In general, buying and selling gently used tech is a great way to extend the life of a smartphone. On the buying side, it also means spending less money. And on the selling side, it can also mean being able to fund your upgrade or earn some extra cash. Generally prices for gently used smartphones tend to drop slightly each month. But with a little pre-planning in regards to timing — you’ll start to realize there are a few other factors that affect sale prices.
Keep reading to learn more about the inevitable iPhone XS price drop, and discover the best times to buy or sell. You can also check out our iPhone Buyer’s Guide if you aren’t sure which model you want to get as your upgrade.
Apple iPhone XS price drop history
The iPhone XS is part of the 12th generation of the iPhone lineup and it launched in September 2018. The 12th generation lineup also includes the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone Xr. The iPhone XS is available in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB versions and it was priced from $999.
The $999 MSRP put the iPhone XS in the middle of the lineup in terms of pricing with the iPhone Xr being less expensive and the iPhone XS Max being more expensive. At launch, the iPhone Xr received quite a bit of attention due to the lower price point, but now that we’re talking about buying gently used models — the iPhone XS is quite appealing due to the falling prices, and in 2021, you can easily find cheap iPhone XS deals.
February 2021 | March 2021 | April 2021 | May 2021 | June 2021 | July 2021 | |
iPhone XS (64GB) | $344 | $344 | $355 | $354 | $350 | $347 |
iPhone XS (256GB) | $394 | $397 | $400 | $400 | $393 | $394 |
iPhone XS (512GB) | $450 | $440 | $481 | $444 | $426 | $451 |
The above table shows the average sale prices for a used iPhone XS sold in the Swappa marketplace.
Prices for used smartphones drop over time. But it isn’t always just about waiting and paying less. If you look closely at the prices from month to month, there can be times when the price increases. For example, the average sale price for a 64GB iPhone XS increased by $10 going from March 2021 to April 2021.
Aside from time, there are a few other factors that cause sale prices to go up and down. One factor is the manufacturer, and this is one place where Apple has the advantage — the iPhone holds its value much better compared to other smartphones. Some of the other factors include the condition of your phone, the specs such as internal storage, and the current market demand.
Review the current iPhone XS price trends on Swappa.
When is the best time to buy an iPhone XS?
Quite often, the best time to buy a gently used iPhone XS will be immediately before or immediately after a new iPhone is released. This touches on the market demand aspect. Sellers often time a sale around the launch of a new iPhone in an effort to fund their upgrade. This works well for the seller, but it also means more iPhones are available, and that means sellers will be more likely to compete on price. Of course, any time is a great time to buy a gently used smartphone so if you’ve been wondering about an iPhone XS price drop in 2021 — the answer is yes, the price will drop.
You can subscribe to get an email alert every time a new iPhone XS listing is added by clicking on the “Subscribe” button on the iPhone XS listing page.
When is the best time to sell an iPhone XS?
A lot of sellers will try to time their listings around the launch of a new iPhone. Listing an iPhone for sale just before (or just after) a new iPhone is released is a good way to help fund your upgrade. But it also means you will be competing against other sellers trying the same thing. And, more iPhones for sale mean you may have to compete on price, which is really just a nice way of saying you may end up selling for a bit less money.
The truth of the matter is that the best time to sell an iPhone XS is right now. If you have a used iPhone XS sitting around you should tap the green button below and get it listed for sale sooner rather than later to help maximize your return.
The sale price is important. Sellers will always want to get as much money as possible, and buyers will always want to pay as little as possible. But there is more to buying and selling than the final sale price. You will want to make sure you buy or sell from a safe and secure marketplace such as Swappa.
Swappa is the safest marketplace for gently used tech, in part, because we use PayPal to process payments and that equates to the buyer and seller being protected on each transaction. Swappa also has rules that keep broken and damaged devices out of the marketplace, and a ‘No Jerks’ policy that ensures you will be dealing with like-minded buyers and sellers, and not jerks. Some other key benefits of Swappa include our support and moderation team.
- Swappa’s moderation team reviews listings for approval.
- Swappa’s support team is available 24/7/365 if you have questions or concerns.
The Swappa support team also strives to reply to all messages within minutes, instead of hours or days. But don’t take our word for these claims — make sure to read the Trustpilot reviews (we currently have a rating of Excellent) being left by other Swappa users.
Snag the best deals on used iPhones wherever you go. Download the Swappa App today!