iPhone 13 Second-Hand Price in India: What It Is Worth in 2026
The iPhone 13 is five years old now and still one of the most traded phones in India's used market. It holds up because of the A15 Bionic chip, a good dual camera, an OLED display, 5G that works on Jio and Airtel, and software support that has several years left in it.
It launched in India in September 2021 at Rs. 69,900 for the 128GB. Here is what it actually trades for today, what moves that number, and what to check before you buy or sell one.
What the Market Actually Shows
Checked on 3 October 2026. These are live listings from other companies, not our own quotes.
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Private and marketplace listings (ORUphones, 1,337 listings live):
Certified refurbished with a warranty (Cashify): 256GB at Rs. 29,599, with a six month warranty, a 15 day return window and a documented quality check.
Two things worth noticing in that data.
The gap between 128GB and 256GB is around Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000 at the top of each range, not the Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 8,000 you will see claimed elsewhere. On a five year old phone, storage matters less than people assume.
And a "Like New" 128GB was listed at Rs. 21,000 while plenty of "Good" ones sat higher. Individual sellers price inconsistently, which means the condition grade on a listing is a starting point, not a price.
Why we do not publish our own buyback table. Used prices move every month and step down after every launch. A table written in August is wrong in October. For a real number, use a live calculator for your exact model and condition, then cross-check it against current listings. Two minutes, and you get a figure instead of a range.
The Software Question, Which Most Guides Get Wrong
This matters more than the spec sheet, because it decides how much life the phone has left.
The iPhone 13 runs iOS 26, and it is getting iOS 27. Apple changed to year-based version numbers in 2025, jumping from iOS 18 straight to iOS 26. Any guide still saying this phone "runs the latest iOS 18" is two major versions out of date.
Major updates are expected to continue through iOS 28 in 2027, with security updates expected to run to around 2029. That is roughly eight years from launch, and it is the single strongest argument for buying one used.
The one thing it does not get is Apple Intelligence. Those features need an A17 Pro or newer, so the iPhone 13 is out. If you want the on-device AI features, the iPhone 15 Pro is the oldest model that has them.
What Decides the Price
Roughly in order of how much each one moves the number.
Battery health. On a five year old phone this is the biggest variable and the one most owners have never checked. Settings, Battery, Battery Health and Charging.
Below 80 percent, iOS itself marks the battery as degraded and shows a service message. Buyers see that immediately and price for a replacement. Above 85 percent on a phone this age is genuinely good and worth saying out loud when you get a quote.
One detail: a battery replaced by Apple or an authorised provider reads as genuine and supports the price. A third-party replacement triggers an "Unknown Part" warning in Settings that the next owner can see, and that lowers the value rather than restoring it.
Whether the Apple ID has been removed. This is a cliff, not a deduction. A phone still signed in is iCloud locked, cannot be activated by anyone, and loses nearly all its worth whatever its condition. Sign out and switch off Find My iPhone before selling. If the screen is unusable, remove it remotely at appleid.apple.com under Devices.
Screen and body. The most expensive component and the first thing an inspection looks at. A cracked display moves the phone down a whole grade. Non-genuine replacement parts show up in Settings and reduce the price.
Storage variant. 128GB is the most common and the easiest to move. The real-world gap to 256GB is smaller than most guides claim.
Box, cable and bill. They help and they speed up verification. Not having them is not a disaster.
We have deliberately not attached rupee deductions to any of these. Deductions scale with what the phone is currently worth, so a flat figure would be wrong for most readers. Anyone publishing an exact rupee amount for a scratch is guessing.
Is It Still Worth Buying Used?
Yes, for most people, and the software support is the reason.
What you get: the A15 Bionic, which is the same chip family as the iPhone 14 and still comfortable with everything an ordinary user does. A 6.1 inch Super Retina XDR OLED display. A good dual camera. 5G on Jio and Airtel. And updates with years left to run.
What you give up: a 60Hz display rather than 120Hz, a Lightning port rather than USB-C, no Action Button, and no Apple Intelligence.
For a phone in the low to mid twenties of thousands, that is a reasonable trade. If the Lightning port bothers you, or you want the AI features, look at the iPhone 15 or 15 Pro instead and expect to pay roughly double.
Before You Buy One
Battery health. Aim for 85 percent or above. Below 80 percent, iOS flags it and a replacement is coming. Ask whether the battery has already been replaced and by whom.
Activation lock. The phone must reach the setup screen without asking for a previous owner's Apple ID. If the seller will not let you power it up and walk to that screen, walk away.
IMEI status. Check it free on the government CEIR service before paying, so you know it has not been reported lost or stolen.
Unknown Part warnings in Settings, which flag non-genuine screens and batteries.
Face ID, both cameras, speakers, microphone and the charging port. Test each one while you are with the seller, not afterwards.
Refurbished or private sale? A refurbished unit costs noticeably more and comes with a warranty, a return window and a quality check. A private listing is cheaper and comes with none of that. If you are not confident doing the checks above yourself, the warranty earns its premium.
Before You Sell
Do this in order. The sequence is what decides whether the sale completes.
1. Back up your data, and check the backup worked by signing in on another device.
2. Move your authenticator app to your new phone if you use one for login codes.
3. Sign out of your Apple ID. Settings, your name, Find My, switch off Find My iPhone, then Sign Out.
4. Remove the SIM and any eSIM profile. A factory reset does not always clear an eSIM.
5. Then erase the phone. Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Erase All Content and Settings.
Reset before signing out and Activation Lock ties the phone to your account. The next owner cannot set it up and the pickup cannot complete. It is the most common reason a sale fails at the door.
6. Find the box, cable and bill, take off the case and screen protector so the real condition is visible, and describe any faults honestly. An accurate description is what keeps the quote you were given the same as the money you are paid.
Getting the Best Price
Check your battery health and state the figure.
Do not repair a crack to sell. The repair usually costs more than it adds, and a non-genuine part can leave the phone worth less than it was with the damage. Declare the crack instead. The exception is a swelling battery, which is a safety issue and should be dealt with whatever you decide.
Get more than one quote. Check a buyback service and compare it against live listings for the same variant. Our comparison of where to sell a phone in India covers the options, including the ones that are not us.
Do not wait. Prices fall every month, and they step down further each time Apple launches. The iPhone 18 arrived in September 2026, so that step has already happened this year. Our guide on how new launches affect old phone prices explains the pattern.
FAQs
1. What is the iPhone 13 second-hand price in India?
Checked on 3 October 2026, live marketplace listings for the 128GB in good condition ran from about Rs. 18,000 to Rs. 26,000, with most sitting between Rs. 22,000 and Rs. 25,400. The 256GB sat around Rs. 26,000 to Rs. 27,300. A certified refurbished 256GB with a six month warranty was listed at Rs. 29,599. Prices move, so check a calculator for your exact phone.
2. How much more is the 256GB worth than the 128GB?
Less than most guides claim. In the listings we checked the gap was around Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000, not Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 8,000. On a five year old phone the condition of the specific device matters more than the storage tier.
3. Is the iPhone 13 still worth buying in 2026?
For most people, yes. It runs iOS 26, is getting iOS 27, and is expected to keep receiving major updates through 2027 and security updates to around 2029. You give up 120Hz, USB-C and Apple Intelligence.
4. Does the iPhone 13 get Apple Intelligence?
No. Those features need an A17 Pro or newer. The iPhone 15 Pro is the oldest model that runs them.
5. Does battery health affect the price?
More than anything else on a phone this age. Below 80 percent iOS marks the battery as degraded and shows a service message, which buyers price for straight away. A third-party battery replacement triggers a warning in Settings and lowers the value rather than restoring it.
6. What happens if my Apple ID is still on the phone?
It is iCloud locked and cannot be activated by anyone else, so it loses nearly all its value whatever its condition. Sign out and switch off Find My iPhone before selling. If the screen is unusable, remove it at appleid.apple.com.
7. Should I buy refurbished or second-hand?
Refurbished costs more and brings a warranty, a return window and a quality check. A private sale is cheaper with none of that. If you are not confident checking battery health, activation lock, IMEI and part warnings yourself, pay for the warranty.
8. When should I sell it?
Sooner rather than later. Prices fall every month and step down after each Apple launch. The iPhone 18 launched in September 2026, so this year's step has already happened.
9. Do the box and accessories increase the price?
They help a little and they speed up verification. Not having them will not stop a sale.
10. Can I sell one with a cracked screen or a dead battery?
Yes, at a lower figure. The parts still have value. Declare the damage accurately when you get the quote so the number does not change at collection.
Yaskar Jung ShahPublished at: Jul 13, 2026·12 min read
