Ahead of the rumored iPhone 12 launch, a new study from online phone retailer, comparemymobile.com, has uncovered the best and worst handsets for depreciation – with Apple taking the top spot and Sony coming in last place.
The study found those who bought a Sony Xperia 1 II at launch have lost about US$16.86 a day on the phone in the two months (69%) it has been out, with the phone losing more total value than any iPhone from the iPhone 8 Plus (launched in 2017) onwards. With the average cost of a flagship handset sitting at around US$871 the study by the London-based company ound that opting for an Apple iPhone, could save customers hundreds of pounds when it came to trading it in.
The study compared the trade in prices for flagship handsets from major handset manufacturers across recent release windows including Apple, Google, Huawei, Samsung, Sony and OnePlus, to find out the smartphone with the best return on investment for would-be buyers
Of the brands studied, Apple came out on top for value retention, with iPhones retaining 52% of their value on average over three years. In comparison, Sony owners could expect to lose more three quarters (76%) of their handset value, with its recent Xperia 1 II, having already lost approximately $826 (69%) of its $1,200 price tag in just two months.
