Apple iPhone 12 5G Black 128GB

The iPhone 12 5G is $205 unlocked with solid build quality at 72nd percentile, but battery life is a rough 20th percentile. User sentiment sits at 45/100 with reports of screen blackouts and expensive earpiece repairs. It's a cheap iPhone that might cost you more in the long run.

The A14 Bionic chip puts this phone at 57th percentile for performance, which is about average for today's market. Not bad for a phone that's a few generations old. The 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display runs at 2532 x 1170, and while it's only 41st percentile overall, it's still a sharp OLED panel that gets plenty bright. The 12MP main camera and 12MP front camera are both fine, but at 31st percentile, they're not winning any awards against newer flagships.

Where this thing really struggles is battery life. 20th percentile is rough, and that's being generous. You'll want to keep a charger nearby. The 5G connectivity is solid at 57th percentile, and Wi-Fi 6 plus Bluetooth AX means you're not missing out on modern wireless standards. IP68 water resistance is a nice touch too.

Stack this against the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and it's not even close. The S24 Ultra crushes it in camera, battery, and display. But you're also paying flagship money for that. The Google Pixel 10 Pro and OnePlus 13R both offer better cameras and batteries at mid-range prices. The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 are more interesting designs with better feature sets. If you just need a cheap iPhone that works, the 12 is fine. If you want the best value in 2025, look elsewhere.

At $205, this is one of the cheapest ways to get into an iPhone with 5G and 128GB of storage. But value isn't just about the sticker price. The battery life at 20th percentile means you might be budgeting for a battery replacement sooner than later. And with no warranty mentioned, any screen or earpiece issues are on you. The Geek Squad Certified Refurbished label helps a little, but the user sentiment score of 45/100 suggests quality control is hit or miss.

The iPhone 12 5G lands at $205 unlocked, which sounds like a steal until you look at the numbers. Its battery life sits at a rough 20th percentile, and the camera isn't much better at 31st. But the build quality is solid at 72nd percentile, and that A14 Bionic still handles everyday tasks without breaking a sweat. For a refurbished phone at this price, you're getting a mixed bag with some real bright spots.

Here's the thing though. The user sentiment score is 45 out of 100, and that's not great. Some owners love the value and say it's a smooth replacement for an old phone. Others report screen blackouts and a faulty earpiece that costs more to fix than the phone itself. No warranty mentioned anywhere, which makes this a bit of a gamble.

Skip this if you need a phone that lasts all day. The 20th percentile battery score means you'll be hunting for chargers by mid-afternoon. Also skip it if you rely on your phone's camera. At 31st percentile, the 12MP shooter falls behind the Pixel 10 Pro and OnePlus 13R by a wide margin. And if you're not comfortable with a refurbished phone that has no warranty and a 45/100 user sentiment score, this isn't for you.

The iPhone 12 5G at $205 is a gamble. The build quality is genuinely good at 72nd percentile, and the A14 Bionic still handles daily tasks fine. But the battery life at 20th percentile is a real problem, and the 45/100 user sentiment score with reports of screen blackouts and faulty earpieces is hard to ignore. If you're buying this as a backup phone or for a kid, it might work out. If it's your daily driver, you're rolling the dice.