Sorry, But Apple Says Your iPhone Is Worth a Lot Less

Apple has suddenly slashed trade-in values for its devices both in the United States and overseas, and the cuts are in some cases totally unexpected.

iPhones have long been praised for retaining their resale value over years, and Apple itself typically paid quite a lot whenever it launched a trade-in program for a new model.

But the company has apparently had a change of mind recently, so it cut how much it pays for used iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs.

When it comes to the iPhone, for example, if you have an iPhone XS Max, Apple is no longer paying up to $600, but only a maximum of $500 if the device is in mint condition. An iPhone XS is now worth only up to $420, down from $500.

An iPhone X no longer has a $400 trade-in value, but is worth just $320, while iPhone 6s’ value dropped from $100 to just $80.

All Apple Watch models have the same trade-in value as before except for the Series 4. Apple now pays $100 for this model, down from $110.

Surprising cuts in non-US markets

In other countries, however, there are much bigger cuts.

German site iFun reveals that in Germany Apple reduced the MacBook Pro maximum trade-in value from 1,200 Euros to no less than 690 Euros, so this is a cut of 510 Euros.

The MacBook Air is no longer worth 450 Euros but just 320 Euros. In Germany, the trade-in value of the iPhone XS Max dropped from 500 Euros to 430 Euros, so the cut is less significant than in the case of the MacBook Pro.

Apple hasn’t provided a reason for these price cuts, so they definitely take many people by surprise, especially given that trade-in values have long been considered a key catalyst of new iPhone sales.