The iPhone 11 is the phone that quietly refuses to retire. Launched in 2019 as Apple’s friendly, colour-popping entry model, it has since become the smartest second-hand pick in the country for anyone who wants a real iPhone without a real iPhone price. The A13 Bionic chip inside it still opens apps without a stutter, the dual 12-megapixel camera still shoots photos people are happy to print, and that big 6.1-inch Liquid Retina screen still feels modern in the hand. What has changed is the cost. In Australia today, a tidy used iPhone 11 is one of the few flagships-turned-bargains that genuinely makes sense for almost everyone.
The numbers that change the conversation
Top used iphone 11s on eBay right now
Here is a live look at what Australian sellers are listing today, so you can weigh up storage size, colour, battery health and price in one glance.
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Why second-hand is not “second best”
The iPhone 11 was never the most expensive phone in its year, and that is exactly why it has aged so well. Apple gave the cheaper model the same A13 Bionic chip as the pricier 11 Pro, which means the engine doing the work in a used iPhone 11 is identical to the one that powered the flagship of its generation. Open Instagram, reply to messages, navigate with Maps, watch a full season of something on the train home, and the phone simply does not flinch. For the way most Australians actually use a phone, the iPhone 11 has more than enough headroom left in the tank.
It helps that this model skipped the fragile features. There is no curved edge to chip, no tiny-but-precious telephoto lens to scratch, and the screen is an LCD rather than an OLED, so it is cheaper to replace if the worst ever happens. The Liquid Retina display is sharp and colour-accurate, Face ID unlocks reliably in a glance, and the IP68 rating means a splash or a dropped-in-the-sink moment is not a death sentence. These are the traits of a phone built to last, and a careful previous owner hands all of them straight to you.
A used iPhone 11 runs the same A13 chip, the same dual camera and the same Face ID as the day it shipped. You are buying a few months of someone else’s screen-on time, not a weaker phone.
The savings are real
When it launched, the iPhone 11 was already Apple’s value pick, and on the second-hand market that value has compounded. These handsets now sit firmly in the 20-60% cheaper bracket, and because so many were sold, supply in Australia is deep enough to keep prices competitive. The 64GB models carry the steepest discounts, and units with a battery health figure in the mid-to-high 80s rather than the high 90s shave off even more. If you mostly stream music and back photos up to iCloud, that cheaper 64GB unit is the sweet spot: the same chip, the same camera, the same screen, for a fraction of what a current model costs. A fresh battery, if you ever want one, is one of the most affordable repairs Apple offers.
New vs used, side by side
| Buying new in 2026 | Used iPhone 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Newer chip, more than you need | A13 Bionic, still quick for daily life |
| Price | Current retail | 20-60% less |
| Battery | 100% capacity | Check the health figure; often 85%+ |
| Display | OLED on newer models | 6.1-inch LCD, sharp and cheap to repair |
| Connectivity | 5G capable | Fast 4G; fine on every AU network |
| Environmental cost | New manufacturing footprint | Reuses an existing device |
The five-minute checklist before you pay
- Read the battery health figure. Open Settings, Battery, then Battery Health & Charging and look at the maximum capacity percentage. The iPhone 11 is old enough that many are now in the 80s; mid-80s and up is a comfortable buy, and anything lower should bring the price down to cover a battery swap.
- Confirm Find My is off and there is no Activation Lock. The phone must be fully signed out of the previous owner’s Apple ID before money changes hands. A locked iPhone 11 is an expensive paperweight, not a bargain.
- Check the IMEI is clean. Dial *#06# to read the IMEI, then run it through a status checker to confirm the handset is not reported lost, stolen, or barred by a carrier.
- Test Face ID and both cameras. Unlock with Face ID a couple of times, then open the camera and switch between the wide and ultra-wide lenses to confirm each focuses cleanly. The iPhone 11 has no telephoto, so these two lenses are the whole system.
- Press around the frame and check water resistance history. Squeeze the edges for any creak that hints at a prior screen replacement, and ask whether the phone has ever been opened, since that can quietly void the IP68 seal.
You have more protection than you think
Buying a used iPhone 11 in Australia does not mean buying without a safety net. When you purchase from a business, an eBay store, or a registered refurbisher rather than a private individual, the Australian Consumer Law still applies in full. The phone must be of acceptable quality, match its description, and be fit for its purpose. If a “refurbished” iPhone 11 turns up with a swollen battery, a hidden screen fault, or an Activation Lock the seller never cleared, you have a clear right to a repair, replacement, or refund. That consumer guarantee sits on top of whatever warranty the seller offers and cannot be waived, which is the single best reason to buy this phone from a reputable business rather than a stranger in a car park.
Ready to find yours?
Browse current used and refurbished iPhone 11 deals from trusted Australian sellers below.
Red flags to walk away from
- “iCloud locked, but it still works fine.” It does not work fine. An iCloud-locked iPhone 11 cannot be set up or used at all, and it is usually a sign the phone was lost or stolen. Walk away.
- No battery health figure offered. On a phone this age, silence on battery health almost always means the number is low. Ask for a screenshot, and treat a refusal as your answer.
- Seller wants your Apple ID, or offers theirs. No legitimate sale involves passing Apple ID passwords either way. The phone simply needs to be signed out before you buy.
- Stock photos only. If you cannot see the actual screen and back glass, you cannot judge cracks, scratches or a dodgy aftermarket repair. Insist on real images of the exact unit.
- Private seller, cash only, no returns. The moment you step outside a proper business transaction you lose your consumer-law footing, and any fault becomes entirely your problem.
Frequently asked questions
Will a used iPhone 11 still get software updates? It is reaching the later end of its support life, but it still runs a current, secure version of iOS and continues to receive Apple’s important security patches. For most everyday users it has useful years left, and it will keep working long after updates eventually taper off.
What battery health should I accept? Apple considers a battery healthy down to 80% of original capacity. On the iPhone 11, a figure in the mid-80s and up is a solid daily driver, and even a lower number is fine if the price reflects a future battery replacement, which is one of Apple’s cheapest repairs.
Does it have 5G, and does that matter? No, the iPhone 11 is a 4G phone. In practice this rarely matters in Australia, where 4G coverage is broad and fast enough for streaming, video calls and everything else most people do. If you do not specifically need 5G, it is a non-issue.
Does it work on Telstra, Optus and Vodafone? Yes. An iPhone 11 sold in Australia takes a physical SIM and works across all three networks. Just confirm the handset is carrier-unlocked, or already on your network, before you commit.
The bottom line
The iPhone 11 has quietly become the people’s iPhone of the used market. It carries the same A13 chip that ran its generation’s flagship, a dependable dual camera, fast Face ID, an IP68 rating and a big, sharp screen that is cheap to fix on the rare day you need to. The only things that vary from one unit to the next are battery health, glass condition and a clean, unlocked status, and all three are checkable in five minutes. Verify those, buy from a seller who stands behind the phone, and you walk away with a genuinely capable iPhone for a price that makes paying full retail look hard to justify. It is gentler on your budget, and on the 588,000 tonnes of e-waste Australia would rather not grow.
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