iPhone users have largely avoided the Apple Intelligence features released prior to iOS 18.2, a new survey suggests. A survey conducted by SellCell, a tech trade-in platform, has revealed that while nearly half of ‌iPhone‌ users—47.6%—consider AI an…

The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the ‌iPhone Air‌. SellCell examined real-time trade-in pricing from more than 40 U.S. buyback companies, comparing average values across weeks since launch against each model's original MSRP. All devices in the study were assessed in good condition for consistent comparisons. The data shows that the ‌iPhone 17‌ series has averaged 34.6% depreciation after ten weeks, outperforming the iPhone 16 range at the same point last year, which saw a 39% decline. The ‌iPhone‌ 15 series remains the strongest performer over the past several cycles, retaining more value at the ten-week mark with an average depreciation of 31.9%. The ‌iPhone‌ 14 range sits at 36.6% over the same period. By contrast, the ‌iPhone Air‌ shows significantly weaker retention, averaging 44.3% depreciation across all storage configurations. The Air's declines range from 40.3% to 47.7%, making it the weakest-performing ‌iPhone‌ range since the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus and certain ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini configurations registered similar drops in 2022. The steepest fall is attributed to the 1TB ‌iPhone Air‌ model, which SellCell identifies as the worst performer in the entire dataset. SellCell's model-level breakdown shows a sharp divergence between the Pro segment and the Air. The best-performing model, the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro Max, has declined 26.1% after ten weeks, while the 512GB ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max has fallen 30.3%. All Pro and Pro Max configurations remain below 40% depreciation, which points to sustained demand in the secondary market. The standard ‌iPhone 17‌ fell between 32.9% and 40.8%, placing it roughly in line with the performance of recent non-Pro tiers. The ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup as a whole collectively retains 9.7% more value than the Air after ten weeks. The ‌iPhone Air‌ occupies the entire bottom of the ten-week rankings. Depreciation among the ‌iPhone 17‌ models appears to stabilize by week ten, mirroring patterns observed for the ‌iPhone‌ 15 and ‌iPhone 16‌ generations. The ‌iPhone Air‌, on the other hand, continued to decline through week ten, which SellCell suggests could indicate longer-term uncertainty in the secondary market. The comparisons underscore how unusual the ‌iPhone Air‌'s trajectory is relative to other ‌iPhone‌ models.Related Roundup: iPhone AirTag: SellCellBuyer's Guide: iPhone Air (Buy Now) This article, "iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

New trade-in data indicates that Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max has rapidly become the single most traded-in smartphone. According to a new report from SellCell, Apple's latest flagship iPhone has quickly risen to the top of the independent trade-in market, accounting for 11.5% of all devices appearing in the top-20 trade-in rankings just months after release. The analysis is based on SellCell internal trade-in data and secondary market pricing trends gathered from 40 independent ‌iPhone‌ buyers. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max's share of the top-20 trade-in rankings increased from about 5.1% in late November to 11.5% by early February, more than doubling in approximately 12 weeks. 86% of traded-in units were categorized as being in mint or good condition, suggesting many owners are selling soon after purchase. The ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro Max and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max remain prominent, each accounting for approximately 7.3% of trade-ins, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max and ‌iPhone‌ 13 sit at 7.2% of trade-ins each. The top-20 devices collectively represent around 47% of all trade-in activity. Trade-in rankings typically reflect a wide mix of devices at different points in their lifecycle, with older models often dominating resale volume due to large installed bases and the natural upgrade cycle. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max's rapid rise is therefore notable because the device only entered the market relatively recently yet has already become the most frequently traded-in model across the tracked channels. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max has apparently lost approximately 25.4% of its value since launch when measuring average resale prices for mint-condition devices over a 145-day period. Over an equivalent timeframe, the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max lost roughly 32.5% of its value. This represents more than 7% lower depreciation for the newer model and translates to as much as $95 in additional retained value compared with the previous generation over the same period. SellCell attributes early trade-ins primarily to strong resale pricing. Average resale values for mint-condition ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max devices currently sit around $967.50. Premium smartphones can function as short-term assets that owners may sell to release cash when needed, so the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max's rise to the top of trade-ins likely reflects broader economic conditions.Related Roundup: iPhone 17 ProTag: SellCellBuyer's Guide: iPhone 17 Pro (Neutral)Related Forum: iPhone This article, "iPhone 17 Pro Max Curiously Becomes Most Traded-In Smartphone" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is expected to announce the fourth-generation iPhone SE as soon as tomorrow, potentially with improved long-term value retention, according to analysis by SellCell. Despite its lower price point, the ‌iPhone SE‌ has historically struggled with…

Ahead of the announcement of the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and first foldable iPhone next month, a new study from trade-in comparison site SellCell finds that most iPhones lose a considerable amount of trade-in value in the 10-day window between Apple's announcement and the actual product launch. Looking at the launch of the iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 lineups, SellCell found that trade-in values dropped for 117 of 156 models tracked, or 75% of the total, between announcement day and release day. That window saw the steepest declines for the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup last year, with 50 of 54 iPhone models (92.6%) losing value, with an average drop of $36.46 per device. The largest individual declines came from older models still on the trade-in market at the time. The ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus 512GB fell from $695 to $566, a $129 drop and the largest loss in the dataset. The iPhone 15 Plus 128GB saw the steepest percentage decline, falling from $440 to $351, a loss of 20.2%. SellCell paired the pricing data with a survey of 2,000 U.S. iPhone users. 61.4% of respondents said they plan to keep their current iPhone until a replacement is in hand and set up, rather than trading it in around the announcement. The most common reasons cited were needing the phone for continued use and needing to transfer data, which together accounted for 77.4% of responses. Apple updated and largely increased its own official trade-in estimates last month ahead of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and foldable iPhone announcement.Tags: Apple Trade-In, SellCell This article, "iPhone Trade-In Values Slide Ahead of New Model Launch" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

A new survey has found that nearly seven in ten iPhone owners in the United States plan to upgrade to an iPhone 17 model, signaling strong demand ahead of Apple's expected unveiling of the devices at its September 9 keynote. Smartphone price comparison platform SellCell surveyed over 2,000 U.S.-based ‌iPhone‌ users in August to assess upgrade interest and brand loyalty before Apple's event. According to the data, 68.3% of current ‌iPhone‌ users intend to purchase an ‌iPhone 17‌ model at launch, marking an increase from 61.9% recorded ahead of the iPhone 16 launch in 2024. The iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max models are expected to dominate early sales, accounting for 38.1% of planned upgrades. The standard ‌iPhone 17‌ is the choice for 16.7% of respondents, while 13.5% expressed interest in the all-new iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to feature an ultra-thin design. Only 3.3% of respondents indicated they are holding out specifically for a foldable ‌iPhone‌, which Apple has yet to release. The survey highlights that 72.9% of users feel more satisfied with their ‌iPhone‌ today than in previous years, but 27.1% said they believe Apple has "lost its edge" compared to rival smartphone makers. Battery life emerged as the most important upgrade driver, with 53.% of respondents citing it as their top reason for upgrading. Other motivating factors included new designs and features (36.2%), display improvements (34.3%), camera upgrades (28.1%), and AI and software enhancements (7.1%). Price remains the primary deterrent, with 68.9% of users listing cost as the main reason for not upgrading. Satisfaction with existing devices is also a significant factor, with 71.7% stating they are content with their current ‌iPhone‌. A smaller share of users cited interest in foldables (7.5%), discomfort with eSIM (6.6%), or interest in switching to Android (5.3%) as reasons for holding off. Foldables from Samsung and Google are emerging as a competitive threat. If Apple does not release a foldable ‌iPhone‌ by 2026, 20.1% of respondents say they would consider switching to Samsung, and 10.2% to Google. Brand loyalty remains high, with 69.6% of respondents stating they plan to stay with Apple regardless of competing products. When asked to choose between device thinness and battery capacity, 47.5% of respondents said they would accept a shorter battery life in exchange for a thinner design. Meanwhile, 29.7% said they are not interested in ultra-thin phones at all. 44% of ‌iPhone‌ users said they view Apple Intelligence as a very important feature. Another 33% said AI does not matter to them. When asked which company leads in AI, 44% named Apple, while both Samsung and Google were selected by 6.6% of respondents. Ten percent of users said no brand currently leads in the AI space. 36.8% of users would delay upgrading if prices rise significantly, while 29.2% said they would decide based on the size of the increase. Only 34% said they would proceed with their purchase regardless. The survey was conducted using an online survey platform, with responses collected in August 2025 from a sample of over 2,000 U.S. adults who currently own an ‌iPhone‌. The ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup is expected to be announced on Tuesday, September 9.Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 ProTag: SellCellRelated Forum: iPhone This article, "Survey: Nearly 70% of Users Plan to Upgrade to iPhone 17" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Customers are more loyal to Apple than ever, according to a smartphone loyalty survey conducted by phone trade-in site SellCell. 96.4% of customers surveyed said they planned to stick with an iPhone for their next upgrade, and 3.6% said they would choose a different brand. That's up from 91.9% in SellCell's 2021 survey and 90.5% in 2019. Android users were less loyal to their brand, and are almost 4x more likely to switch than iPhone users. 86.4% of people surveyed said they would stick with an Android device, while 13.6% said they planned to switch. Of the 3.6% of iPhone users who said they would move to another platform, 69.7% said they would choose a Samsung smartphone, and 20.2% said they would choose a Google smartphone. While most Android users said they would switch to a Samsung or Google device, 26.8% said they would choose an iPhone over an Android smartphone. Most iPhone users said they would stick with an iPhone because they prefer Apple (60.8%), while 17.4% said they were invested in the Apple ecosystem. About half of iPhone users contemplating switching said they would do so because the iPhone is too expensive or other brands offer better value, but 22.5% said other brands have better technology. iPhone users were more likely to be loyal over time, and 83.8% said they had used an iPhone for more than five years. By comparison, just 33.8% of Android users said they had stuck with a brand for over five years. SellCell's survey was limited to 5,000 U.S. respondents. The site says there was a roughly equal representation between iPhone and Android users, with two separate surveys that included the same question structure. More information from the survey is available from SellCell's website.Tags: Android, SellCell This article, "iPhone Loyalty Hits 96.4% as Android Users Four Times More Likely to Switch" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Irrelevance.

iOS 26 adoption now hovers at around 50%, according to StatCounter, but some users are still cautious about updating. New data published by SellCell provides a look at how users have responded to the push to update to ‌iOS 26‌. The findings are based on a January 2026 survey of 2,000 U.S.-based adult iPhone users and focus on adoption status, update behavior, and perceived risks associated with installing ‌iOS 26‌. 78% of SellCell's respondents say they have updated their ‌iPhone‌ to ‌iOS 26‌, while 22% report that they are still running an earlier version of iOS. There have been other reports of low adoption for ‌iOS 26‌, so 78% would be unusually high and may indicate a disproportionate number of tech enthusiasts among respondents. Realistically, the actual number likely lies somewhere in between at around 50%, as StatCounter shows. SellCell stresses that the data reflects self-reported behavior rather than device-verified installation rates. Nevertheless, the survey highlights key reasons as to why some users have still not upgraded. 24.2% of respondents said they were concerned that ‌iOS 26‌ could negatively affect battery life, while 23.8% worried about overall performance. 17.5% of respondents said they disliked the design changes debuted with Liquid Glass, or found it harder to read, while an additional 8.6% said they were frustrated that new visual elements could not be fully turned off. 15% of respondents said they worried it would be difficult or impossible to revert to an earlier version of iOS once ‌iOS 26‌ was installed, while 11.4% cited reports of bugs or features breaking as a reason for hesitation. SellCell's data also suggests that adoption does not necessarily reflect confidence. When asked about their general response to iOS update prompts, only 38.8% of respondents said they typically update immediately when prompted. The remaining 61.2% reported some form of delay or deferral, including waiting to see whether other users report problems, assuming updates occur automatically, dismissing reminders, or postponing updates for weeks or months. A smaller share said they only update once an app stops working on their current version of iOS. In addition, the survey found that hesitation around ‌iOS 26‌ is widespread even among users who have already installed the update. Across the full sample of 2,000 respondents, 72% selected at least one concern that made them hesitant about upgrading, while only 28% said that nothing they had seen put them off installing ‌iOS 26‌. It is also notable that, of the 443 respondents who said they were still on an older version, 28% said they were unaware that ‌iOS 26‌ was available, 23.7% said they assumed updates would install automatically, and 23.3% said they simply had not gotten around to updating. Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Tag: SellCellRelated Forum: iOS 26 This article, "iOS 26 Adoption Hits 50%, But Some Users Are Still Reluctant to Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's ‌iPhone SE‌ models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more…

A new resale value study suggests that a $2,000 foldable iPhone could lose as much as $1,292 of its value within its first 12 months on the market, based on current foldable depreciation trends. The estimate comes from SellCell, which analyzed the 12-month resale performance of flagship smartphones from Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and OnePlus. The site found that foldable smartphones lose an average of 64.6% of their value within a year, the worst depreciation rate of any smartphone category, compared with 55.3% for traditional smartphones. SellCell calculates that foldable phone owners lose $997.69 on average after 12 months, compared with $605.32 for owners of traditional smartphones, a gap of $392.37. Foldables retain just 35.4% of their launch value after a year, versus 44.7% for non-folding phones. Apple is widely rumored to be preparing its first foldable iPhone, expected to be called the "iPhone Ultra," for launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max in fall 2026, with a price of around $2,000. Using that rumored price point, SellCell modeled what a foldable iPhone's resale value might look like after a year if it depreciated at the average rate seen across today's foldables, landing at around $708 after 12 months. This would represent a loss of roughly $1,292. SellCell notes Apple has historically outperformed competitors on resale value. The iPhone 16 lineup retained 51.5% of its value after 12 months, the strongest of any major manufacturer in the study, ahead of OnePlus (46.8%), Google (40.8%), Samsung (39.5%), and Motorola (24.5%). If a foldable iPhone matched the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup's depreciation rate instead, SellCell estimates it could be worth around $1,030 after a year, over $300 less depreciation than a typical foldable. Real-world depreciation would likely land closer to Apple's existing figures. The base ‌iPhone 16‌ retained 51.4% of value after a year and the 256GB ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max retained 56.4%, though even at those rates, the total loss on a $2,000 device would still come out to roughly $1,000 over 12 months.Related Roundup: iPhone FoldTags: Foldable iPhone, SellCell This article, "Apple's Foldable iPhone Could Lose Almost $1,300 in Value in First Year, Study Suggests" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

A recent survey conducted by SellCell suggests that a significant majority of iPhone users are planning to upgrade to the upcoming iPhone 16 series, with many expressing a preference for a better thermal design to prevent overheating issues. The…

SellCell conducted a survey of 2000 people to understand if Samsung Galaxy AI and Apple Intelligence added value to to their smartphone use

73% власників iPhone та 87% власників смартфонів Galaxy не бачать значної або будь-якої цінності в ШІ-функціях Apple Intelligence та Galaxy AI.

Apathetic indifference

Will people upgrade to the iPhone 16 when it launches in September? Find out in the SellCell iPhone 16 pre-launch survey!

Apple's iPhone 15 lineup sets a new standard in value retention, outperforming its predecessors and leading the pack among 2023 flagship smartphones, a new report finds. New data from SellCell, an aggregator of buyback prices from over 40 vendors,…

За даними компанії SellCell, тенденції до зниження вартості при перепродажі смартфонів свідчать, що iPhone SE 4 може не втримати свою вартість так само добре, як флагманські моделі Apple.