The iPhone 16 event takes place on September 9th, as Apple sent out invitations for the press conference earlier this week. Assuming Apple doesn’t change its iPhone launch playbook, the iPhone 16 release date should be September 20th. Preorders will likely start on September 13th.
If you’re thinking about upgrading to one of the four iPhone 16 models coming our way, the good news is that Apple won’t raise prices. There’s no sign that a price hike is in the cards. However, the iPhone is still expensive, especially if you go for a Pro model. You might want to trade in your current iPhone to make the iPhone 16 purchase easier on the wallet.
New data from SellCell suggests that you might want to trade in or sell your device even before the iPhone 16 comes out to make the most of it. The company operates its own used device marketplace where phones can be sold. SellCell says that the best time to trade in your iPhone is about 14 days before the next model’s release.
Again, the iPhone 16’s release date should be September 20th, or the second Friday after the launch event. This makes September 6th the best day to sell some of the older iPhone models for the highest possible returns, according to SellCell.
Sell your iPhone later than that, and you might lose as much as $100. However, SellCell’s findings only apply to certain models, as shown in the following table.
Last year, a 1TB iPhone 14 Pro Max trade-in made 14 days before the iPhone 15 came out would have netted a payout higher by $104 than selling the handset when the iPhone 15 shipped. Selling the same iPhone 28 days before the next-gen model came out would have given you an extra $29.
However, other old iPhone models did not depreciate at the same rate, as seen above. The older the iPhone model, the milder the value loss. Older models do lose value when a new generation arrives, but not at the same rate as last year’s models.
Also, the storge is a key factor here. The 1TB iPhones are the most expensive models in Apple’s lineup.
But how do you trade in an iPhone 14 days before receiving the next one? What are you supposed to do until then? SellCell suggests going for a service that lets you lock in a trade-in price valid for 30 days. That way, you’ll hang on to your current iPhone until the iPhone 16 ships to your door.
The problem with this approach is that the iPhone 16 you’re eying might sell out. I’ll also point out another issue the study doesn’t address: your carrier might offer you a better trade-in deal than services that help you trade-in or resell the handset. You should always check with them if you’re considering a trade-in.
Finally, selling the old iPhone yourself might be more lucrative, but it’s not necessarily easier than using a third party.
According to SellCell’s data, the more expensive iPhone 15 variants will lose value the most as the iPhone 16 launch approaches. The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max should get you the best return.
As for the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, I’ll remind you these phones will not get Apple Intelligence via iOS 18. They’re simply not powerful enough to handle Apple’s AI. I think nobody should get an iPhone 15/Plus now or after the iPhone 16 launch. I wouldn’t be surprised if the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus lose more value because of their inability to support Apple Intelligence.
That said, you should decide how to upgrade to iPhone 16 and whether to trade in your old phone. SellCell’s study, which includes plenty of historical price data for old iPhones, is available at this link.
