How to Sell Your Old iPhone Without Getting Absolutely Fleeced
Apple will give you $120 for a phone worth $400. Let's not do that. Here's exactly where to sell, when to sell, and how to squeeze every last dollar out of your old gear.
The Great iPhone Heist (And You're the Victim)
Every September, Apple stands on stage, shows you a slightly better camera, and suddenly your current iPhone feels like a rotary phone. You want the new one. But first, you need to offload the old one — and this is where most people leave hundreds of dollars on the table.
I've sold probably 15 devices over the past few years across every platform imaginable. Here's what I've learned, usually the hard way.
The Hall of Shame: Apple Trade-In
Let's start with the worst option so we can get the rage out of our systems.
Apple's trade-in values are, to put it diplomatically, insulting. As of early 2026:
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: up to $630
- iPhone 15 Pro: up to $530
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: up to $430
- iPhone 13 Pro: up to $290
Sounds okay? Check what these sell for on the open market:
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: $800-$900 on Swappa
- iPhone 15 Pro: $650-$750 on Swappa
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: $550-$650 on Swappa
- iPhone 13 Pro: $400-$475 on Swappa
Apple is offering you 60-70 cents on the dollar. For a MacBook Pro? Even worse — Apple offered me $580 for a machine selling for $1,100+ everywhere else. That's a $520 haircut.
Apple trade-in is the convenience tax, and the tax rate is brutal.
Tier List: Where to Actually Sell
S-Tier: Swappa
My personal favorite. Swappa is a marketplace specifically for used tech, and it's brilliant because:
- No seller fees on most devices (buyers pay a small fee)
- They verify IMEI/serial numbers before listing goes live
- Prices are transparent — you can see what identical devices sold for
- Payment through PayPal with seller protection
A 128GB iPhone 15 Pro in good condition? You're looking at $620-$680. Apple would give you $530.
A-Tier: eBay
Higher prices than Swappa sometimes, but eBay takes ~13% in fees (final value fee + payment processing). So that $700 sale nets you ~$609. Still beats Apple, but factor those fees into your listing price.
Pro tip: Use eBay's "Sell Similar" feature on a completed listing for your exact model. It pre-fills everything and you can see what price actually worked.
A-Tier: Facebook Marketplace
Zero fees for local sales. Cash in hand. No shipping hassles. The downside? You have to meet strangers, deal with the "is this still available?" crowd (yes, it's always still available, that's why the listing is up), and endure lowballers who think your $700 iPhone is worth $300 "because it's used."
Meet at a police station lobby. I'm not kidding — many stations have designated safe trading spots.
B-Tier: Decluttr
Ship your device, they inspect it, they pay you. Simple. But their offers are only slightly better than Apple's. An iPhone 15 Pro might fetch $490-$540. It's the "I literally cannot be bothered" option.
B-Tier: Best Buy Trade-In
Similar to Apple's values but sometimes slightly better, and you get Best Buy gift cards. Useful if you're buying your next device there anyway. They also occasionally run trade-in bonus events (+$100 toward a new Samsung, that sort of thing).
The Timing Game (This Is Where the Real Money Is)
Sell your phone BEFORE Apple announces the new model. Not after. BEFORE.
Here's why: The moment Apple shows the iPhone 17 in September, every iPhone 16 on the resale market drops 15-25% overnight. Supply floods in, demand shifts to the new hotness.
The sweet spot: List your phone in July or August. Prices are highest because supply is low (everyone's waiting) and the new phone hasn't been announced yet.
Yes, this means going phoneless for a few weeks or using a beater. Buy a $40 burner from Walmart. The $100-$200 you save is worth the temporary downgrade.
Prep Work: Make It Pretty, Make It Safe
Before you sell:
1. Factory reset — Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Sign out of iCloud FIRST or you'll brick it with Activation Lock.
2. Remove from Find My — Do this before the reset, or the new owner will haunt your support inbox forever.
3. Clean it — Microfiber cloth, maybe a tiny bit of isopropyl alcohol. Make it gleam.
4. Take good photos — Natural lighting, all four sides, screen on. Include any scratches (honesty sells). A well-lit photo increases your selling price by 10-15%. I'm not making that up.
5. Include the box and accessories — Original box adds $20-$40 to the price. Keep your boxes, people.
MacBook Specific Tips
MacBooks hold value like a tank. A 2-year-old MacBook Air M2 still fetches $700-$800. But:
- Check your battery cycle count (About This Mac > System Report > Power). Under 300 cycles is a major selling point.
- Mention the chip specifically. "M2" in the title gets more clicks than "2022 MacBook Air."
- Include Geekbench scores if you're selling to tech-savvy buyers.
The Bottom Line
For maximum money: Swappa or Facebook Marketplace, sold in August before new models drop, with great photos and original box.
For maximum laziness: Decluttr or Apple Trade-In, accepting that convenience costs you $150-$300.
Your old iPhone is worth more than you think. Don't let Apple or anyone else tell you otherwise.
