{
  "id": 3248460,
  "title": "iPhone Trade-In Values Slide Ahead of New Model Launch",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/iphone-trade-in-values-slide-ahead-of-new-model-launch",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-25T11:27:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MacRumors",
    "slug": "macrumors",
    "url": "https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/25/iphone-trade-in-values-slide-ahead-of-launch/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As Apple prepares to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and their first foldable iPhone, a new study by trade-in comparison site SellCell reveals a significant drop in trade-in values for iPhones within the 10-day window between announcement and release. Out of the 156 models tracked, trade-in values fell for 117 models, accounting for 75% of the total. This trend was most pronounced for the iPhone 17 lineup, with 92.6% of models experiencing a decrease in value, averaging a loss of $36.46 per device. The iPhone 16 Plus 512GB saw the most significant individual loss, falling from $695 to $566 (a $129 drop).\n\nApple's own official trade-in estimates were revised upward last month in anticipation of the new product announcements. When paired with a survey of 2,000 U.S. iPhone users, SellCell found that 61.4% of respondents plan to retain their current iPhone until a replacement is received and set up, rather than trading it in around the launch date. The primary reasons cited were the need for continued use of the device and the necessity of transferring data, which together accounted for 77.4% of responses.",
  "summary": "Ahead of the announcement of the iPhone 18 Pro , ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and first foldable iPhone next month, a new study from trade-in comparison site SellCell finds that most iPhones lose a considerable amount of trade-in value in the 10-day window between Apple's announcement and the actual product launch. Looking at the launch of the iPhone 15, iPhone 16 , and iPhone 17 lineups,…",
  "key_points": [
    "iPhone trade-in values drop 75% in 10 days before new model launch",
    "iPhone 17 lineup sees 92.6% value decrease, average $36.46 loss per device",
    "61.4% of U.S. iPhone users plan to keep current device instead of trading in"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}