Apple is having a fantastic year thanks to the smashing success of the iPhone 17 series, but another iPhone is doing much worse. After turning into a sales flop, the iPhone Air appears to also underperform in the resale market.
The iPhone Air is losing resale value faster than any recent model
Some iPhone Air configurations have lost almost 50% of their resale value within ten weeks of launch. A newly published ten-week analysis by SellCell reveals that, on average, the iPhone Air is losing 44.3% of its value, with the 256GB dropping 40.3% and the 1TB model depreciating 47.7%.
The average 10-week depreciation by iPhone series since 2022. | Image credit – SellCell
That makes the iPhone Air the weakest-performing Apple model, comparable to the iPhone 14 Plus and some iPhone 13 mini configurations. The 1TB iPhone Air is the worst performer in the entire SellCell dataset, which covers all models since 2022.
The 2025 iPhone models depreciation over the first 10 weeks after launch. | Image credit – SellCell
The analysis is based on real-time trade-in prices from over 40 US-based buyback companies, comparing average prices to the original MSRP. Only devices assessed in good condition were part of the analysis for consistent comparisons.
The iPhone 17 series is performing great
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is the slowest depreciating Apple phone this year. | Image credit – PhoneArena
The iPhone 17 series is performing better, and on average, it has lost 34.6% of its price. That’s better than the iPhone 16 models, which recorded a 39% drop over 10 weeks. The strongest performance is still that of the iPhone 15 series, which, on average, lost 31.9% of its price.
Going deeper into the data, the best-performing model is the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro Max, which has declined by 26.1% over ten weeks. Overall, the depreciation of the Pro and Pro Max models remains below 40%, while for the vanilla model it is between 32.9% and 40.8%.
Would you buy a second-hand iPhone Air?
No, I only buy new phones
10%
No, I don’t want an iPhone Air
50%
Maybe, if it’s much cheaper and in good condition
30%
Yes, I’m looking for a good offer
10%
Even more damning for the iPhone Air is that its depreciation is continuing even ten weeks after its premiere, which could signal a long-term uncertainty for the model on the secondary market. All other models, including the iPhone 17 and past series, usually stabilize around the ten-week mark.
Popular for the wrong reasons
It makes sense that the least popular new iPhone is losing resale value faster than the rest. I wouldn’t expect many people to want to buy an old version of a phone that not many wanted to buy new. It feels like the iPhone Air is mostly talked about because of how poorly it sells, which doesn’t help it.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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