Apple iPhones Resale Value

Apple iPhones: price by condition

Seller-declared grades, sterling with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). What each grade means.

What holds its value across Apple

• Battery health above 85% on anything with a battery, which buyers ask for by number
• The original box, cable and adapter, which matter more here than on other brands
• Higher storage tiers, which command a clear premium second-hand
• Devices still inside AppleCare, which transfers with the device

What pulls Apple resale value down

• Activation Lock still enabled, which makes the device close to worthless because it cannot be reset
• Third-party screen or battery repairs, which trigger a service warning in Settings that buyers see
• Any finance agreement outstanding, which blocks a clean transfer
• Bent chassis on laptops and tablets, usually a sign of a swollen battery

Identifying and dating yours

1. The model identifier is in Settings > General > About, or on the underside of a laptop — it is what buyers search, not the marketing name
2. Serial number checks against Apple’s coverage page confirm warranty status and age
3. Battery health is readable in Settings and should be photographed

What lifts any iPhone, whatever the label

Almost all of the spread comes down to two things buyers check before anything else: which generation it is, and what the battery health reads.

• Battery health above 85% — buyers ask for this figure before they ask about scratches
• Carrier-unlocked, with the original box, cable and IMEI clear on checks
• Larger storage tiers, which hold value far better than the base model
• Recent generations still receiving iOS updates

And what pulls one down

• A locked handset, or one with any finance or iCloud lock still attached
• Battery health under 80%, where iOS starts flagging service warnings
• Cracked back glass — often costs more to repair than it adds to the sale
• Aftermarket screen repairs, which buyers spot from colour and touch response

Working out what yours is worth

1. Open Settings > Battery > Battery Health and note the maximum capacity percentage
2. Check the model and storage in Settings > General > About
3. Search sold listings for that exact model, storage and battery band

What to state in the listing

• Exact model and generation, and the storage capacity in GB
• Battery maximum capacity percentage from the Settings screen
• Whether it is network unlocked, and which carrier it came from if not
• Whether the screen or battery has been replaced, and whether with genuine parts

Model, storage and unlock status are the whole search: “iPhone 13 128GB Unlocked, Battery 89%”. Put the battery percentage in the title if it is above about 85% — it is the strongest single signal you can give, and most sellers bury it. Never write just “iPhone for sale”; buyers filter by model and yours will not appear.

Preparing and photographing it

1. Read Settings → Battery → Battery Health and note the maximum capacity percentage. Buyers will ask, and a listing that states it up front outsells one that does not.
2. Sign out of iCloud and erase all content and settings, then confirm Activation Lock is off. A locked iPhone is worth almost nothing and cannot be used by anyone else.
3. Find the model and storage in Settings → General → About, and check whether the carrier line says Unlocked.

1. Front, screen on and showing the home screen, so the display is provably working
2. Back and both sides, angled to catch the light and reveal any scratches or dents
3. The Battery Health screen with the percentage visible
4. Every crack, chip or deep scratch, photographed close and lit

When it sells best, and handing it over

iPhones sell within days when priced correctly, and values step down noticeably each September when new models are announced. If you are selling anyway, selling before the announcement is worth real money.

Small and valuable, which makes it the classic target for payment scams. Confirm payment has cleared into your own account before the phone leaves your hands, meet in a public place, and never post ahead of payment.

What buyers ask

Is a locked iPhone or iPad worth anything?

Very little. Activation Lock cannot be bypassed, so the device cannot be reset for a new owner. Remove the account before listing.

Does battery health affect resale value?

Substantially. Above 85% sells at the normal rate; below 80% buyers negotiate hard because a replacement is an immediate cost.

How much is an Apple iPhone worth?

Roughly £104 to £780 depending on condition, against £80 to £600 for iPhones generally. The identification points above are what move a listing to the top of that range.

What the fees would take elsewhere

At the mid-range £442 for an Apple iPhone, against what the commission marketplaces would deduct:

Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026, percentages only — the per-order and processing charges those platforms add are excluded, so the real gap is wider.

Listing is free and there is no commission — read how to sell an iPhone for the title, handover and timing, or the general iPhone value guide if yours is not an Apple.

See also: all Apple value guides · value guides by brand · buying an iPhone · Electronics · condition grades.