iPhone 12 Depreciates Less Than iPhone 11, Study Finds

iPhone 12 models have held their value better than iPhone 11 models did after the same amount of time, according to a new report by SellCell.

During the six months following launch, the ‌iPhone 12‌ models lost on average 34.5 percent of their value, while during the same period after the launch of the ‌iPhone 11‌ lineup, ‌iPhone 11‌ models lost 43.8 percent of their value. This means that ‌iPhone 12‌ models are currently holding their value 9.3 percentage points better than the ‌iPhone 11‌ models did during the six months after launch.

Although the launch of the ‌iPhone 12‌ prompted the ‌iPhone 11‌ models to lose eight percent of their value in three months and ten percent of their value within nine months, the ‌iPhone 11‌ models are now steadying in their depreciation.

Out of the ‌iPhone 11‌, ‌iPhone 11‌ Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, the ‌iPhone 11‌ has depreciated the least with a loss of only 31.7 percent, despite being the least expensive model. This is 17.5 percent less depreciation than the ‌iPhone 11‌ Pro and nine percent less depreciation than the average across all three handsets.

Throughout the 21 months since its launch, the ‌iPhone 11‌ still performed best, having lost 49.1 percent of its value overall. The ‌iPhone 11‌ Pro, on the other hand, was the worst performer, losing 56.9 percent of its value in the 21 months since its launch.

In the ‌iPhone 12‌ lineup, the iPhone 12 mini depreciated the most, losing 41 percent of its value after six months. This is almost nine percent more depreciation on average than the other devices evaluated, perhaps indicating reduced demand. Even so, each of the ‌iPhone 12‌ models recovered value. The iPhone 12 Pro Max lost 49.2 percent in month one, but by month six, the handset recovered 20.3 percent of its MSRP.

Overall, both the ‌iPhone 11‌ and ‌iPhone 12‌ series of devices lost 40 to 50 percent of their value within the first four weeks of launch on average. The iPhone is still by far the best smartphone for value retention regardless of the exact model. For example, a previous study has shown the ‌iPhone 12‌ holds its value 20 percent better than the Samsung Galaxy S21.