Cash in now: Uswitch's top tips to get the best trade-in price for your old iPhone

• Last year, trade-in values fell by an average of 9% in the month after Apple's September announcement^[1]
• An iPhone 14 will still get you £163 and an iPhone 15 £305 – down 59% and 24% on a year ago – so it pays to trade in before values drop any further^[2][3]
• iPhone Pro owners have extra reason to check what their handsets are worth now, with early data showing trade-in values for the 15 Pro, 16 Pro and 17 Pro climbing^[4]
• Uswitch mobiles expert Simrat Sharma shares her top tips for getting the best price when trading in an old iPhone and encourages households to find out what their old handsets are worth before Apple's announcement on 9 September

Trade-in values for older iPhones fell by an average of 9% in the month after Apple's announcement last year,^[1] reveals new analysis by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service. With the iPhone 18 Pro being announced on 9 September, households upgrading this month could get better value by trading in their old handset first.

An iPhone 14 traded in today is still worth £163 – but it has lost £237 over the past year – which is more than it’s worth now.^[2] The iPhone 15 is holding up better, still worth £305 despite being three years old, down just 24% over the past year.^[3]

If you own a Pro model, checking your phone's current value is particularly worthwhile. The trade-in value of the iPhone 15 Pro rose from £288 in June to £328 in July, and initial data shows the 16 Pro and 17 Pro climbing too.^[4] These figures are based on as few as one or two trade-in quotes a month, so they're an early signal rather than a settled trend – but they point the same way: now is a good moment to lock in a quote.

That's likely because Apple is expected to launch only the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on 9 September, with no standard iPhone 18 until spring 2027.^[5] With no new base model arriving this autumn, older Pro handsets are holding their price better than usual.

A quote locks in today's value for 14 days,^[6] so one taken on 9 September is still valid on the 23rd – five days after the new iPhones go on sale.

Simrat's tips for getting the best trade-in price on your iPhone:

• Get a quote sooner rather than later. The earlier you check your phone's value, the more you'll typically get for it. Pro values have been climbing, so it's worth getting a quote before 9 September. If prices rise later, you can always start a new quote once yours expires.
• Get your price now, post the phone later. Your quote is held for 14 days, so you can lock in today's price and then send the phone off once your new one arrives.
• Be honest about the condition. The price only changes if your phone is much worse than you said, so there's nothing to gain from underselling it.
• Check your storage first. How much storage your phone has changes the price – on an iPhone, look in Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Even broken or cracked phones count, and can still be worth £40 or more.

Simrat Sharma, Uswitch mobiles expert, says: "The best time to trade in your iPhone is now. Values usually fall over time, so getting a quote today means locking in the most you're likely to get for it.

"If you've got a Pro model, values are holding up especially well right now, possibly because Apple isn't launching a new base iPhone this year. It's early data, so don't wait too long to take advantage of it.

"Whatever phone you have, getting a quote costs nothing and takes minutes. Your price is held for 14 days, so there's no downside to checking today."

Visit Uswitch.com to find out what your old phone is worth.

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