPhone 13 from $419, Google Pixel 8 from $449, Apple iPhone 14 from $499.
- $550 to $700 — Samsung Galaxy S24 5G from $569, Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 5G from $579, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 5G from $589, Apple iPhone 15 from $669.
That bottom band is the surprise for most people. A folding phone and a current-generation iPhone both sit inside a $700 budget now. If you want to see what the next rung up looks like, our guide to the best refurbished flagship under $1000 covers the same ground with the cap lifted.
Apple's pick: the iPhone 14 from $499
The iPhone 14 is the most sensible Apple buy under the cap, and the reason is software. Apple's own compatibility list shows iOS 27 running on every iPhone from the iPhone 11 onwards, so a 2022 iPhone 14 is on exactly the same version as the phone in the shop window. You are not buying something that has been left behind.
The hardware holds up too. Apple's technical specifications give it the A15 Bionic chip, a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, a 12-megapixel main and ultra-wide pair on the back, up to 20 hours of video playback and an IP68 rating good for six metres for half an hour. None of that feels dated in daily use.
At $499 you are in Good grade, which means visible wear you will notice if you look for it and will forget about once a case is on. Excellent starts at $519 and As New at $549. If you would rather have the newer body, the iPhone 15 starts at $669 and still fits the budget. We have written separately about how the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 compare if you are weighing the $80 between them.
Samsung's pick: the Galaxy S23 from $419, or the Galaxy S24 from $569
Samsung gives you a genuine choice here rather than one obvious answer.
The Galaxy S23 5G at $419 is the cheapest real flagship in the shop. It is a 2023 phone with a 6.1-inch screen, and at that price it undercuts every comparable iPhone by roughly a generation of age.
Spend $150 more and the Galaxy S24 5G at $569 changes the calculation, because the S24 is where Samsung's long support promise starts. Samsung's own newsroom commits the S24 series to seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates. The phone itself runs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 behind a 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen at 120Hz, and the $569 price is for 256GB rather than the 128GB you get at the bottom of most ladders.
For a mid range phone Australia-wide, that combination is hard to argue with: double the storage, a 2024 chip, and a support window that runs into the 2030s. If you want something more unusual for the money, the Galaxy Z Flip6 5G folds in half from $589.
Google's pick: the Pixel 8 from $449
The Pixel 8 is the quiet winner on value per year. Google's launch announcement committed to seven years of software support, including OS upgrades, security updates and regular Feature Drops, which was an unusual promise at the time and still is. The phone runs Google's Tensor G3 chip behind a 6.2-inch Actua display.
What makes it stand out on our shelves is the grade. The Pixel 8 starts at $449 in As New condition, not Good, so the cheapest Pixel in the range is also the tidiest-looking phone of the three. That is partly a quirk of what came through the door, and it will not last forever, but while it does it is the best-looking $449 in the shop.
The trade-off is the ecosystem. If everyone in your house is on iPhone and you share photo albums and messages constantly, moving to Android costs you some convenience. Our iPhone, Samsung and Pixel decision guide works through that in more detail.
So which brand wins?
It depends on which number matters most to you.
- Cheapest route to a flagship: Samsung. The Galaxy S23 5G at $419 is a 2023 top-of-the-range phone.
- Longest life from the money: Google. Seven years of support on a $449 phone is the best years-per-dollar on this list.
- Newest hardware under the cap: Samsung again, with the Galaxy S24 5G at $569 and 256GB of storage.
- Least friction: Apple. If your family, your watch and your laptop are already Apple, the iPhone 14 at $499 saves you a weekend of migrating.
No single brand sweeps it, which is the honest answer. If we had to hand one phone to a friend with $700 and no strong preference, it would be the Pixel 8 at $449, with the $250 left over put towards a case, a screen protector and a year of storage.
Where Mobile Federation fits
We are a Sydney business, and every phone we sell is tested and graded in our own facility before it goes out. Two things matter most at this price. The first is that the cover does not thin out as the phone gets cheaper: a $219 iPhone SE and a $699 folding phone both leave here with the same 24-month warranty against manufacturing faults and hardware failures, which is not something you have to buy separately or remember to tick. The second is batteries, because a flagship with a tired battery is just a paperweight with a nice screen. Every device we list carries a minimum 80% battery health guarantee, and you have 30 days to return it for a full refund if it is not what you hoped for. For context, Phonebot states that its devices carry up to 12 months of warranty, with a further 12 months available on selected products.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best refurbished phone under $700 in Australia?
For most people it is the Google Pixel 8 at $449, because of its seven-year software support promise. If you are already in Apple's ecosystem, the iPhone 14 at $499. If you want the newest hardware under the cap, the Galaxy S24 5G at $569.
Is a refurbished flagship better than a new budget phone for the same money?
Usually, yes. At $500 a pre-owned flagship gives you a better screen, a better camera and a faster chip than a new entry-level phone at the same price. The trade-off is cosmetic wear and a battery that has already done some work.
How long will a refurbished phone under $700 keep getting updates?
It depends on the model. The Galaxy S24 and the Pixel 8 both come with seven-year commitments from their makers. Apple does not publish a fixed number, but the iPhone 14 runs the current iOS 27 release today.
What condition will the phone arrive in?
That is what the grade tells you. Good means visible marks from normal use. Excellent means light marks you have to look for. As New means it is hard to tell from a new phone. Every grade is tested the same way and carries the same cover. Our explainer on what a refurbished phone actually is walks through the process.
Will the battery be any good?
Every phone we sell is guaranteed to have at least 80% battery health, and some listings are specifically flagged as having had a replacement battery fitted. We would rather tell you the number than call it "new".
Have a look for yourself
Prices move as stock comes and goes, so the ladder above is a snapshot rather than a promise. The quickest way to find your own best refurbished phone under $700 is to browse what is in stock today and filter by what you can spend. Everything you see carries the same testing, the same grading and the same two-year cover.
