I recently parted ways with my iPhone X, which I’d bought back when it was released in 2017, since I upgraded to the iPhone 16 Pro. I actually have two lines: the main line I used with the iPhone 12 Pro, and a secondary line that I kept on the iPhone X.
The reason I ended up with two lines dates back to when I bought my first smartphone. At that time, smartphones were still new, and I didn’t expect them to become so mainstream. I kept my original line on a feature phone and added a separate line for the smartphone so I could easily switch back if I wanted.
I gradually transitioned my older line to a smartphone, but it’s been a bit of a drag to cancel it completely. I get important calls on that number, like financial contacts or relatives. So, organizing everything before canceling has been on my to-do list for a while.
What You Need to Do Before Parting with Your iPhone
Before you sell or give away your iPhone, you’ll need to unregister it from your Apple ID account.
The iPhone is registered to your Apple ID, allowing you to use the Find My app and iCloud to share data. Removing the device from your Apple ID ensures the new owner can register it under their own account.
What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad – Apple Support
Just follow the instructions in the link above. If you’re trading it in at the Apple Store, you’ll stop partway through the process and let the store take care of the rest. If not, go through the steps to fully erase the data.
If you still have the original box, it’s a good idea to include it in the sale.
A Bad Battery Condition Can Drastically Lower the Trade-In Value
I took my iPhone to Bic Camera, where they offer trade-in services. I checked online beforehand and saw the maximum estimated value for my model was around 18,000 yen if in good condition.
However, when I took it in, I was told that if the battery status displayed a “Service” message, there would be a 70% deduction from the estimated value. With that, the value would end up even lower than Apple’s trade-in estimate.
Apple’s trade-in program is known to be pretty strict, and they may not accept it depending on the condition. Plus, you can only trade it in when purchasing a new iPhone.
After a few days of waiting for the appraisal, I was offered 5,250 yen. The 70% reduction due to the battery status had a major impact on the price.
In the end, I decided to sell it since it didn’t make sense to hold onto something I no longer needed.
How to Sell Your iPhone for the Best Price
Apple products, especially iPhones, generally hold high resale value. If the condition is good and it’s a newer model, you can get a significant amount for it—possibly enough to cover around half the cost of a new iPhone if it’s from the previous year.
So, rather than using the same model for years, it might make more sense financially to upgrade yearly, which allows you to always have the latest model.
Although I prefer to use things for as long as possible, this experience made me consider changing my approach. It was an eye-opening reminder of the advantages of trading up more frequently.
