The standard iPhone 14 models weren’t Apple at its best. With few changes compared to its predecessors and many new features compared with its successor, research by SimpleGhar shows that this iPhone lost more value in a year than any other model.
By retrieving information on more than 1,000 tech products listed on Amazon US and UK in used conditions compared to their original price, the research discovered that the iPhone 14 lost 24.69% of its retail value when comparing new vs. used phone prices. In comparison, the iPhone 13 lost 16.62%, and the iPhone 12 10%.
One of the reasons why the iPhone 14 had this price drop is due to the similarities with the iPhone 13: same design, similar cameras, and the same A15 Bionic chip. With that, most users likely found more value in holding or buying the iPhone 13 rather than upgrading to last year’s base model.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max lost 20.16% of its original price, followed by the 14 Plus (-18.84%) and the 14 Pro (-16.83%) – the last one held up better.
Interestingly, any iPhone 14 model still holds a higher value when compared to Android smartphones. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S22 dropped by 40% in value after a year, more than any other smartphone. And, although the Galaxy S22 was also a small update, that’s still a lot.
OnePlus gadgets, in general, lost more value (21.82%) per year on average, more than any other tech brand. Besides the iPhone 14, the Apple Watch Series 6 (-21.89%) and the Apple Watch Series 7 (-21.81%) were among the Apple products that lost the most value over time.
Consumers usually buy Apple products for their premium features, great post-sale experience, and resale prices, which generally hold up pretty well. Even though last year’s iPhone already lost a quarter of its value, it’s still holding up great.
That said, I wouldn’t recommend getting an iPhone 14, but an iPhone 13 (for its very similar features) or the iPhone 15, with a new design, new chip, and several camera improvements.