In 2023, a smartphone can last a very, very long time. Nevertheless, there is a good chance that you will sell yours before it reaches its expiration date.
Most smartphone enthusiasts are probably familiar with trade-in schemes. After all, they are the best way to replace your fully functioning device with a brand new one, without losing too much money in the process.
But what is the value of a used smartphone and how does it hold up over time? While this is a pretty broad question, a recent one report indicates that the value of Apple’s iPhones stand the test of time better than their Android counterparts.
The information was provided by a company that specializes in reselling old devices and was subsequently covered by Apple Insider a special article.
Moving on to the question of the day: how much of its value does an iPhone lose over time? According to the source, the iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple’s top smartphone for 2021, has lost less than half of its value (ie 44.6%), despite being almost a year and a half old.
For comparison, the latest ultra-premium from the Cupertino company iPhone 14 Pro Max has depreciated by about 27% since its launch in September. It should be noted that these numbers are for the 128 GB versions of the devices.
Interestingly, however, the base configurations lose the least value over time. On average, Apple’s iPhones lose about 69% of their value. While this may sound like a lot, a 2/3 loss in MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is actually good.
For instance, Samsung smartphones generally lose about 90% of their value (across all models and generations). It should be noted that Samsung offers a number of entry-level and mid-range devices that are very difficult to resell, which by extension reduces their value.