The iPhone 8 Plus was the last of its kind: a big-screen iPhone with a real home button, Touch ID you can use with wet hands, and a headphone-adapter in the box. Years after launch it still runs banking apps, messaging, the camera you actually use, and it does it for a fraction of what a new handset costs. If you want a dependable Australian phone without a four-figure outlay, a used iPhone 8 Plus is one of the smartest buys going.
The numbers that change the conversation
Top used iphone 8 pluss on eBay right now
Here are current listings from Australian sellers, sorted so you can compare condition, storage and price at a glance.
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Why second-hand is not “second best”
The 8 Plus was built to last. Its 5.5-inch LCD is one of the most colour-accurate displays Apple ever shipped, and unlike the OLED panels that followed it does not suffer screen burn-in, so a years-old unit looks as clean as the day it left the factory. The aluminium-and-glass body is genuinely water resistant, and the glass back means a used unit can charge wirelessly on any Qi pad you already own.
Performance is the part people underestimate. The A11 Bionic chip inside the 8 Plus is the same processor that powered the iPhone X. That is desktop-class silicon for everyday tasks: it opens apps instantly, handles video calls, navigates with GPS, and edits photos without stutter. A second-hand 8 Plus is not a compromise phone with a slow brain; it is a flagship chip in a cheaper jacket.
And the camera still earns its keep. The dual rear cameras give you a real 2x optical telephoto and Portrait mode with studio lighting, features that budget new phones at the same price often fake with software. For most people, the photos are indistinguishable from what they would get spending three times as much.
Buying a used iPhone 8 Plus is not settling for less phone. It is paying less for a phone that already did everything most people need.
The savings are real
A used or refurbished iPhone 8 Plus typically lands 20 to 60 per cent below the price of a comparable current-model iPhone, and often far below that against the 8 Plus’s original launch price. That gap is not a reflection of how well the phone works; it is simply how fast technology depreciates. The original owner absorbed the steepest part of that fall, and you walk in afterwards to collect a capable handset at a sensible price. Put the difference toward a case, a fresh battery, or simply keep it.
There is an environmental dividend too. Because around 80 per cent of a phone’s lifetime carbon footprint is locked in at manufacture, keeping an existing 8 Plus in service is one of the most effective green choices a phone buyer can make. Every reused handset is one less added to Australia’s 588,000 tonnes of annual e-waste.
New vs used, side by side
| Brand new | Used / refurbished | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Highest; 8 Plus no longer sold new | 20-60% less, widely available |
| Battery health | 100% | Check the figure; ask if recently replaced |
| Home button & Touch ID | Works | Same; test the fingerprint sensor on collection |
| Warranty | Manufacturer | Seller warranty + Australian Consumer Law |
| Cosmetic condition | Flawless | Graded; pick the condition you want |
| Environmental cost | Full manufacturing footprint | Near zero; reuses an existing device |
The five-minute checklist before you pay
- Battery health. On the 8 Plus, ageing batteries are the most common gripe. Ask the seller to show Settings > Battery > Battery Health; aim for 80 per cent or higher, or factor in a cheap replacement.
- Touch ID and the home button. Register a fingerprint and confirm it unlocks reliably. A dead home button on this model is a real repair, so test it.
- Find My iPhone is OFF. The phone must be signed out of the previous owner’s Apple ID, or it is locked and useless. Confirm before money changes hands.
- Glass front and back. Run a finger over both panels for hairline cracks. A cracked rear glass disables wireless charging and is awkward to repair.
- Both cameras. Open the camera, switch to 2x, and shoot a Portrait photo to confirm the telephoto lens works, not just the wide one.
- IMEI status. Check the IMEI is not blacklisted (reported lost or stolen) so it will activate on any Australian carrier.
You have more protection than you think
When you buy from a business, a dealer, or a refurbisher, the Australian Consumer Law gives you automatic guarantees that no listing can sign away. A used iPhone 8 Plus must be of acceptable quality, match its description, and do what a phone is reasonably expected to do for a reasonable time. If a refurbished unit fails early for no fault of yours, you are entitled to a repair, replacement, or refund regardless of any shorter store policy. Those rights sit on top of any warranty the seller offers, which is exactly why buying from an established business beats a no-questions private cash sale.
Ready to find yours?
Browse current deals on a used iPhone 8 Plus from trusted Australian sellers below.
Red flags to walk away from
- “iCloud locked” or “for parts”. This almost always means it is still tied to someone’s Apple ID. Do not buy it expecting to unlock it.
- No battery health figure and a refusal to share one. On a phone this age, that silence usually hides a tired battery.
- A price far below every other 8 Plus listing. A genuine bargain is fine; a price that makes no sense often signals a stolen or blacklisted IMEI.
- Mismatched storage claims. If the listing says 256GB but the photos show otherwise, ask for a screenshot of Settings > General > About.
- Aftermarket screen sold as original. A wrong-colour display or a “True Tone not available” note can indicate a non-genuine repair; ask outright.
Frequently asked questions
Does the iPhone 8 Plus still get software support? It received iOS updates for many years and continues to run the apps most Australians rely on daily, including banking, messaging and maps. Eventually new iOS versions will stop arriving, but the phone keeps working as it does today.
Will it work on Australian networks? Yes. Australian-sold 8 Plus units support the local 4G bands across the major carriers and their resellers. Just confirm the IMEI is clean and the phone is carrier-unlocked.
Is the battery a dealbreaker? Not at all. Battery health is the one wear item worth checking, and a replacement is inexpensive. A unit with a freshly replaced battery effectively resets the clock on the phone’s usable life.
Should I get 64GB or 256GB? If you store lots of photos, video or offline music, the 256GB version is worth seeking out, since storage is not expandable. For lighter use, 64GB is plenty.
The bottom line
The iPhone 8 Plus hits a rare sweet spot: a flagship A11 chip, a dual camera with real optical zoom, Touch ID, wireless charging and water resistance, all available second-hand for a sensible price. Check the battery health, confirm it is signed out of the previous Apple ID, and buy from a seller backed by the Australian Consumer Law. Do that, and you get a phone that quietly does everything most people need, for far less than the new-phone treadmill asks.
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