The iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB is the leader when it comes to value retention, with only 18.2% value lost in the three months following its launch (for a device in mint condition), according to a new report from SellCell, a site for selling smartphones.
A key indicator of a smartphone’s appeal is the resale value of the device, and how much value the device has lost when the resale value is compared to the original manufacturer’s suggested retail price. This helps a customer determine if the device is a good investment and if it is worth buying if they intend to sell it on at a later date.
With this in mind, SellCell has collected smartphone depreciation data from its pool of over 40 buyback vendors, to look at previous trends and offer insight into how the various smartphones perform in the three-month window post-launch. Here are some of the key points of the report:
- The iPhone 15 range is outperforming the iPhone 14 range, on average, by 5% over the first three months since launch. The iPhone 15 Plus 256GB is leading the way, depreciating 11% less than its iPhone 14 predecessor.
- The iPhone 15 range is outperforming the other newly (2023) launched handsets from a resale perspective. Within an initial three month window since launch, on average, it retains 27.1% more value than other brands.
- Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Plus 256GB has made it to the “Top 15 Best Value Retaining Phones” with depreciation at an excellent 35.3% placing it ahead of the iPhone 15 Pro 1TB. But overall Samsung’s S23 series still underperforms vs. the iPhone 15 Range
- However, from all Android smartphones analysed, Samsung S23 Flagship range wins hands down, depreciating 16.7% less than the Pixel 8 range, and 4.0% less than the OnePlus 11 Pro series.
- The iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB has retained almost double (1.9 times) the value of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus 256GB. In the three months following launch, the Pro Max 256GB lost 18.2% of its value ($218.00) versus the S23 Plus 256GB, which lost 35.3% ($352.99) of its value.
- The S23 performed better in the three months post-launch than the Samsung Galaxy S22 series did in 2022.
- The worst performing handset across multiple brands is the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. In the three months following its 2023 launch, it lost a massive 68.7% of its value. The S23 FE range (which comprises two models), lost 68.4% of its value on average.
- Google’s Pixel 8-series of smartphones didn’t do much better than the S23 FE range. This series lost 61.2% of its value overall, in three months following launch.
