Newsletter
We have a new set of facts and figures from a company that tracks all kinds of interesting bits of information surrounding what phones are being traded in, re-sold and what value those phones represent. Unsurprisingly the iPhone is one of the most popular phones that people are getting rid of right now. We can also see what devices are the most valuable. For the first time ever we see that a Samsung device is worth more in the secondary market than any of the current iPhone models. Of course the S4 is newer and better equipped than the iPhone, but in the past the iPhone has retained its value better. This makes sense when you consider the number of people trading in a stale, cartoony looking iPhone for any of the currently available flagship Android devices.
Top 5 most valuable phones:
1. BlackBerry Porsche Design P9981: $679.84
1. Apple: 40.4%* of trade-in market share
2. Blackberry: 18.1%* of trade-in market share
3. Samsung: 16.1%* of trade-in market share
4. HTC: 8.4%* of trade-in market share
5. Nokia: 8.3%* of trade-in market share
I find it very interesting that the iPhone is being traded in at a much higher rate than any other device, especially since we haven’t seen a 2013 version of the iPhone yet. It would be reasonable to expect a bump in iPhone trade-ins when a new model comes out, but this bump in exchanges is coming right after the release of the HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and a new LG Optimus. Could it be that more and more Apple customers are seeing the light and jumping ship for Android? It is possible. I know several hard-core iPhone users who have switched to the HTC One. They like the aluminium frame and the added power and flexibility of Android.
Top 6 phones being traded-in in the last 30 days:
1. Apple iPhone 4 16GB: 9.79%
2. Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100: 5.18%
3. Blackberry Curve 8520: 5.15%
4. Apple iPhone 4S 16GB: 4.86%
5. Samsung Galaxy S3: 3.51%
6. Apple iPhone 5 16GB: 2.82%
It isn’t too surprising to see people unloading some solid devices that are starting to show their age. The Galaxy S2 was a great device for it’s time, but with the cheap availability of the Galaxy S3 an upgrade is tempting. It is interesting to see the iPhone 5 once again in the top 6 for devices traded in over the last 30 days. Anyone who is trading in an iPhone 4 or 4s may well be upgrading to a newer Apple device, but anyone trading in an iPhone 5 is almost certainly switching to Android. These numbers represent good news for the Android ecosystem as well as the hardware that supports it. Apple should pay attention to statistics like these that indicate the beginnings of an exodus of customers who are sick of overpriced, feature-starved devices.
*Data compiled by CompareMyMobile.com from the period 01/05/13 – 31/05/13
*Pricing current data as of 01/05/13
*Live pricing available from CompareMyMobile.com