{"id":9737,"date":"2021-02-07T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-07T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/?p=9737"},"modified":"2021-02-07T21:56:30","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T03:56:30","slug":"apple-iphone-samsung-galaxy-resale-value","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/apple-iphone-samsung-galaxy-resale-value\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy S: Which phone has the best resale value?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The very moment that you peel back the shrink wrap on your brand-new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone, you inevitably lose a substantial amount of resale value. In many cases, this near-instantaneous depreciation means that your new and shiny phone is <strong>suddenly worth just two-thirds<\/strong> of what you originally paid!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here at Swappa, we\u2019re firm advocates of <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/phones\"><strong>buying a gently used phone<\/strong><\/a> in order to <strong>avoid that rapid, initial depreciation<\/strong>. But beyond buying used, does your choice in smartphone platform affect how well it holds its value on the used market? What about other Apple devices such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple\/ipad\">iPad<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple\/watch\">Apple Watch<\/a>? Join us as we take a deep dive into the resale values of popular Apple and Samsung devices to see which holds its value best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/apple-iphone-samsung-galaxy-resale-value\/#Which-phone-has-the-best-resale-value\" >\u2022 Apple iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy resale value<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/apple-iphone-samsung-galaxy-resale-value\/#Why-do-iPhones-hold-their-value-better-than-Samsung\" >\u2022 Why iPhones hold their value<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/apple-iphone-samsung-galaxy-resale-value\/#What-iPhone-color-sells-for-more\" >- Which color iPhone sells for the most?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/apple-iphone-samsung-galaxy-resale-value\/#Apple-Watch-and-iPad-resale-value\" >\u2022 Apple Watch and iPad resale value<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"depreciation\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which-phone-has-the-best-resale-value\"><\/span>Which phone has the best resale value?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s long been speculated that <strong>Apple iPhones have a higher resale value than their Android counterparts<\/strong>, and this appears to be true &#8212; at least early on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Resale-Value-Apple-iPhone-vs-Samsung-Galaxy.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19297 img-responsive\" width=\"1050\" height=\"577\"\/><figcaption><center><em>Resale value over time for every flagship iPhone and Samsung phone since 2014 (<a href=\"#methods\">methods<\/a>)<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Although <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/catalog\/brand\/samsung\">Samsung phones<\/a> hold their value better than most other Android phones (<a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/google-pixels\">Google Pixel<\/a> devices notwithstanding), they simply cannot match the iPhone during the first few years of device ownership. But after about three years, the resale values for both brands converge &#8212; with older Samsung phones fetching about as much as older iPhones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Apple takes an early lead; Samsung catches up over time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The best example of the <strong>iPhone\u2019s early lead in resale value comes immediately after launch<\/strong>. A current-generation used iPhone typically goes for around 85% of its original retail value, whereas current-generation <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/guide\/samsung-galaxy-s\">Samsung Galaxy S<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/guide\/samsung-galaxy-note\">Galaxy Note<\/a> phones tend to go for around 60% of their MSRP. This is part of the reason why you can get such great deals on the recently released <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/samsung-galaxy-s21-5g\">Galaxy S21<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/samsung-galaxy-s21\/\">Swappa review<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The resale values for both brands converge over time. <strong>After 3 years<\/strong> of ownership, <strong>iPhones and Galaxy phones are both worth about a third of their original value<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best deals on iPhones and Galaxy phones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we jump to any conclusions thinking that the iPhone\u2019s early lead in resale value makes it better than Samsung, we must consider that there are great ways to save on either platform. If you\u2019re looking for a <strong>killer deal on a gently used, current-generation phone<\/strong>, you\u2019ll save the most money by getting a <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/mobile\/samsung\/phones\">gently used Samsung Galaxy phone<\/a> on Swappa. In contrast, you\u2019ll have to wait a year in order to get the same sort of discount on a <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/iphones\">used iPhone<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, if you\u2019ve already purchased a current-generation <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple-iphone-12\">iPhone 12<\/a> and decide it\u2019s not for you, you\u2019ll get the <strong>best early resale value with Apple<\/strong>. And as we&#8217;ve covered previously, you&#8217;ll <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/places-to-sell-your-iphone\/\">get two to three times as much for your used iPhone<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/best-places-to-sell-samsung-galaxy-phone\/\">twice as much for your used Samsung<\/a> by selling on Swappa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table table-condensed\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><div style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"wp-block-wp-bootstrap-buttons\"><a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg\" href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/iphones\">SHOP APPLE IPHONE DEALS<\/a><\/div><\/td><td><div style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"wp-block-wp-bootstrap-buttons\"><a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg\" href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/mobile\/samsung\/phones\">SHOP SAMSUNG GALAXY DEALS<\/a><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"iphone-resale\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why-do-iPhones-hold-their-value-better-than-Samsung\"><\/span>Why do iPhones hold their value better than Samsung?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we established that the iPhone holds its value extremely well, let\u2019s try to figure out <em>why<\/em>. Regardless of the storage configuration, color, and sometimes even device condition, <strong>Apple phones generally carry the most resale value on the used market<\/strong> &#8212; at least during those first three years of ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a way, this makes perfect sense. All <strong>Apple iPhones are high-end, flagship devices<\/strong>. But beyond that, they offer a level of <strong>ecosystem integration<\/strong> not seen elsewhere in the industry. Of course, this isn&#8217;t to say that Samsung Galaxy phones don&#8217;t offer comparable <strong>specs, features, and performance<\/strong> to rival the very best from Apple &#8212; they do! It&#8217;s just that Apple devices typically go that extra mile to make sure that everything works well together and presents a cohesive user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, iPhones have even become status symbols to some. In addition to owning what is unquestionably one of the very best smartphones available, getting a new iPhone (especially within those first three years) is almost like wearing an expensive piece of jewelry. It\u2019s a luxury item that commands an equally luxurious price &#8212; and to millions of smartphone buyers around the world, the premium experience is more than worth the premium price tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"iphone-color\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-iPhone-color-sells-for-more\"><\/span>What iPhone color sells for more?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/iPhone-Colors-213x300.png\" alt=\"iPhone XS and XR Color Popularity\" class=\"wp-image-9767 img-responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s where things get a little tricky. Despite certain colors being more popular than others on the Swappa marketplace, this usually doesn\u2019t translate into different resale prices. In other words, you should <strong>pick whichever color you like best<\/strong>, and <strong>rest assured that it won&#8217;t really affect your wallet<\/strong> a few years down the line when you decide to resell your iPhone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While there are <strong>some minor differences in resale value<\/strong> between the different color choices, this is more often seen in smaller marketplaces that are more limited than Swappa. However, part of the beauty of Swappa is that we safely and conveniently connect buyers and sellers all across the country. Because of this, we cut out the middleman and bring all the best buyers and sellers together so that everyone can save!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, if you <em>really<\/em> want to play it safe and make sure that you have the absolute best resale value down the road, you can\u2019t go wrong with the more traditional color options. They typically have the broadest appeal &#8212; much in the same way that the most popular car colors are black, white, and silver. However, <strong>the biggest thing you can do to make sure you get the most for your used iPhone is to sell on Swappa<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"wp-block-wp-bootstrap-buttons\"><a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg\" href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/sell\/iphone\">GET MORE MONEY FOR YOUR USED IPHONE<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"apple-watch-ipad\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Apple-Watch-and-iPad-resale-value\"><\/span>Apple Watch and iPad resale value<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we know that the iPhone holds its value well, let&#8217;s see how this stacks up to other Apple products such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple\/ipad\">iPad<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple\/watch\">Apple Watch<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Resale-Value-iPhone-vs-iPad-vs-Apple-Watch.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19296 img-responsive\"\/><figcaption><center><em>Resale value over time for every Apple Watch, iPad, and flagship iPhone since 2014 (<a href=\"#methods\">methods<\/a>)<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, the <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple\/watch\">Apple Watch<\/a> retains a similar (but slightly higher) percentage of its original value when compared with the <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/iphones\">iPhone<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple\/ipad\">iPad<\/a> retains even more of its original value on the used market &#8212; remaining fairly close to MSRP even after two to three years! This is most likely due to how older iPads are still great at web browsing and content consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking even further back, we see that after five years, an iPhone sells for about 15% of its original MSRP. Similarly, an Apple Watch of the same age generally goes for about 20% of its original price. Amazingly, a five-year-old iPad maintains about half of its original value when sold on Swappa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"wp-block-wp-bootstrap-buttons\"><a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg\" href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/sell\/apple\">SELL APPLE PRODUCTS ON SWAPPA<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>So what can we learn from all this? For starters, <strong><a href=\"#depreciation\">depreciation is an ongoing process<\/a><\/strong>. This applies to all phones &#8212; whether Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone. Phones just keep getting cheaper over time, as new models are released. It doesn\u2019t really matter who makes it, you\u2019ll always <strong>get more money the earlier you sell your phone<\/strong>. So if you have a phone that you\u2019re not using, the <em>best time to sell is NOW<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also learned that <strong>Apple iPhones do indeed hold their value better than Samsung phones<\/strong> &#8212; at least during the first 2 to 3 years. However, the resale values converge over time. So if you want to hold on to your phone for more than two or three years, resale value won\u2019t be significantly different between the two brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whichever phone you choose, you&#8217;ll always <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/places-to-sell-your-iphone\/\">make the most money by selling on Swappa<\/a>. Whether <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/local\">in-person<\/a> or through our <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/\">online marketplace<\/a>, <strong>Swappa is the safest and easiest way to buy and sell used tech online<\/strong>.  Each and every listing is screened by our expert moderation team before it goes live to keep scams and junk devices out. So what are you waiting for? Sell on Swappa today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"wp-block-wp-bootstrap-buttons\"><a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg\" href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/sell\">GET THE MOST FOR YOUR USED PHONE ON SWAPPA<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">******<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"methods\">How we got our numbers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To keep things as fair as possible, we looked at <strong>all Apple and Samsung flagship phones dating back to the middle of 2014<\/strong> &#8212; that&#8217;s over 30 phones total! For Apple, this meant including <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/iphones\">all iPhones<\/a> starting with the <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple-iphone-6\">iPhone 6<\/a>; and for Samsung, this meant looking at their <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/mobile\/samsung\/phones\">flagship Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines<\/a> starting with the <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/samsung-galaxy-s-6\">Galaxy S6<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> We restricted our search to just Samsung\u2019s high-end phones because we wanted to make sure we were comparing products targeting similar market segments in order to have an apples-to-apples comparison &#8212; or perhaps more accurately, <em>Apples-to-Samsungs<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For other Apple devices, we looked at every <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple\/watch\">Apple Watch<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple\/ipad\">Apple iPad<\/a> dating back to 2014. This meant looking at all iPads starting with the <a href=\"https:\/\/swappa.com\/buy\/apple-ipad-mini-4\">iPad Mini 4<\/a> and every single Apple Watch released to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the appropriate devices selected, we then looked at <strong>current and historical resale value<\/strong> of each phone on the Swappa Marketplace, and compared these numbers to their original MSRP and launch date. We then used this to calculate <strong>resale value over time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The very moment that you peel back the shrink wrap on your brand-new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone, you inevitably lose a substantial amount of resale value. In many cases, this near-instantaneous depreciation means that your new and shiny phone is suddenly worth just two-thirds of what you originally paid! Here at Swappa, we\u2019re firm [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":19318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-parts\/wpb-single-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15,234,542],"tags":[482,476,538,516,517,424,407,406,452,414,415,423,413,478,477,168,216,562,550,405,389,454,457,456,446,444,445,409,455,416,417],"products":[677,760,816,785,955],"class_list":["post-9737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-android","category-apple","category-iphone","category-samsung","tag-apple-iphone-11","tag-apple-iphone-11-pro","tag-apple-iphone-11-pro-max","tag-apple-iphone-6","tag-apple-iphone-6-plus","tag-apple-iphone-6s","tag-apple-iphone-6s-plus","tag-apple-iphone-7","tag-apple-iphone-7-plus","tag-apple-iphone-8","tag-apple-iphone-8-plus","tag-apple-iphone-se","tag-apple-iphone-x","tag-apple-iphone-xr","tag-apple-iphone-xs-max","tag-iphone","tag-samsung-galaxy","tag-samsung-galaxy-note-10","tag-samsung-galaxy-note-10-plus-5g","tag-samsung-galaxy-note-8","tag-samsung-galaxy-note-9","tag-samsung-galaxy-s10","tag-samsung-galaxy-s10-plus","tag-samsung-galaxy-s10e","tag-samsung-galaxy-s6","tag-samsung-galaxy-s7","tag-samsung-galaxy-s7-edge","tag-samsung-galaxy-s8","tag-samsung-galaxy-s8-plus","tag-samsung-galaxy-s9","tag-samsung-galaxy-s9-plus","products-apple-iphone-11","products-apple-iphone-12","products-samsung-galaxy-note-20-5g","products-samsung-galaxy-s20","products-samsung-galaxy-s21-5g"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9737"}],"version-history":[{"count":134,"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26709,"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9737\/revisions\/26709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9737"},{"taxonomy":"products","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/products?post=9737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}