iPhone Owners are Getting Shortchanged on iPhone Trade-In by hundreds of dollars when Upgrading to iPhone 16
Report Highlights
- iPhone users are seeing trade-in deals that average 70% less from carriers and as much as 50% less from Apple for their devices in Good Condition – which means they’re missing out on hundreds of dollars.
- iPhone 15 Plus 512GB: SellCell offers $585, Apple $430, T-Mobile $375 (up to $210 more).
- iPhone 14 512GB: SellCell $440, Apple $300, T-Mobile $250 (up to $190 more).
- iPhone 13 Pro 1TB: SellCell $440, Apple $340, T-Mobile $290 (up to $215 more).
- Apple often provides no trade-in value for some damaged devices, whereas SellCell offers competitive prices. Example: iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB in non-working condition: Apple offers $0; SellCell offers $650.
Apple unveiled its highly anticipated iPhone 16 lineup at a September 9 event. The new series includes the base iPhone 16 model, as well as the upgraded iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. These four iPhone 16 models feature innovative updates such as redesigned buttons and cameras, plus advanced AI capabilities, positioning them as strong contenders in the smartphone market.
However, with prices starting at $799 for the basic iPhone 16 and reaching up to $1,599 for the top-tier iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1TB storage, the new lineup represents a significant investment. As a result, many iPhone owners will be looking to get the best possible trade-in value for their existing devices to offset the cost of upgrading to the iPhone 16.
Comparing Trade-In Prices of Leading iPhone Buyers (Good Condition)
With so many options to trade in an old phone – including Apple, major carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile – users may feel confident they’ll get the maximum price for their old iPhone. However, this isn’t always the case.
iPhone owners would be wise to explore alternative online options to sell their old device, which can potentially offer up to 100% more than these trade-in options.
SellCell has analyzed trade-in prices across 40 major independent buyers and compared them to the current trade-in offers from Apple, and leading carriers. The data clearly shows that users can get up to 100% more in resale value by trading in their iPhones with SellCell versus the other options.
Here are some specific examples:
- For an iPhone 15 Plus 512GB in good condition, SellCell offers $585, while Apple offers $430 and T-Mobile offers as low as $375. That’s up to $210 (56%) more by trading in with SellCell.
- For an iPhone 14 512GB in good condition, SellCell offers $440, while Apple offers $300 and T Mobile offers $250. That’s 76% more, or an extra $190, by trading in with SellCell.
- For an iPhone 13 Pro 1TB, SellCell offers $440, while Apple offers $340 and T-Mobile offers just $225. That’s up to 96% more, or an extra $215, by trading in with SellCell.
Does Apple Buy iPhones in Poor Condition?
SellCell estimates that a quarter of the trade-in devices they receive are in poor condition or faulty. This often means the device has deep scratches, charging/battery issues, cracked camera screens or back glass, or LCD problems. Phones frequently sustain dents and scratches over the course of a contract, so many iPhone users still want to sell their devices towards an upgrade, even if the condition is less than perfect.
While users could opt to repair their device before selling, a recent SellCell report found that major repairs often don’t justify the resale value. In many cases, iPhone users end up not recouping their repair costs when they trade in.
In contrast, SellCell and its 40 buyers are willing to purchase phones in poor or faulty condition, whereas Apple generally will not offer a trade-in price for devices with issues like:
- iPhone won’t turn on
- One or more buttons don’t work
- Major cracks, chips, or scratches
- Shattered back glass
Apple Trade-In Prices Vs SellCell (Broken)
As the table clearly shows, iPhone users with the above damaged devices often receive little to no compensation from Apple, potentially missing out on hundreds of dollars. As recently reported across the tech press, Apple will not always pay out for broken iPhones. For example, if an iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB won’t power on, has non-functional buttons, or has minor cracks, chips, scratches, or shattered back glass, Apple offers the user $0 to buy back the device. In contrast, third-party buyback service SellCell would offer $650 for the same phone in that condition. A similar story plays out with the iPhone 15 Pro 1TB – Apple provides no trade-in offer for these types of repair or functionality issues, while SellCell would offer the user $500.
Conclusion
SellCell found that iPhone owners are getting much lower trade-in offers from Apple and major carriers compared to selling on third-party platforms. For example, SellCell offers significantly higher trade-in prices for models like iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14, and iPhone 13 Pro compared to Apple and T-Mobile. In fact SellCell’s prices to Sell an iPhone are higher across the board than Apple and Carriers. Additionally, SellCell provides competitive prices for damaged devices, unlike Apple, which often offers no trade-in value for them. Overall, utilizing third-party platforms like SellCell can help customers earn hundreds more on their trade-ins.
Methodology
SellCell compared the top price offered by 40 independent online iPhone buyback companies on September 17, 2024 with the trade-in prices listed by Apple, and major mobile carrier networks for iPhones in similar condition.
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