In-depth analysis: Does the iPhone retain its value?

When comparing Apple and Android, many friends always say that iPhones hold their value better than Android phones. An iPhone bought a few years ago can still be sold for a lot of money today, while Android phones a few years ago are already worthless.

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This makes sense, but not entirely. The price of an iPhone is affected by many factors during its entire life cycle. At the same time, due to its high price, even if the value retention rate is acceptable, there is still a lot of depreciation.

So below I will analyze for you the price trend and value retention of iPhone in different stages.

1. Within two months, the premium may increase

In the early days of iPhone launch, it is usually out of stock and rushed to buy. Although it is not like Xiaomi's limited-edition rush sale, you have to queue up to make reservations on the official website. If you can't get the first batch, you can only wait slowly. Waiting for one or two months is normal. As for third-party platforms, they are definitely out of stock. In this case, many people want to pay a higher price to get a new phone, so the premium comes out. If you buy an iPhone in the early days of its launch, there will be a premium appreciation in the short term of one or two months, and you can make a small profit if you sell it. Of course, it is not recommended that you become a scalper.

2. Within a year, the price fell steadily

Within one year of its launch, it is impossible for Apple to take the initiative to reduce the price of new phones. However, third-party platforms will have various discounts. If it is sold second-hand, buyers will definitely use the prices on these third-party platforms as a reference, so the degree of depreciation is greatly affected by the prices on third-party platforms.

3. One year later, it began to depreciate sharply

The sharp depreciation at this stage is mainly due to the launch of new phones in the second year, which has a greater impact on the price of new phones in the second year. Take this year as an example. The iPhone 13 was launched, and the price was cheaper than last year's 12. In addition, many friends bought 13 and sold their old 12. A large number of second-hand 12 models appeared in the market, and supply exceeded demand, so the price of 12 jumped.

4. Two years later, prices began to stabilize

After a year of price collapse, the price of iPhone began to stabilize two years later. The specific value of the iPhone is not determined by the configuration of the model or how much it is really worth, but by the second-hand price of downstream models. Simply put, the second-hand price of iPhone 13 depends on the second-hand price of iPhone 12. 13 is more expensive than 12, but not much. Similarly, 12 depends on 11, 11 depends on X, and so on, all the way to the nail phone iPhone 6s.

At present, the price of iPhone 6s is relatively stable. It has been several hundred yuan for two or three years, and the depreciation rate is very small. Therefore, the new iPhone will have a residual value after two years. After the price drops to the bottom, the price will be very stable and the depreciation will be very small. At this stage, the iPhone will appear to be very valuable. Buy a second-hand phone, use it for one or two years, and you will find that if you sell it again, you will basically not lose money.