This analysis examines how trade-in prices moved after new iPhone announcements, based on data from the past 3 generations in the United States. Prices tended to fall during the period between the announcement and release dates.
According to research by SellCell, a U.S. used-device comparison service, the highest buyback offers for 156 devices were compared on the announcement and release dates of the iPhone 15, iPhone 16 and iPhone 17. Of those devices, 117, or 75%, saw their highest buyback offers fall between the announcement and release dates. The same pattern did not occur for every device, however, with 39 devices recording no decline.
Data from the recent iPhone 17 launch showed that 50 of 54 devices (92.6%) fell in value over 10 days, with an average decline of $36.46. The largest decline was $129 for the 512GB iPhone 16 Plus, which fell from $695 to $566. In percentage terms, the largest decline was recorded by the 128GB iPhone 15 Plus, which fell 20.2% from $440 to $351.
When comparing these figures with the Japanese market, it is difficult to accurately predict the decline in value of an individual device simply by converting the dollar amounts into yen. Storage capacity and model differences, whether the device is a Japanese or overseas version, and network restrictions all affect the price.
In Japan, sellers have 3 options: Apple Trade In, buyback stores and online marketplaces. The timing of price quotations and device handovers differs among them. Apple Trade In's current maximum trade-in values are ¥135,000 for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, ¥121,000 for the iPhone 16 Pro and ¥91,000 for the iPhone 16. Comparing offers from multiple stores and checking the device's condition are therefore important. At buyback stores, comparing multiple stores under the same conditions may result in a higher price, while on online marketplaces, sellers are advised to focus on the net proceeds and use the actual transaction price at the time of sale as the basis for their decision.