Do not trade in your iPhone during these days unless you want less money for it
To receive the bext price for your iPhone, do not trade it in during these particular days.
These are the days when you should not trade-in your iPhone | Image by PhoneArena
Looking to trade in your older iPhone toward the purchase of a new model? There is something you should know. According to price comparison website SellCell, trading in your iPhone in the 10 days between the introduction of the new models and release day could erase as much as 20% off the value of your older iPhone.
Many iPhone users find themselves in a situation where they would like to maximize the value of their trade by selling their old iPhone. On the other hand, if they sell the device early, they won't have a replacement phone to use until the new one is shipped. They also might need to hold onto their older unit to transfer photos, messages, and other personal data.
Report tells you when it is not the time to trade-in your iPhone
But waiting for the new iPhones to be available before trading-in your older device is going to cost you some trade-in dollars. SellCell's latest report gives us an idea how much that loss could amount to.
The price comparison site spoke with 2,000 iPhone owners while crunching the numbers for the iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 launches. SellCell discovered that of the 156 iPhones tracked over those three years, 117 of them, or 75%, lost value between the unveiling announcement and release day.
Last year over 92% of 54 iPhone models tracked lost value between the unveiling and the release date
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During last year's iPhone 17 unveiling and release, 50 out of 54 iPhone models tracked, or 92.6%, lost value over the 10 days between introduction and release. The largest decline over that period was $129 (iPhone 16 Plus, 512GB), and one iPhone (iPhone 15 Plus 128GB) saw its trade-in value decline by 20.2%.
The problem is that three out of five iPhone users wait to receive their new iPhone and set it up before trading in their old model. We already have showed you some numbers indicating how much these users can lose by waiting until after release day to trade-in their old iPhone.
Here are some more indications of how much the valuation of an iPhone can decline if you wait too long to trade it in. SellCell suggests that if you are considering an upgrade, start comparing trade-in prices to see who gives you the best price as soon as Apple announces the new phones rather than waiting for release day.
Why most iPhone owners fail to follow SellCell's advice
Why do most iPhone users looking to upgrade fail to follow SellCell's recommendation and wait too long to sell? These are the reasons:
- 54.1% need to continue using their old iPhone until they receive their new one.
- 23.3% need their old phone to transfer their data. Combined, these two reasons accounted for 77.4% of responses.
- 8.2% would keep their old phone and use it as a backup phone.
- 4.3% are concerned about the safety of their personal data.
- 3.7% want more time to compare trade-in prices to find the highest price.
- 2.0% would give the old iPhone to a family member or friend.
- 1.0% don't know how to erase or reset it safely.
- 1.0% feel it takes too much effort to sell it.
- 0.9% said their old phone typically is broken or damaged.
- 1.2% would sell or trade in their old iPhone before buying the new one, which SellCell says is the correct thing to do.
Trade-In Value Lost Between Apple’s Announcement and Release Day. | Image by SellCell
You might recall that earlier this month, Apple hiked its own trade-in prices for the iPhone, iPads, Android phones and more. Some models had their trade-in valuation hiked by as much as 30%.
This is the rumored date of the 2026 iPhone unveiling
Apple could introduce the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra on September 8 or 9. The more likely date will be September 9 since September 7 is Labor Day and Apple doesn't like to hold a new product event the day after a holiday.
Why might you not heed SellCell's advice
Other products expected to be unveiled at the event include the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5. Additionally, you never know what else might be worked into the event.
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