iPhone Air loses nearly half its value within weeks
What's the story
Apple's latest offering, the iPhone Air, is witnessing a rapid depreciation in its resale value. According to a SellCell report, some variants of the device have lost nearly half their worth within just 10 weeks of launch. The study looked at real-time trade-in prices from over 40 US buyback firms and compared each model's post-launch value with its original retail price.
Market comparison
iPhone 17 series performs better in resale market
The overall iPhone 17 family has depreciated by an average of 34.6% in its first 10 weeks on the market. This is better than last year's iPhone 16 series which had a depreciation rate of 39%. However, the new Air line has performed much worse with an average decline of 44.3% across its storage options. Individual configurations range from a drop of up to 40.3% for the base variant to as high as nearly 48% for the top-end model.
Resale performance
iPhone Air's depreciation rate nears previous low
The 1TB iPhone Air has the highest drop in value, according to SellCell. The report notes that this model is the lowest-ranked in its entire dataset. This puts the Air close to the weakest resale performance seen since 2022 when certain variants of iPhone 14 Plus and some models of iPhone 13 mini were released.
Market analysis
Depreciation rate surpasses other models
The 256GB iPhone 17 Pro Max is the best performer in terms of resale value, with a depreciation rate of just 26.1% after 10 weeks. Other Pro and Pro Max variants also maintain their value well, staying below the 40% mark. However, all models of the iPhone Air occupy every position at the bottom of SellCell's 10-week rankings. This suggests that buyers may be hesitant to purchase these devices in the resale market.
Consumer perception
Position in Apple's lineup questioned
Analysts believe that the iPhone Air's position in Apple's lineup is a bit awkward. It is thinner and lighter but compromises on battery life and camera quality. This makes buyers not see it as a better option than the regular iPhone 17 or Pro models. The design may look premium, but the overall package doesn't feel strong enough to justify its price tag.