Your iPhone could lose £100 in value within hours, here's how to avoid trade-in price crash

an iphone pictured lying on a wooden table

iPhone owners who are considering selling their current smartphone to fund the upgrade to the incoming iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models will need to act fast — or lose a small fortune from the value of their handset

Aaron Brown

By Aaron Brown


Published: 09/09/2024

- 13:38

Updated: 09/09/2024

- 17:53

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You'll need to act fast to maximise the value of your existing iPhone

Apple will hold its feverishly-anticipated September 9 event, where it's tipped to unveil four new iPhone models, refreshed AirPods wireless earbuds, and a pair of upgraded Apple Watch smartwatches.

With the Apple Event underway, which was teased with the tagline It's Glowtime — presumably hinting at the glowing new animation coming with Apple Intelligence, we expect two things to happen. First, Apple will immediately discontinue as many as seven existing products from its lineup.


And then, the trade-in value of the iPhone in your pocket will plummet.

Biggest trade-in websites in the UK

Yes, if you're thinking about selling or trading-in your current iPhone to fund the purchase of the latest handsets — you should act fast. That's because experts have warned the value of older iPhones drops by 9% on average following the announcment of a new model from Apple. This annual depreciation trend has led to a 28% increase in searches for "iPhone trade-in" in the UK this month, according to data from Compare and Recycle.

chart showing the dramatic depreciation of previous iPhone models

Looking at the depreciation of iPhone 14 to iPhone 14 Pro Max over time, based on its value — there's a visible cliff-edge after the announcement of its successor, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max

COMPARE AND RECYCLE PRESS OFFICE

According to data shared with GBN from Compare and Recycle, which compares rates from some of the most popular trade-in providers, including the likes of musicMagpie, Envirofone, and O2 Recycle, this is what we can expect to happen after the Apple Event in a few hours:

  • Older iPhone models lose an average of 9% of their value on average after the official announcement
  • A further 20% (or roughly £100) decrease occurs after the release of the new models
  • Up to 62% of value is lost in the first year of ownership of an iPhone

This depreciation trend has intensified in recent years. The iPhone 13 series lost 40.09% of its value in the first year, while the iPhone 14 lineup depreciated by 47.80%.

Most strikingly, the iPhone 15 series lost 55.57% of its value on average in its first year — the first iPhone to lose over half its value within 12 months, experts warn.

chart showing the dramatic depreciation of previous iPhone models

Data from Compare And Recycle, a price comparison service for some of the most prominent trade-in services in the UK, showing the dramatic depreciation of previous iPhone models

COMPARE AND RECYCLE PRESS OFFICE

Based on the depreciation rates of recent iPhone generations, Compare and Recycle predicts that certain iPhone 16 models could lose at least 60% of their value within 12 months.

Experts at Compare and Recycle told GB News: "Based on our historical data, trade-in prices are traditionally at their highest during August and early September, making it the best time to sell your iPhone. So, if you have your heart set on getting the iPhone 16 in a couple of weeks, it’s best to trade it in sooner rather than later.

"If you’re in no rush to upgrade, don’t panic, as during the second year after release, iPhones reach a plateau and depreciate much slower than in the years before and after."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

A new trend has emerged in iPhone depreciation rates — the Pro-grade models are depreciating slower than the non-Pro counterparts released the same year. This suggests purchasing the pricier Pro model could be a wise choice for those keen to maintain their device's value over time.

However, avoid the maxed-out models with 1TB of built-in storage — these retain the least value.

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