The iPhone SE (2020) is the rare phone that gets better value as it ages. It hides a flagship-class A13 Bionic chip inside a compact, familiar body with a real Touch ID home button and a headphone-free but pocket-friendly 4.7-inch frame. New, it was the cheapest way into modern iOS. Refurbished, it is now one of the smartest small purchases an Australian phone buyer can make, and this guide shows you exactly how to buy one without getting burned.
The numbers that change the conversation
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Why second-hand is not “second best”
Here is the quiet truth about the iPhone SE (2020): the part that ages is the battery, and the battery is the one part that gets replaced during a proper refurbishment. The A13 Bionic processor at its heart is the same silicon that powered the iPhone 11. That chip does not get slower with second ownership. It still opens apps instantly, handles banking and Auspost and myGov without stutter, shoots clean photos through its single 12MP camera, and runs current iOS smoothly.
A refurbished SE (2020) has usually been wiped, inspected, fitted with a fresh or high-health battery, and cleaned up cosmetically. What you lose is the box and the new-phone smell. What you keep is a phone that feels and performs almost identically to one bought new, for a fraction of the outlay. For a device this mature and this well understood by repairers, “refurbished” often means “the worn part has already been sorted for you.”
A flagship chip in a four-year-old body for the price of a budget Android — the SE (2020) is the value loophole Apple never quite closed.
The savings are real
Refurbished electronics typically sell for 20-60% less than new equivalents, and the iPhone SE (2020) sits right in that sweet spot. Because it was an affordable model to begin with, the dollar figure to enter Apple’s ecosystem second-hand is genuinely low in AUD terms. You are not paying a premium for a curved screen or a telephoto lens you may never use. You are paying for a fast, compact, reliable phone that does the everyday jobs perfectly. Pair that with the environmental maths — around 80% of a phone’s lifetime carbon is emitted before it is even switched on — and buying refurbished keeps a perfectly capable device out of Australia’s 588,000-tonne annual e-waste pile.
New vs used, side by side
| Brand new | Used / refurbished | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Discontinued by Apple; new stock is scarce | Widely available across Australian sellers |
| Price in AUD | Premium, where you can still find it sealed | Typically 20-60% lower |
| Battery health | 100% from factory | Often replaced; ask for the health percentage |
| Performance | A13 Bionic | Identical A13 Bionic — no slowdown |
| Warranty | Apple warranty if still in window | Seller warranty plus Australian Consumer Law |
| Environmental cost | Full manufacturing footprint | Footprint already paid; you reuse it |
The five-minute checklist before you pay
- Battery health — ask the seller for the figure from Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Aim for 85% or higher, or confirmation of a fresh replacement cell.
- Touch ID works — the home-button fingerprint sensor is the SE’s signature feature and cannot be swapped without losing Touch ID. Confirm it reads a print reliably.
- iCloud / Activation Lock is off — the phone must show no “Find My” lock and not be tied to a previous Apple ID. This is the single most important check.
- IMEI is clean — get the IMEI and verify it is not blacklisted or reported lost/stolen before money changes hands.
- Storage tier — the SE (2020) came in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. Know which you are buying; 64GB fills fast if you shoot photos.
- Screen and frame — check the 4.7-inch LCD for dead pixels, touch dead-spots and cracks, and the aluminium frame for bends.
You have more protection than you think
When you buy from a business — an eBay store, a refurbisher, a retailer — the Australian Consumer Law applies regardless of any “as is” wording. Your phone must be of acceptable quality, match its description, and be fit for purpose. If a refurbished SE (2020) arrives with a swollen battery, a dead Touch ID sensor, or an undisclosed iCloud lock, you are entitled to a remedy. These consumer guarantees sit on top of, and cannot be cancelled by, whatever warranty the seller offers. Keep your receipt and the listing description.
Ready to find yours?
Compare current prices and conditions from trusted retailers below and grab the SE (2020) that fits your budget.
Red flags to walk away from
- “Cannot test, no charger” — a refurbished phone that will not power on for inspection is a gamble, not a deal.
- Activation Lock still on — if the listing shows a locked screen tied to someone else’s Apple ID, it is unusable. Walk away.
- No battery health stated — silence on the battery usually means it is tired. A real refurbisher leads with this number.
- Touch ID “disabled” or “for parts” — a replaced home button kills Touch ID permanently on this model. Treat it as a downgrade.
- Price far below the market — a too-good SE (2020) price often signals a blacklisted IMEI or stolen handset.
Frequently asked questions
Is the iPhone SE (2020) still supported with iOS updates? Yes. Thanks to its A13 Bionic chip it has remained on Apple’s supported list well beyond many phones of its era, so it continues to receive current iOS and security updates.
Does it have Face ID? No, and that is the point for many buyers. It uses Touch ID through the physical home button, which a lot of people prefer for speed and for unlocking while wearing a mask.
Will the smaller 4.7-inch screen feel cramped? If you are coming from a large phone it takes a day to adjust, but the compact size is exactly why people seek the SE out — it is genuinely one-hand friendly and fits any pocket.
Should I worry about the single rear camera? The single 12MP camera is sharp in good light and uses the A13’s image processing for portrait shots. You lose the ultrawide and zoom of pricier phones, not everyday photo quality.
The bottom line
The refurbished iPhone SE (2020) is a value proposition that has only sharpened with time: flagship-grade speed, the reassurance of Touch ID, a size that has quietly become a feature, and continued iOS support — all for 20-60% less than new, with the worst-ageing part often already replaced. Check the battery health, confirm Touch ID and that Activation Lock is off, verify the IMEI, and you walk away with a phone that does almost everything a far more expensive model does, while keeping good hardware in use and out of landfill. For a compact, dependable iPhone on a sensible budget, it is hard to beat.
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