I usually don’t upgrade mine iPhone Every year, but I’m already planning to do exactly that with this one iPhone 16 And iPhone 17 models
More specifically, I’m sure I would Rumored ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air Next year. Also I also want Apple Intelligence And Capture buttonSo I have to get an iPhone 16 phone.
So, for the first time in forever, I’m thinking two steps ahead. I still haven’t decided what to get the iPhone 16, but I know I won’t keep it for more than a year. Once the iPhone 17 airdrops, I will trade in an iPhone 16 or give it to a family member.
If you’re of the same mind, you might be wondering which iPhone variant in Apple’s lineup will hold its value the best for a 2025 trade-in. Luckily, we have some surveys that can help us predict which iPhone 16 versions will depreciate the least.
Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.
Sign up for the most interesting tech and entertainment news out there.
Email: Sign up
By signing up, I agree Terms of Use and reviewed Privacy Notice.
How fast does the iPhone depreciate?
Compare and recycle, a Phone recycling A comparison site in the UK has new data on the iPhone’s ability to retain value after launch. The company says that iPhones will lose more than 25% of their retail price when you unbox them, and up to 62% in the first year.
That is what we are looking for here. We want to keep the iPhone 16 for a year, then trade it in for the iPhone 17 Air.
Back to Compare and Recycle, they say the iPhone depreciation rate is increasing in the first year. The iPhone 13 lost 40.09% of its value, the iPhone 14 lost 47.80%, and the iPhone 15 lost an average of 55.57% in the first year.
The iPhone 15 is particularly surprising, as it is the first iPhone in history to lose more than half of its value. The inability of certain iPhone 15 models to run Apple Intelligence may have something to do with it, but I’m just speculating.
With that in mind, Compare and Recycle believes that iPhone 16 models will be discounted by at least 60% in the first year. It is somewhat worrisome in our view.
Compare and Recycle also found that the iPhone Pro model depreciates the slowest. So, it might be the way to go when considering buying an iPhone 16 this year.
As you can see in the graph above, the 128GB iPhone 15 Pro and 256GB iPhone 15 Pro lost 50% of their value after one year. The 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max, 256GB iPhone 15, and 128GB iPhone 15, then, only lost between 50% and about 53% of value.
iPhone 15 Pro models with 1TB storage lost nearly 60% of their value in the first year.
Which iPhone 16 model should I buy?
We assume that iPhone 16, iPhone 17 Air will follow the same depreciation pattern before launch and all iPhone 16 prices will match iPhone 15 prices. There is no indication that Apple will increase prices this year, but there is speculation that the 256GB iPhone 16 Pro will be the cheapest iPhone 16 Pro variant. In this case, the price will start at $1,099.
Finally, we’ll assume a direct purchase from Apple that includes no carrier deals other than Apple’s usual $30 discount on non-Pro models.
Of the iPhone 15 variants that depreciate the least, we’ll just keep the 256GB variant. I’m paying attention to this storage considering my 256GB iPhone 14 Pro is about 50% full.
Here’s what could happen in a year:
- The 256GB iPhone 16 Pro ($1,099) will drop to around $550.
- The 256GB iPhone 16 Pro Max ($1,199) will drop to around $600.
- The 256GB iPhone 16 ($899) will drop to around $423.
To make things even simpler, you’ll spend about $476 to use the 256GB iPhone 16 for a year, or $550 for the 256GB iPhone 16 Pro. After the trade-in next year, you’ll recoup about 50% of your initial cost.
The 256GB iPhone 16 Pro looks like the best deal if you want the best iPhone 16 experience and the best trade-in price for the iPhone 17 Air next year. But that 256GB iPhone 16 might hit the sweet spot.
I’ll also point out that the 256GB iPhone 16 Pro should be a great phone for many years, especially if I pass it on to a family member instead of reselling it.
One more thing
Of course, this is not an exact science. It is an exercise based on comparison and recycling data compiled for the UK market. Also, I used depreciation figures for the iPhone 15 series, which may not hold for the iPhone 16 models. But assuming its conclusions are universally applicable, it might inform you which iPhone 16 model to get if the iPhone you really want is next year’s iPhone 17 Air.
Similar to what was observed in previous studies Best time to trade in iPhone 15 before iPhone 16 launchCompare and Recycle also found that trade-in prices are traditionally highest in August and early September, before the next-generation iPhone arrives. You’ll want to keep that in mind when it comes time to trade in the iPhone 16 for the iPhone 17 Air.
I’ll also note that carriers will be thrilled to throw “free” iPhones your way with trade-ins as long as you get a new contract. The same applies when you are shopping for the iPhone 17 Air. But as I said above, I am not counting any of them here. I’ll buy the iPhone 16 I choose at regular price, no carrier deal. The same goes for the iPhone 17 Air.
After all, this exercise is all about Apple actually launching an ultra-slim iPhone next year. If the iPhone Air doesn’t come next year, I’ll definitely stick with the iPhone 16 variant that I’ll be buying this year until 2026.
Post If you’re planning to trade it in for the iPhone 17 Air, this is the iPhone 16 to get appeared first BGR.