You have €400 for a phone. In 2026, that budget puts you at a genuine crossroads, because the best phones under 400 euro are no longer just entry-level Androids. The same money buys a brand-new mid-range Android from Xiaomi, Samsung or Motorola — or a certified refurbished iPhone 14 that cost more than double at launch. Stretch a little further and the refurbished iPhone 15 enters the picture too.
So which wins: yesterday's flagship, restored with a brand-new battery and a 24-month warranty — or today's brand-new budget champion? Let's settle it round by round, with real prices.
⚡ Quick answer
For most buyers, a refurbished iPhone 14 (from €313 at Remobile) is the best phone under 400 euro in 2026: flagship build, years of iOS updates left, a brand-new battery and roughly double the resale value of any new Android at this price. Can you stretch ~€40 over budget? The refurbished iPhone 15 (from €439) adds a 48MP camera and USB-C. Choose a new Android only if huge battery capacity and ultra-fast charging matter more than long-term value.
In this guide:
- The contenders: what €400 buys
- Camera
- Software updates
- Build quality
- Performance and gaming
- Resale value
- Battery and charging
- The refurbished advantage
- Verdict
- FAQ
What €400 Buys in 2026: The Contenders
The new Androids
- Xiaomi POCO X7 Pro (€300–€370) — Dimensity 8400 Ultra chip, 6,000 mAh battery, 90W charging, IP68
- Samsung Galaxy A56 (€350–€400) — Super AMOLED display, IP67, six years of OS updates
- Motorola Edge 60 Neo (€290–€320) — clean Android, 3x optical zoom, IP69K rating
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G (€399) — a huge 6,580 mAh battery
The refurbished iPhones — live Remobile prices
- Refurbished iPhone 14 — from €313 (128GB; launched at €999). A15 Bionic, Super Retina XDR OLED, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS via satellite
- Refurbished iPhone 15 — from €439 (just over budget, but worth knowing). A16 Bionic, 48MP camera, USB-C, Dynamic Island
- Refurbished iPhone 13 — from well under €400 with money to spare, in nearly the same body as the 14
That's the dilemma in one line: a brand-new phone built to a €400 price, or a €999 flagship at a €313 price. (Converting currencies? If you're searching for the best 400 dollar phone, the budget is nearly identical and every conclusion below holds.)
Camera: The Best Camera Phone Under 400 Euro
Mid-range Androids have made real camera progress. The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro (€349) offers a 50MP periscope telephoto, and the Honor 400 (€378) packs a 200MP main sensor. On paper, they outgun the iPhones.
In practice, megapixels aren't the whole story. Independent benchmarks such as DXOMARK consistently rank the iPhone 15's camera well above any sub-€400 Android, because Apple's processing delivers what mid-rangers can't:
- Natural skin tones and reliable HDR, shot after shot
- The best video recording in this class, by a clear margin
- Consistency — the same result at midnight as at midday
The iPhone 14's 12MP dual system is older, yet it still beats every €300-class Android for video, full stop.
Round verdict: for daylight photos, the newest Androids compete hard. For video and point-and-shoot reliability, the refurbished iPhone 15 leads — and the iPhone 14 is the best at €313.
Software Updates: The Hidden Cost of a Cheap Android
Apple typically supports iPhones with iOS updates for six to seven years. The iPhone 14 (2022) is on track for updates into 2028, the iPhone 15 (2023) into 2029 or beyond — see Apple's official iOS page. Both run the latest iOS 26 today.
The Android picture is mixed:
- Galaxy A56: six years of OS updates — excellent, and the exception in this class
- POCO X7 Pro: guaranteed until 2029 (roughly four years)
- Motorola mid-rangers: typically two to three upgrades
Here's the subtlety buyers miss: a phone's remaining update runway matters more than its total. A refurbished iPhone bought today still has years of full iOS support ahead — and runs the exact same iOS as a brand-new iPhone throughout.
Build Quality and Premium Feel
There's no diplomatic way to say this: €400 Androids are built to a cost — plastic frames, plastic backs dressed up as glass, mid-tier display protection. Durable, yes (several carry IP68 or IP69 ratings), but they don't feel like €900 phones, because they aren't.
The iPhone 14 and 15 were €900+ phones: aluminium frames, Ceramic Shield glass, IP68, and Apple's fit-and-finish. Every Remobile device is graded transparently, so a refurbished unit looks and feels virtually indistinguishable from new — especially in a case.
Round verdict: clear win for the refurbished iPhones. It's the difference between a phone built to hit a price and a phone built to lead a lineup.
Performance: The Best Gaming Phone Under 400?
The POCO X7 Pro's Dimensity 8400 Ultra is seriously quick — on par with 2024 Android flagships — which makes it arguably the best gaming phone under 400 on raw sustained throughput.
But Apple silicon ages remarkably well. The A16 Bionic in the iPhone 15 (the chip that powered the iPhone 14 Pro) still beats most mid-range Android chips in single-core speed and gaming stability, and the A15 in the iPhone 14 handles every mainstream app and game in 2026 without strain.
Round verdict: a tie for everyday use. Hardcore budget gamers may prefer the POCO; everyone else won't notice — except that the iPhone will still feel quick in 2029.
Halfway score: two rounds to the iPhones, one tie, one competitive. Here's the full picture before the two rounds that decide it:
| Criterion | Refurbished iPhone 14 | Refurbished iPhone 15 | New Mid-Range Android |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remobile price | from €313 | from €439 | €290–€400 new |
| Camera | 12MP dual, excellent video | 48MP, class-leading video | 50–200MP sensors, inconsistent processing |
| Updates remaining | ~2–3 years of iOS | ~3–4 years of iOS | 2–6 years (varies by brand) |
| Build | Aluminium + Ceramic Shield, IP68 | Aluminium + Ceramic Shield, IP68 | Mostly plastic, IP67–IP69 |
| Chip | A15 Bionic | A16 Bionic (former Pro chip) | Dimensity 8400 / Exynos mid-range |
| Battery | Brand-new battery, 20W charging | Brand-new battery, 20W charging | 5,000–6,580 mAh, 45–90W charging |
| Value after 2 years | ~45–55% retained | ~50–60% retained | ~20–30% retained |
| Warranty | 24 months + 60-day returns | 24 months + 60-day returns | EU statutory 24 months, typically 14-day returns |
Resale Value After 2 Years: The Maths Nobody Runs
This round quietly decides the whole contest, and almost nobody factors it in at purchase.
iPhones dominate the secondhand market — Apple devices account for the majority of global refurbished smartphone sales, according to analysts such as Counterpoint Research. That demand keeps resale prices firm; mid-range Androids depreciate far faster, because the secondhand market for them is thin.
Run the total cost of ownership and the picture flips:
- Refurbished iPhone 14: €313 paid − ~€165 realistic resale in 2028 = ~€148 net cost over two years
- New €370 Android: €370 paid − ~€100 resale = ~€270 net cost over two years
The iPhone isn't just the better phone — it's the cheaper phone to own. That's why it tops our list of the best phones under 400 euro.
Battery Life and Charging Speeds
Credit where it's due: on capacity and speed, Android wins. Batteries of 5,000–6,580 mAh with 67–90W charging mean two-day endurance and a full charge in under 45 minutes, against the iPhones' single solid day and ~90 minutes at 20W.
But here's what changes the usual refurbished calculation: Remobile fits a brand-new battery in every device. The classic worry with refurbished phones — inheriting a worn cell at 80% health — simply doesn't apply. Your €313 iPhone 14 starts at 100% battery capacity, exactly like a phone from a sealed box, verified in a 40-point inspection.
Round verdict: Android takes it on raw numbers, but by a smaller margin than the spec sheet suggests.
The Refurbished Advantage: Why "Used" Is the Wrong Word
A certified refurbished phone is not a secondhand phone from a classifieds listing. The difference is the process behind it.
Certified 40-point testing. Every device at Remobile passes a 40-point technical inspection — display, cameras, Face ID, connectivity, water-resistance seals — before it's cleaned, restored and re-boxed. Faulty components are replaced, a brand-new battery goes in, and each phone is graded transparently so you know exactly what to expect cosmetically.
Warranty that beats "new". Remobile devices come with a 24-month warranty and 60-day no-questions returns — matching the two-year legal conformity guarantee that EU consumer law grants on goods sold in the EU. The same legal protection as a new phone, plus a return window most new-phone retailers don't offer.
Sustainability that adds up. Around 80% of a smartphone's lifetime carbon footprint occurs in manufacturing — studies suggest buying refurbished can cut that footprint by up to 83% compared with buying new. For a deeper look, read our guide: Is a refurbished iPhone worth it?
This is the part a spec sheet can't show: with a refurbished iPhone you're not trading protection or reliability for price. You're trading the shrink-wrap.
Verdict: The Best Mobile Phone Under 400 Euro in 2026
For most people, the refurbished iPhone 14 at €313 wins. It takes the build, video and resale rounds, matches new Androids on real-world speed, ships with a brand-new battery — and the total-cost-of-ownership maths means it costs less to own over two years than a cheaper--sounding new Android. It also leaves ~€90 of your budget for a case, AirPods or extra storage.
Stretch to the refurbished iPhone 15 (€439) if the 48MP camera, USB-C and an extra year of updates are worth ~€40 over budget. Undecided between the two? See our side-by-side iPhone 14 vs iPhone 15 comparison.
Choose a new mid-range Android if battery capacity and 90W charging are non-negotiable, or you simply prefer Android. The POCO X7 Pro and Galaxy A56 are genuinely good phones — and if you'd rather have Samsung with flagship build instead of mid-range plastic, our refurbished Samsung phones put Galaxy S-series models inside this same budget.
Ready to run your own numbers? Browse all refurbished iPhones at Remobile — every device 40-point certified, with a brand-new battery, 24-month warranty, 60-day returns and free shipping. Yesterday's flagship, today's smartest buy.
FAQ: Phones Under 400 Euro