Exchanging your old iPhone for a new one? Apple just revised its trade-in rates
Apple’s latest trade-in adjustment quietly lowers the value of newer iPhones, making upgrades slightly more expensive and signaling a shift in resale pricing.
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
Apple has changed trade-in rates for older iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. While this is the first revision in 2026, it is the third since the iPhone 17 broke cover in September 2025. Exchange values for most of the products have taken a hit, especially the newer ones, while older models appear to be aging much better.
In September 2025, the company offered up to $700 for an iPhone 16 Pro Max, but the maximum trade-in value dropped to $670 in November. Now, exchanging the handset would get you up to $650 (down 7% in a little over four months), as mentioned in a Macrumors report.
Newer iPhones are losing value faster
Similarly, the baseline iPhone 16’s exchange value has fallen from $450 in September 2025 to $410 in January 2026 (about 9%). While those are the figures for two models in the iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15’s exchange value has plunged even more.
In January 2025, Apple was offering up to $630 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but after multiple reductions over the last year, the phone has lost $180 in resale value, now standing at $450 (over 28% decline in a year). If you own the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you’ll now get up to $350 (down from $450 in January 2026).
The steady drop in Apple’s trade-in values, especially for newer iPhone models, is due to a higher volume of returned devices entering the company’s refurbishment and resale pipeline through its own upgrade programs and carrier trade-ins. You see? Apple doesn’t necessarily have to offer higher exchange prices to attract the early adopters and enthusiasts.
| New Trade-In Value | Old Trade-In Value (November 2025) | Trade-In Value (September 2025) | |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | Up to $650 | Up to $670 | Up to $700 |
| iPhone 16 Pro | Up to $530 | Up to $550 | Up to $580 |
| iPhone 16 Plus | Up to $440 | Up to $450 | Up to $470 |
| iPhone 16 | Up to $410 | Up to $420 | Up to $450 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | Up to $450 | Up to $470 | Up to $630 |
| iPhone 15 Pro | Up to $380 | Up to $400 | Up to $500 |
| iPhone 15 Plus | Up to $320 | Up to $330 | Up to $440 |
| iPhone 15 | Up to $300 | Up to $310 | Up to $400 |
| iPhone 14 | Up to $210 | Up to $220 | Up to $290 |
| iPhone 13 | Up to $180 | Up to $180 | Up to $250 |
| iPhone 12 | Up to $120 | Up to $130 | Up to $170 |
| iPhone 11 | Up to $100 | Up to $100 | Up to $130 |
| iPhone XS | Up to $70 | Up to $70 | Up to $90 |
| iPhone X | Up to $60 | Up to $60 | Up to $60 |
| iPhone 8 | Up to $40 | Up to $40 | Up to $45 |
By contrast, older iPhones return in smaller volumes, which is why the exchange rate remains relatively stable. But even so, keeping an eye on these values is important, primarily because they often serve as benchmarks in the resale market; the lower exchange values could ripple across the entire upgrade ecosystem in no time.
Anyway, if you’re thinking about getting a new iPhone or another Apple product while trading in an older one, you’ll have to pay a few more dollars now.
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