Apple Cuts iPhone Trade-In Values as iPhone 12 Launch Nears

With just two months to go until the usual timeframe for Apple's iPhone launch events, Apple is cutting back on maximum trade-in values of previous-generation iPhones for those looking to upgrade to a new model.

iphone trade jul2020
Maximum values on more recent models have dropped by $30–$50, while older models have generally dropped by $5–$20 with a few models seeing no change in value.

  • ‌iPhone‌ XS Max: $500 to $450 (down $50)
  • ‌iPhone‌ XS: $420 to $370 (down $50)
  • ‌iPhone‌ XR: $300 to $270 (down $30)
  • ‌iPhone‌ X: $320 to $280 (down $40)
  • ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus: $250 to $220 (down $30)
  • ‌iPhone‌ 8: $170 (no change)
  • ‌iPhone‌ 7 Plus: $150 to $130 (down $20)
  • ‌iPhone‌ 7: $120 to $110 (down $10)
  • ‌iPhone‌ 6s Plus: $100 (no change)
  • ‌iPhone‌ 6s: $80 to $70 (down $10)
  • ‌iPhone‌ 6 Plus: $50 to $45 (down $5)
  • ‌iPhone‌ 6: $30 (no change)
  • ‌iPhone‌ SE (1st generation): $30 (no change)

iphone 11 479 trade
Apple uses a trade-in of an ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus as its benchmark for advertising the net cost of the ‌iPhone‌ 11 on the front page of its website. As a result, the $30 decrease in value of the ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus has increased Apple's advertised net price of the cheapest ‌iPhone‌ 11 models from $449 to $479. The ‌iPhone‌ 11 starts at $699 without trade-in.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
ipad blue prime day

iPad 12 Rumored to Get iPhone 17's A19 Chip, Breaking Apple Tradition

Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by
The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 iPad lineup. Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the iPad 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

nburwell Avatar
71 months ago
These prices are a joke. You're better off just privately selling your phone to get more money. But I suppose for those who don't want to deal with the hassle of selling their devices privately, trading in to Apple is the easier route to take.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DTphonehome Avatar
71 months ago

Why anybody would trade them in is beyond me
Convenience, eBay fees, PayPal fees, potential for fraudulent buyer ripping you off, etc. Yeah you’ll usually make some more selling it on your own but for a lot of people it’s not worth the hassle.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
71 months ago

Unless there is Touch ID under the screen, I'm waiting another year in the current COVID environment.

Pretty sad scam selling $1000+ FACE ID iPhones that don't even work with a mask. :mad:
And of course you'd similarly demand that Touch ID screen work with gloves and with undiminished security? Right?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johannnn Avatar
71 months ago

Pretty sad scam selling $1000+ FACE ID iPhones that don't even work with a mask. :mad:
You’re using “face” in caps, yet you’re hiding half of your face and still expect it to work? If you don’t care about having a safe authentication I recommend just disable all security on your phone.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ouimetnick Avatar
71 months ago
Best bet is to sell privately. No different than the hit you’d take if you trade your vehicle in at a dealership rather than selling it yourself.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattopotamus Avatar
71 months ago
This was the exact reason I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the 2020 SE. I figured my X would lose value and what I get for the 2020 SE when the 5.4" 12 launches will be the same (prefer smallest form factor).


Why anybody would trade them in is beyond me, you get more on eBay for a used iPhone.
Hassle free. The second hand market is nothing like it was 4-5 years ago. You can probably get $100 more going eBay or craigslist (not including the XS max), but that isn't worth it to me personally.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)