Sell Your iPhone

Maximize the Sale Price of Your iPhone

If you're looking to sell your iPhone now is the time to do it.

When Apple announced the new iPad 2 on March 2nd 2011 everyone looked to unload their first generation 16 GB iPad. The sale price for a product on eBay is dictated by supply and demand. After the announcement by Apple for the iPad 2 the supply on eBay increased by 400%. On February 9th 2011 the average sale price for the first generation iPad 16 GB was $471 and on March 10th it had fallen to $382. In a matter of 30 days the average sale price dropped by 19% or $89.

With Apple to announce the release date of the new next-generation iPhone on October 4th 2011, many of the current iPhone owners are counting down the minutes and looking to at some point to unload their current phones. A growing online resell marketplace has emerged to give people many options. Outside of eBay and Craigslist you could unload your iPhone one of the following ways:

• Nextworth.com refurbishes used electronics and resells them. In the case of items like the iPhone, they sell them in countries where the items are typically unavailable, presumably bringing a healthier price.
• Gazelle.com on October 1st 2011 is offering $264 for a 16GB iPhone 4 in "flawless" condition and $191 for one in good condition. If your iPhone is broken they will give you $85 for one even if it won't turn on or is physically damaged.
• Techorchard.com on October 1st 2011 is offering $225 for a 16GB iPhone 4 in mint condition, $150 for one in good condition and $80 for one in poor condition. If your iPhone is broken they will give you $18 for one even if it won't turn on or is physically damaged.
• A lot of retailers offer discounts for a trade-in (Sprint last week was offering $116 for the iPhone 3GS 16GB).
• Apple stores and their designated carriers generally don't give back as much cash, or credit, as an owner might earn outside the store.

The current iPhone 4 16GB Auction Research Statistics

The chart below shows how the iPhone 4 is currently selling at auction online. Since mid-February the average sale price has dropped from $500 to $370. The 7 day moving average for the number of auctions has not seen much fluctuation with the average between 130 and 175 auctions a day.

What will the average sale price on eBay be a month from now? With the current iPhone 3GS selling for approximately $255 it is fair to say in a couple of weeks the iPhone 4 16GB will probably be selling for $300 and the 7 day moving average for the number of auctions could reach 225.

Is it the right time to sell your iPhone 4? If you sell it on eBay you might get $370. Gazelle.com might give you $264. Techorchard.com will give you $225. If you are like me the easy way to deal with a phone upgrade is to buy a new Samsung Galaxy SII phone at full price and just hold on to your current model. Even retired, your current phone can be a music player or Internet-surfing device when you have a Wi-Fi connection.

Click for iPhone 4 Sales Results