Trade in, step up: what your old iPhone is really worth.

Most people underestimate what their current phone is worth and overestimate how much condition matters. Both errors cost money. Here is what a valuation is actually built from.

Model and storage set the ceiling

Roughly seventy per cent of a trade-in figure comes from the model line alone. Pro and Pro Max models hold value considerably better than the base models, and the gap widens with age rather than closing. Storage matters less than people expect on newer devices and more than they expect on older ones, where a 64GB unit is close to unsellable.

Battery health is the biggest swing factor you control

A phone above 85% maximum capacity is sold as-is. Below 80%, the buyer is pricing in a battery replacement, and that cost comes straight off your offer. If your battery is sitting at 81% and you are not in a hurry, replacing it before trading in occasionally nets you more than it costs — ask us to check the maths on your specific model.

Cosmetic damage matters less than function

Scuffs on the frame and light scratches on the back barely register. A cracked screen, a camera lens with visible damage, or a Face ID array that has stopped working move the number sharply, because each is a component-level repair. The honest rule: if it affects how the phone is used, it affects the price. If it only affects how it looks, it mostly does not.

Before you bring it in

• Back up to iCloud or a computer, and confirm the backup finished.
• Sign out of iCloud and turn off Find My — we cannot accept an activation-locked device.
• Erase all content and settings.
• Bring the charger if you still have it. It rarely changes the offer, but it occasionally does.