NEW YORK (PRWEB)
June 24, 2020

The world’s largest cell phone trade-in price comparison site, SellCell.com, has released a new cost comparison survey that details which cell phones will be worth the most two years after purchase.

The SellCell analysis looked at the five most popular brands on the market – iPhone, Samsung, Google, Sony and LG – and compared their 2018 MSRP with their trade in value this month.

Industry statistics show 51 percent of iPhone users upgrade every 2 years while 47 percent say they wait until their phone stops working. Roughly 40 percent of Android users upgrade every 2 years while 58 percent wait until their phone stops working. Nearly all of these cell phones are resold on the market or traded-in with the mobile carrier.

The SellCell analysis found the iPhone XR (64 GB) maintained the most value when it was resold or traded in for a new phone, depreciating by 53 percent. Researchers with SellCell found the LG G7 ThinQ (64 GB) was worth the least amount of money, losing nearly 90 percent of its value over the same 2-year period.

The COO of SellCell, Sarah McConomy, said the analysis compared prices across 35 popular cell phone trade-in companies on the web – including Amazon, Gazelle, Decluttr and others. Pricing was calculated by the average trade-in price pulled from each buyback company.

“Many consumers might think the iPhone is too expensive but when it comes to trading in that iPhone a few years later that phone will actually put more money back in your pocket than other phone brands,” said McConomy. “Compare that to other brands on the market and you will see the phone is worth far less 2 years later.”

McConomy said the biggest drop in value comes as the manufacturer prepares to launch a new model. She recommends consumers try to sell their device prior to a new model coming out to prevent the biggest drops in price. For example, the 2018 MSRP for the iPhone XS Max (64 GB) was $1099 when it was unveiled. In October, 2019, that phone could be sold for $580, but today it’s only worth $475.

In contrast, the 2018 MSRP for the LG G7 ThinQ (64 GB) was $749 and worth $112 in October 2019. Today, it can be sold for $77 in the resellers market.

A Closer Look at the SellCell Cost Comparison Analysis

The following data from SellCell shows the phone’s 2018 MSRP, the depreciation rate as of June 2020, and the average resale value of the phone when using SellCell to trade it in right now.

iPhone XS Max (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $1099 depreciates by 56.8% to 2020 resale value of $475

iPhone XS (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $999 depreciates by 56% to 2020 resale value of $440

iPhone XR (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $749 depreciates by 53.2% to 2020 resale value of $350.75

Samsung Galaxy S9+ (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $840 depreciates by 75.6% to 2020 resale value of $205

Samsung Galaxy S9 (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $719 depreciates by 75.9% to 2020 resale value of $173

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (128 GB): 2018 MSRP $1000 depreciates by 72.4% to 2020 resale value of $276

Google Pixel 3 XL (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $899 depreciates by 79.1% to 2020 resale value of $188

Google Pixel 3 (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $799 depreciates by 79.2% to 2020 resale value of $166

Sony X22 Premium (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $999 depreciates by 87.2% to 2020 resale value of $127.6

Sony X22 (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $799 depreciates by 86.9% to 2020 resale value of $105

LG V40 ThinQ (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $900 depreciates by 83.6% to 2020 resale value of $147.40

LG G7 ThinQ (64 GB): 2018 MSRP $749 depreciates by 89.7% to 2020 resale value of $77

SellCell Provides Tips for Retaining a Phone’s Value

According to SellCell’s cost comparison survey, a cracked screen could reduce an iPhone’s resale value by as much as 46.4 percent, while a cracked screen on a Google Pixel can decrease the value by up to 63 percent. Even deep scratches and dings on an iPhone can see almost 20 percent off its value when traded-in. Ordinary light wear and tear will depreciate a device by only 1 – 7 percent.

McConomy says consumers can take several actions to increase the value of their phone for resale, like buying a case that will protect the phone overtime.

“If you decide to trade-in a phone that is locked, get it unlocked before you sell it. Carriers should unlock it for free once if the phone is paid off,” said McConomy. “The trade-in price for an unlocked phone will always be much higher than one that is locked to a particular carrier like Verizon or AT&T for instance. And spending $10 on a case will definitely pay off over time, preventing scratches and water or moisture damage.”

A Look at How Trade In Values Are Reduced if the Phone is Damaged

iPhone 7 (32 GB): Like new condition trades in for $110, but faulty condition depreciates by 46.4% to $59

iPhone 7 Plus (32 GB): Like new condition trades in for $193, but faulty condition depreciates by 25.9% to $143

iPhone XS (64 GB): Like new condition trades in for $471, but faulty condition depreciates by 30.8% to $326

iPhone XS Max (64 GB): Like new condition trades in for $483, but faulty condition depreciates by 18% to $396

Galaxy S10 (128 GB): Like new condition trades in for $371, but faulty condition depreciates by 23.5% to $284

Galaxy S10+ (128 GB): Like new condition trades in for $396, but faulty condition depreciates by 23% to $305

Google Pixel 4 (64 GB): Like new condition trades in for $341, but faulty condition depreciates by 58.9% to $140

Google Pixel 4 XL (64 GB): Like new condition trades in for $407, but faulty condition depreciates by 63.1% to $150

About SellCell

SellCell is the number one cell phone trade-in price comparison site in the United States. It guarantees customers earn the highest price for their phone since SellCell compares prices between more phone trade-in sites than its competitors. Customers have used SellCell to trade in over 2 million devices since 2008.

Media Contact

Mark Macias

mmm@maciaspr.com

646-770-0541

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