I Waited Too Long to Sell My iPhone — Here's How Much Money I Lost

Two years ago, I had an iPhone 12 Pro Max in excellent condition. Apple was offering $720 for trade-in. I thought, "I'll wait until the new model comes out — maybe prices will go up."

They didn't.

The Costly Mistake

When I finally traded in my phone 14 months later, the same device was worth $400. That's $320 lost by waiting. Not because I dropped it. Not because the screen cracked. Just time.

Here's what phone depreciation actually looks like:

Time Owned	iPhone Value (% of Original)	Android Flagship
6 months	80-85%	65-70%
1 year	65-70%	50-55%
2 years	45-55%	30-40%
3 years	30-40%	15-25%

The math is brutal. Phones depreciate faster than cars.

Why Depreciation Accelerates

Phone value doesn't decline linearly. It follows a curve that gets steeper over time. Here's why:

Year 1: New models come out, but your phone still gets software updates. Demand stays relatively high.

Year 2: Another generation launches. Your phone is now "two generations old." Buyers start looking at newer options.

Year 3+: Software support becomes questionable. Battery degradation kicks in. The used market has phones that are newer AND cheaper.

Each year you wait, you're competing with more devices.

The "Sweet Spot" for Selling

Based on depreciation curves, the optimal time to sell is 8-14 months after purchase. At this point:

• You've gotten good use from the phone
• It still commands a strong resale price (60-70% for iPhones)
• You're ahead of the next generation announcement hype

If you wait until the 2-year mark, you've likely lost 15-20% more value than if you'd sold at 12 months.

Find out what your phone is worth right now: Phone Trade-in Calculator

The Android Reality Check

If you're on Android, the math is even more urgent. Samsung Galaxy flagships lose about 45% of their value in the first year alone. By year two, you're looking at 60-70% depreciation.

Mid-tier Android phones? Often worth less than $100 after 18 months, regardless of what you paid.

What I Do Now

After my expensive lesson, I changed my approach:

1. Track my phone's value quarterly using trade-in calculators
2. Set a "sell threshold" — when value drops below 50%, I start shopping
3. Trade in before announcement events — values drop 10-15% right after new models launch

The Bottom Line

Every month you hold onto a phone past the 1-year mark costs you roughly 2-4% of its original value. On a $1,000 phone, that's $20-40 per month just evaporating.

The best time to sell your phone was probably 3 months ago. The second best time is now.