What is my phone still worth? The factors behind the price

The trade-in price of a phone often seems arbitrary, but it follows a fairly clear logic. If you know it, you can judge realistically what to expect, and get a little more out of it with little effort.

The five factors that determine the price

• Model and age: the biggest lever. The loss in value is steepest in the first year and flattens out after that.
• Storage size: larger versions are more in demand and hold more value, because they are easier to resell later.
• Condition: housing and display are assessed separately. A scratch in the frame counts for less than a crack in the glass.
• Function: anything that no longer works properly lowers the price, because it has to be repaired before resale.
• Demand: models that many people are looking for achieve more. That is why prices fluctuate over time.

Why waiting costs money

A phone loses value continuously, regardless of whether it is being used or lying in a drawer. Anyone who keeps a device for two years after an upgrade gives away a considerable part of its residual value. On top of that, a battery lying unused deep discharges over time and can take permanent damage. Acting quickly after switching is therefore not just more convenient, it genuinely brings in more.

As far as the battery is concerned

A weak battery lowers the price less than most people fear. It is a wear part and is checked during refurbishment anyway, and replaced if needed. As a rule it is therefore not worth paying for a battery replacement before selling. A broken display is a different matter, more on that in selling a phone despite display damage.

How to get more out of it

1. Include the accessories: the original box, cable and power adapter increase the value.
2. Clean it: a cleaned device is graded better, because dirt is easily confused with damage.
3. Declare it honestly: a concealed fault shows up during the check and leads to a correction. An accurate declaration saves both sides time.
4. Sign out and reset: a device with an active account lock cannot be used, see activation lock.
5. Work through the checklist: backup, sign out, erase data, all step by step in our selling checklist.

Sell or trade in?

If you are buying another device anyway, trading in is the simpler route, because the amount is credited directly. If you only want to hand the device over, that works via selling with a payout. You can calculate the specific price for your model there in a few steps.

Conclusion

Model, storage and condition determine the price, and time works against you. A weak battery is no obstacle, an active account on the device very much is. If you hand over a properly prepared device, you get the best price in the shortest time.