14 DAY TRIAL // If you don’t want to pay a thousand bucks on a new iPhone XS and hope to get a used one cheaper, you’re out of luck.
Because as a recent study revealed, the resale value of the iPhone remains the biggest in the smartphone market, as Apple’s smartphones barely deprecate after the launch.
BankMyCell data shows that a new iPhone X, which had a price of $999 when purchased brand new, was resold for no less than $690 nine months later. This means the value of the iPhone dropped 30.93 percent.
Furthermore, the Galaxy S9, which was Samsung’s flagship sold for $720 brand new, could be purchased as a used phone for only $290 nine months later. This means it lost nearly 60 percent.
Just don’t buy a Samsung Galaxy S, the research shows
The analysis shows that iPhones typically decline the most when new models are about to be launched.
“The new iPhone keynote and releases triggered an overwhelming loss in value for last year’s iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X models. In fact, 78.89% of the iPhone 8’s total depreciation this year happened in just over 3 months following the announcement of the XS/XR models. Likewise, 69.37 of the iPhone 8 Plus and 69.99% of the iPhone X happened in the same period,” the research firm says.
The data also shows that “Galaxy S phones might be the worst investment,” as they rapidly lose their values after purchase.
“The S9 lost 41.66% of its value in month one. If the S10 follows the same depreciation pattern as its predecessors, it is set to lose almost half its value in the first month of release,” the company explains.
The models deprecating the most in the last few years are the Sony Xperia Z3+ (-57.78%), the iPhone 5S (-51.67%) and the iPhone 6 Plus (-51.00%).
