Last updated August 9, 2023
19th-26th August is the wisest time to sell your iPhone or risk losing up to 65% of its value when the iPhone 15 launches…
In 2021, iPhone 11 and 12 series had lost up to $189 of its value between August 26th and September 23rd, during the 28 days prior to release of iPhone 13; a 60% depreciation in value against MSRP.
This pattern repeated in 2022, with an iPhone 12 or 13 series losing up to $261 between August 19th and September 16th; a 65% depreciation against MSRP.
The wisest time to sell your existing iPhone before upgrading to the iPhone 15 is 19th-26th August. This allows you to keep hold of your old phone and await the release of the new iPhone.
Apple’s iPhone 15 launch—rumored to take place in September, as with previous models—is fast approaching, so you might wonder what is the best date to sell your iPhone if you are planning to upgrade to the iPhone 15. iPhone values drop sharply mere days following launch of a new device. So, you need to be on the ball when it comes to trading in an iPhone prior to the release of a new model. You need to be even quicker if you plan to trade in an iPhone 8 or iPhone X, as those handsets will become obsolete once the new iOS 17 arrives.
Looking at historical trade-in data, we can see the patterns that current and previous generation iPhone values followed at the time. If you are looking for the best date to sell your iPhone, then the following report from SellCell holds the answer. You’ll find it all below, along with detailed data showing previous trade-in value trends prior to the launch of a new phone, and following the launch.
Finding the right time to sell your iPhone can be a confusing experience, and so consumers need the best advice available in order to make the right choice. If you know when is the best time to sell your iPhone, then you can maximise your profit and get the best deal on trade-in. Trading in too late can mean losing up to 65% of the MSRP of your handset. During the four weeks prior to a new iPhone release, existing phones can plummet in value by up to $261.
This solves the problem of having no phone prior to the launch of the iPhone 15. Simply locking in a price and freezing it for 30 days means existing owners can keep their existing handset until the new iPhone lands on their doorstep. Locking a price in for 30 days—with only 28 days to go until the iPhone 15 launch—gives consumers that additional few days post-launch to receive the new handset and send off their old one, with the highest value guaranteed.
Key Findings
- In 2021, the value of iPhone 11 and 12 models depreciated rapidly 28 days prior to the release of the iPhone 13. The iPhone 11 Pro 512GB depreciated the most; by the time the iPhone 13 launched on September 22nd 2021, it had lost 60.6% of its value compared to launch MSRP.
- In 2022, the value of the iPhone 12 and 13 models also depreciated with 28 days to go until the iPhone 14 launch date. This time, the iPhone 12 Mini 256GB depreciated the most, losing 65.0% of its value when compared to launch MSRP.
- Between August 26th and September 23rd 2021, the flagship iPhone 12 Pro Max 512GB went from a trade-in value of $985.00 to $796.00; a loss of $189 in just four weeks.
- Between August 19th and September 16th 2022, Apple’s 2021 flagship—the iPhone 13 Pro Max 1TB—went from a value of $1,106.00 to $885.00. In four weeks, it lost a massive $221 in value.
- These trends show that the best date to sell your existing iPhone prior to the launch of iPhone 15 is as soon as possible before the release of Apple’s new smartphone. The savviest date would be 28 days before the iPhone 15 release, when phones start to lose most value. Existing iPhone owners looking to trade can lock in a price with a buyback vendor and wait for the new arrival of the iPhone 15. The longer a consumer leaves it, the less their handset will be worth.
Summary
There is no denying, looking at the historical trade-in data for iPhone models prior to Apple launching a new device, that existing handsets stand to lose value before the launch of the new iPhone. Let’s look at data for the past two years (2022, 2021)…
iPhone Trade-In Data 2021
The first table above shows the trade-in value of iPhone 11 and 12 series handsets four weeks before and eight months after the iPhone 13 launch. The second table shows the value loss and percentage depreciation within the same time frame.
- Across both the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series, handsets saw a loss in value up to four weeks prior to the launch of the iPhone 13. The iPhone 12 Pro Max 512GB lost $189.00 in that timeframe. The iPhone 11 Pro Max 512GB lost $60.00.
- In the eight weeks after the iPhone 13 launch, all handsets continued to lose value, despite a slight recovery between September and November 2021, in some cases.
- This data shows that waiting for the new iPhone to launch means your handset could depreciate by 60.0% of its MSRP by the time you decide to sell.
iPhone Trade-In Data 2022
The first table above shows the trade-in value of iPhone 12 and 13 series handsets four weeks before and eight months after the iPhone 14 launch in 2022. The second table shows the value loss and percentage depreciation within the same time frame.
As is apparent, the trends are very similar in terms of value depreciation, and in some cases worse, than the figures for 2021.
- Looking at data for both series, we can see that every handset in the iPhone 12 and 13 series suffered a loss in value four weeks prior to the iPhone 14 release, on 16th September, 2022. The iPhone 13 Pro Max 1TB went from $1,106.00 down to $885.00. The iPhone 12 Pro Max 512GB went from $730.00 down to $570.00.
- Once Apple had launched the iPhone 14, all phones saw further losses between September and November. Only the iPhone 13 512GB saw a slight recovery of $10.00 in this time.
- The worst performing handset prior to the iPhone 14 launch, was the iPhone 12 Mini 256GB. This had lost 65.0% of its value by the time Apple launched the iPhone 14 series. This illustrates existing iPhone owners should consider selling their iPhone sooner rather than later, or risk losing up to 65% of their handset value by the time the iPhone 15 arrives.
The Best Time to Sell Your iPhone Is 28 Days Prior to the New iPhone Release
As the data above shows, if you currently have an iPhone and are thinking of selling, you should act fast to avoid losing value on your current handset. Holding off means your phone could have lost up to 65.0% of its value by the time the iPhone 15 lands.
In terms of an exact date, it is difficult to say, as we don’t yet know exactly when Apple will release the iPhone 15. However, previous years trends show that between August 19th (2022) and August 26th (2021) is the date range existing iPhone owners should keep an eye on to consider selling their iPhone.
This is by far the wisest way to get the best value for your handset is to use a price comparison service, such as SellCell. This way, you can search across a range of buyback vendors. Plus, often, you can lock your price in for 30 days. This means you can beat that 28 day price crash in the lead-up to the iPhone 15 release, and you can keep your handset while you await your new one.
Methodology
SellCell has collected iPhone trade-in data from its pool of trusted buyback vendors. This historical data shows the value and depreciation of selected iPhone models four weeks prior to the release of a new iPhone, and eight months after. This data has been analysed in order to help consumers reach a decision on when is the best time to sell your existing iPhone prior to a new iPhone launch.