As iPhone upgrades get costlier, how trade-ins and financing options are 'changing'
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro has launched at a higher price, leading to an increase in trade-ins. Customers are trading in older models to afford new purchases, as noted by experts. Trade-in attach rates for the iPhone 18 Pro series have risen significantly compared to last year. The refurbished market is seeing increased demand for older iPhone models amid these price hikes.
Apple's latest iPhone 18 Pro launch has come with a higher price tag, driven largely by the rising cost of key components like processors and RAM. As a result, Cashify predicts a surge in trade-ins, with older refurbished iPhone models also seeing increased demand. Premium partners like Unicorn have already reported an 8% jump in trade-ins following the new iPhone's availability.
Trade-ins are proving to be an effective way to make new purchases more affordable, with trade-in attach rates up from 26% last year to 33% for the iPhone 18 Pro series this year. Popular trade-in options range from Rs 4,500 to Rs 81,500, with Burgundy color variant being the most popular so far. The iPhone 15 and 16 series are expected to see the biggest trade-in surge, while the iPhone 13 and 14 continue to contribute significantly to trade-in volumes.
Apple accounted for 65.3% of all refurbished smartphone sales in 2025, with the iPhone 13 being the bestselling refurbished model. Rising prices may put pressure on overall smartphone shipment volumes, leading to a shift from volume-led to value-led growth.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
