Value Check: What’s Your Phone Worth?
Finally, it’s time to upgrade your phone. Congrats! But while you’re busy relishing that pristine, scratch-free screen and a battery life that actually lasts, you might be surprised by what your old phone is worth. After all, you dropped hundreds (if not a cool thousand-plus) on it just a few years ago. So what happened? Here’s a breakdown of the things that affect your phone’s value when it’s time to cash in.
Time
You’ve heard the old adage: a new car loses half its value the second you drive it off the lot. Turns out, phones are pretty much the same. The moment you pop in your SIM card and snap that first selfie, your phone starts losing value. Smartphones lose an average of 40% of their value in the first year and up to 65% by the end of year two, right around the time most people start thinking about an upgrade.
Brand
Apple or Android? The choice has a bigger impact on your phone’s long-term value than you might think. iPhones tend to hold their value better over time, with Samsung leading the charge on the Android side. Budget manufacturers tend to drop even faster. But not all models are created equal. The iPhone 15 series lost 55.57% of its value in the first year, 7.77% more than the iPhone 14 series and 15.48% more than the iPhone 13 series. It all comes down to what models follow and how well the phone was built in the first place.
Condition
You saw this one coming. Every ding, scratch, crack, and scrape chips away at your phone’s value, as does water damage or a battery that can’t hold a charge. Investing in a quality case and screen protector is one of the simplest ways to protect your resale value over the years. That said, a cracked screen or an accidental swim doesn’t mean your phone is worthless. All those components can still be recycled and put to good use.
Model
Torn between the iPhone Pro Max and the base model? The Max tends to hold its value better. Deciding between 512GB and 1TB of storage? Go with the terabyte. Generally speaking, the more you invest upfront, the more you’ll recoup later, making top-of-the-line configurations a smarter long-term bet than their budget-friendly counterparts. That said, jumping on brand-new form factors early carries some risk. New tech (like foldables or the iPhone Air) could prove revolutionary and hold its value, or it could turn out to be a novelty that depreciates even faster.
Ready to See What Your Phone Is Worth?
Whether your phone is in perfect condition or has lived a full life, it’s worth finding out what it could put back in your pocket. ecoATM makes it easy. Just visit ecoATM.com to get an instant quote and see what your device is worth before you even leave the house. Then head to your nearest ecoATM kiosk to trade it in for cash on the spot. No shipping, no hassle, no guessing.
