HomeBlogThe Best Time to Sell Your iPhone for the Most Money
Selling · 6 min read
The Best Time to Sell Your iPhone for the Most Money
When to sell your iPhone: how Apple's fall launches, trade-in waves, battery wear and a single drop change what it is worth, and why waiting rarely pays.
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The best time to sell an iPhone is usually as soon as you know you are done with it. A used iPhone does not gain value sitting in a drawer. It loses a little as newer models arrive, a little more as its battery ages, and a lot all at once if it gets dropped.
That is the short answer. The longer one is about a few moments in the year that matter more than others, a few risks that cost more than people expect, and the one situation where waiting does make sense.
Why a used iPhone loses value over time
Four things push the price of a used iPhone down, and only one of them is about the calendar.
- Newer models arrive. Each new generation makes the older ones a step less current, and buyers pay less for last year's phone than for this year's.
- More used phones hit the market. When people upgrade, their old phones get sold and traded in, and the supply of that model goes up.
- The battery wears. Every charge cycle takes a little capacity away, and battery health is one of the first things a buyer looks at.
- Accidents happen. A phone you keep using is a phone you might drop, and one crack can move it down a whole grade.
The first two you cannot control. The last two you can, by not waiting.
The fall launch
Apple has introduced its new iPhones in the fall, usually in September, for years. When a new generation lands, a few things happen to the phones already out there:
- The model it replaces goes from "current" to "last year's" overnight.
- Many people upgrade in the weeks after launch, and their old phones get sold or traded in.
- Carriers and retailers run trade-in promotions to move the new phones, which pulls even more used phones into the market.
The pattern is simple. Used values tend to step down as new models land and as the flood of upgrades reaches buyers. So if you already know you are upgrading this fall, selling your current phone before or soon after the new one arrives usually beats selling it months later.
Two cautions. Do not sell your only phone before you have a replacement in hand, because a week without a phone is a bigger problem than a small change in price. And do not rush a sale so fast that you skip the prep: back up, sign out, erase. Our guide on getting your iPhone ready to sell has Apple's steps.
Sell before the battery wears down
Battery health is one of the first numbers a buyer asks about. You can check yours in Settings > Battery > Battery Health on iPhone 15 and later, or Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging on iPhone 14 and earlier. Look at Maximum Capacity.
Apple says iPhone 14 and earlier batteries are designed to keep 80% of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions, and iPhone 15 and later at 1,000 cycles. Real phones vary with how they are used and charged, but every month of daily use moves the number down a little. Apple explains it on its battery and performance page.
With us, a battery at 79% health or below is a flat $20 off, whatever the grade. It does not change the grade. If your phone is sitting at 81% or 82% and you are going to sell it anyway, selling now keeps you on the right side of that line. More in used iPhone battery health.
Sell before a drop
This is the one that costs the most. A clean phone is grade A. One bad drop can crack the back or the screen and make it grade C, or crack both and make it grade D. A drop like that usually costs more than many months of normal aging.
| Grade | What it means |
|---|---|
| A | Clean. No visible wear. |
| B | Light wear: a few light scratches or a small mark. |
| C | Heavy wear, frame damage, or ONE cracked panel (the front screen or the back). |
| D | Both front and back cracked, any screen damage such as lines, dots, colour bleed or burn-in (even with no crack), or a bent frame. |
A battery at 79% health or below is a flat $20 off at any grade. It does not change the grade.
If you have already stopped using the phone, it is safe in a drawer, but it is not gaining anything there either. If you are still using it as a backup or handing it to the kids, every week adds risk. Our guide to condition grades explains exactly what moves a phone from one grade to the next.
Software support
Apple supports iPhones with iOS updates for years, but not forever. As a model gets older, it eventually stops receiving the newest version of iOS, and buyers pay less for a phone near the end of that road. A current or recent model is easy to sell. An old model is still worth something, but the pool of buyers shrinks as updates stop.
When waiting does make sense
There are a few good reasons to hold off.
- You do not have your new phone yet. Keep the old one until the new one is set up and your data and number have moved.
- Your carrier is about to unlock it. Unlocked phones pay more than carrier-locked ones. If your carrier has approved an unlock and it is just a matter of days, wait for it, then check Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock for No SIM restrictions. See carrier locked vs unlocked.
- You still need it for something specific. A trip, a backup for work, two-factor codes you have not moved yet. Move those first.
Waiting for a "better season" is not on the list. We do not know of a reliable time of year when used iPhone prices go up, and the risks above keep running while you wait.
What your phone is worth today
Prices move, so the only number worth trusting is today's. Here are our current cash offers for the iPhone 17 Pro, by storage and grade, unlocked and carrier locked:
| Storage | A | B | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 256GB | $635 | $620 | $440 | $335 |
| 512GB | $720 | $705 | $465 | $365 |
| 1TB | $790 | $775 | $500 | $395 |
| Storage | A | B | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 256GB | $515 | $490 | $385 | $270 |
| 512GB | $605 | $545 | $405 | $300 |
| 1TB | $670 | $585 | $440 | $330 |
Offers as of Oct 14, 2026. The exact number for your device comes from the quote, in about a minute.
For other models, the value pages show our current offers with the date they were last updated: the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 15, the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 13.
Trade in or sell for cash
Around every launch, trade-in offers are everywhere, from carriers, from retailers and from Apple. Trade-in credit usually goes toward something you buy from that company, where a cash sale puts money in your hand to spend however you like. Which is better depends on the offer and on whether you were going to spend it there anyway. We compare the options in Apple trade-in vs cash. (iPhones.LA is not affiliated with Apple Inc.)
A simple plan if you are upgrading
- Check what your current phone is worth today at /sell. It takes a minute and commits you to nothing.
- Get your new phone and set it up. Move your data, your number and your two-factor codes.
- Unpair your Apple Watch if it was paired to the old phone.
- Sign out of your Apple Account on the old phone and erase it.
- Sell it within days, not months.
At /sell you answer four questions: model, storage, carrier lock and condition, and the cash estimate appears on screen as you answer. Nothing is committed until you say so. Meet us at our secured facility or a public spot in LA or Orange County, or ship it with a prepaid label we send. You are paid the moment it checks out, in cash in person, or by Zelle, Cash App or PayPal. Upgrading a whole team at once? The wholesale lot builder prices the lot.
See your cash offer
Answer four questions and your number appears on screen. No obligation, and you get paid the moment it checks out.
Frequently asked questions
Do iPhones lose value when a new one comes out?
Usually, yes. When a new generation arrives, the model it replaces becomes last year's phone, and many people sell or trade in their old phones at the same time, so used values tend to step down.
When should I sell my iPhone before the new one comes out?
If you know you are upgrading, sell your current phone before or soon after the new one arrives, once your new phone is set up. Waiting months usually means a lower number.
Is it better to sell my iPhone now or wait?
In most cases, sell now. Newer models, battery wear and the risk of a drop all push the value down over time, and there is no reliable season when used iPhone prices rise.
How much value does an iPhone lose per year?
It depends on the model, storage, condition and lock status, so there is no single figure. Check our value pages for today's offers on your model.