iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

[widestload]

In general it feels like iphones dont retain their value as well year on year now. I guess there are a few factors at play:
- Higher starting prices being too high for most initially / have further to fall
- less difference each year meaning people keep them for longer and slower refresh driving down demand
- market saturation.
- not such "need" for higher capacity phones with cloud services, but still big differences in RRP, e.g. a 64gb was "needed" over 32gb at the time, but not so much 256 to 512 to 1tb other than those (like me) that want all their photos etc on phone.

basically what im saying is back in the iphone 4-7 days it felt like i got a much higher proportion of my phone's initial cost back each year, or maybe i didnt, but only losing £200-300 during 12 months was a lot less noticable that ~£1,000?

 

[bmark]

Respectfully, that’s not what I got out of the post from @Mactech20

Companies have to build products that appeal to the most people possible.
Doing so is in complete consideration for the users.

If Apple cared about users then iOS 26 would have never been released!

 

[bmark]

In general it feels like iphones dont retain their value as well year on year now. I guess there are a few factors at play:
- Higher starting prices being too high for most initially / have further to fall
- less difference each year meaning people keep them for longer and slower refresh driving down demand
- market saturation.
- not such "need" for higher capacity phones with cloud services, but still big differences in RRP, e.g. a 64gb was "needed" over 32gb at the time, but not so much 256 to 512 to 1tb other than those (like me) that want all their photos etc on phone.

basically what im saying is back in the iphone 4-7 days it felt like i got a much higher proportion of my phone's initial cost back each year, or maybe i didnt, but only losing £200-300 during 12 months was a lot less noticable that ~£1,000?

iPhones depreciate like cars do and that works to Apple's benefit!

 

[That70sGAdawg]

where can i get an used iphone 17 for 35% off or an Air for 44% off?

Exactly! This is FAKE NEWS! The Air is the most innovative iPhone in many years, but the "battery bashers" can't see the reality that it last 90% of normal people all day- no problem.

 

[Tim Jobs the 2nd]

Don't tell Air owners, they get very defensive about their phone. It reminds me a lot of how mini customers behaved.

Its just a bad value phone. You pay $100 less than a Pro for a lot less feature wise. All you gain is it being thinner and lighter.

 

[SmugMaverick]

iPhone Air threads bring out the WORSE users on this forum, and you can tell straight away they're all Pro/Pro max owners.

They feel the need to come into every single Air thread to slate it with crap jokes and arrogance, they actually equate their iPhone to their wealth like a status symbol and most likely American as well.

very sad, I understand why they're bitter and jealous though having bought a fat, ugly, cheap metal phone while the Air looks like the future with titanium and has the pro chip and display.

Anyway, this data is a load of boll%^ks and as mentioned you can't buy an Air for 44% off ffs.

Macrumours isn't beating those anti Air propaganda labels are they, another "content creator" that is scared to not use the pro.

 

[sw1tcher]

Apple will give $0 trade-in value for the Air like the AVP! Another failed product under the Cook regime.

Apple doesn't accept trade-in's for ANY new/current iPhone.

That means no trade-in accepted at the moment for not just the iPhone Air, but also the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max... and the iPhone 16e.

But Apple will take them for trade-in once there's a replacement for them a year or so later.

 

[bmark]

Apple doesn't accept trade-in's for ANY new/current iPhone.

That means no trade-in accepted at the moment for not just the iPhone Air, but also the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max... and the iPhone 16e.

But Apple will take them for trade-in once there's a replacement for them a year or so later.

A year from now the trade in value for the Air will still be $0 like the AVP! You're missing the point completely.

 

[Massimo1926]

Ok, I will have to play the devil's advocate now given that I am an iPhone Air owner - and quite happy with it! I got this for £879 in the UK brand new which I think is the right value (down from £999 official retail price).

Pros:
- larger screen than 17 Pro for less weight. Are we kidding here? please read this point again
- titanium which frankly is more elegant and satisfying than cheap aluminum. Ah now wait, now that Apple used it for the Pro it's not cheap anymore, it's premium. Almost forgot...
- the battery honestly carries me through the day. Hours of screen time and some facetime calls. It might give up quicker if I'm in tourist mode and need to constantly take pictures. In that case I can snap a cheap battery on the back and gain a few extra hours. About 2-3 days per year.
- ah right the pictures, and I get it, I get it, everyone is a content creator these days. But actually the pictures are very good, they might not be as perfect as the Pro ones but I feel less bad knowing that Whatsapp will compress the data to death and kill 80% of the detail anyhow. And no, I tend not to take pictures of the moon or my neighbors living across the street.
- the speaker!! the MONO speaker!! I wish I had available statistics around the $$$ that iPhone users have splurged on AirPods, Pro and basic and Max, and other third party headphones, soundbars and speakers. But sadly I don't so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one.

Cons:
- having to deal with the smug of who bought the iBrick Pro for a not-so-much-higher price

 

[geta]

They should change its name to Air Flop.

 

[sw1tcher]

A year from now the trade in value for the Air will still be $0 like the AVP! You're missing the point completely.

Got proof to back that up?

And no, the AVP is not proof. iPhone and AVP are two completely different products.

The iPhone mini and iPhone Plus had similarly low unit sales numbers and Apple takes them in for trade-in credit.

 

[Rafagon]

I'm surprised these have any resale value at all.

 

[geta]

Time for my regular comment: Will someone try to justify bringing back the mini in this thread?

Being back the Mini, NOW! 🙃

 

[Ma2k5]

As the only titanium option I had no choice but to go Air or iPhone 16…

 

[zenmacx]

It should be $200 less than the regular iPhone, not $200 more. It has less capabilities. People will not pay more for literally less of a phone in material and specs. If it was $200 less it would be selling well.

I concur.

The obscene practice of overpriced products has been referred to as "Apple Tax" in the past. An honest reflection of the company's arrogance and greed. A testament to Apple's stubborn refusal to offer reasonable prices.

That said, as an Apple customer that has often paid Apple Tax it’s annoying yet required if one wants the product. Conversely as a shareholder I get some of that back in dividends. Yet that doesn't soften the disdain felt for the practice.

As an iPhone Air owner, I fully agree that if this phone was priced $200 lower the sales volume would likely be much higher.

 

[EugW]

No surprise here. In a few (but not all) ways the Air is similar in execution to the 16e, yet costs way more than the base model 17, whereas the 16e costs way less than the base model 16.

As for the mini, it’s dead and buried. At least that one had the advantage of being cheaper than the rest, unlike the Air, but it still failed.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

If Apple cared about users then iOS 26 would have never been released!

Good point. The Air might be more interesting to me if it wasn't running iOS 26.

 

[EugW]

Good point. The Air might be more interesting to me if it wasn't running iOS 26.

People say that with almost every iOS release… yet the rest of the world moves on.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

People say that with almost every iOS release… yet the rest of the world moves on.

I've been running iOS since version 2 in 2009. iOS 26 is the first version I can't stand.

Sure the world moves on, but it's affected my purchasing decisions.

 

[estabya]

“It’s a success” is what the collective voices from iPhone Air owners advocate since its launch.

When will acceptance sink in?

This is such a garbage take meant to simply stir the pot. From what I've seen the amount of aggressive hate I see towards this phone FAR outpaces its defenders.

I am a happy Air owner and can accept that it is not selling well. How are those things mutually exclusive?

It's a phone people. Use it or don't. Move on with your life.

 

[turbineseaplane]

After my first SE1 (bought new at an Apple Store in 2016), I've always and only purchased preowned iPhones.

I prefer to let others "take the hit".

 

[SmugMaverick]

I honestly can't wait to see all these "pro" users have a meltdown when it's revealed the iPhone 20 anniversary model is just an Air with two cameras and new display.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I honestly can't wait to see all these "pro" users have a meltdown when it's revealed the iPhone 20 anniversary model is just an Air with two cameras and new display.

I'm here for it!
Everyone in the user base needs to experience what it's like to be on the Mini/Air side of things at some point.

It's good for ya'

It helps us all remember that Apple is just a huge mega corp turning the knobs on the spreadsheet. They don't care about specific needs or wants. This is just a "make number go up" for "MOAR MONEEEZ" operation with wonderful branding.

 

[EugW]

I honestly can't wait to see all these "pro" users have a meltdown when it's revealed the iPhone 20 anniversary model is just an Air with two cameras and new display.

That is very unlikely to happen, but I do believe if there is another Air, it will likely have two cameras. Remember, the Air is the replacement for the Plus, not the Pro. Apple has a habit of crippling version 1 releases, only to fix it in version 2 or 3. However, I also think the Pro will eventually also adopt some Air-like design cues.

 

[bmark]

I'm here for it!
Everyone in the user base needs to experience what it's like to be on the Mini/Air side of things at some point.

It's good for ya'

It helps us all remember that Apple is just a huge mega corp turning the knobs on the spreadsheet. They don't care about specific needs or wants. This is just a "make number go up" for "MOAR MONEEEZ" operation with wonderful branding.

The Air might have fared better if it wasn't priced like a 5 star hotel when it's really a 3 star one!