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Envirofone.
Using ten weeks of live UK trade-in pricing, Envirofone’s analysis shows that the Apple iPhone Air is depreciating materially faster than other iPhone 17 models. Trade-in pricing is widely regarded as an early indicator of long-term desirability because it reflects refurbisher risk rather than launch-period marketing momentum. At the ten-week mark, the Air already sits outside Apple’s recent historical norms.
This matters not just for refurbishers, but also for consumers thinking ahead to resale or searching where to sell my iPhone in the future.
Within the iPhone 17 family, Pro and Pro Max variants continue to retain value most effectively, followed by the standard models. Every iPhone Air configuration currently appears in the lower tier of resale performance. Most notably, higher-capacity Air models are showing weaker value retention, reversing the usual trend where increased storage supports stronger second-hand demand.
For consumers planning ahead and factoring resale into their buying decisions, this divergence is already influencing expectations around future sell my iPhone prices.
When compared with previous iPhone generations, the Air underperforms on average depreciation. While the broader iPhone 17 range is holding value better than the iPhone 16 at the same stage, it still trails the iPhone 15. At ten weeks post-launch, the Air is depreciating roughly ten percentage points faster than the overall iPhone 17 average, highlighting a clear risk premium attached to its ultra-thin design.
The iPhone 15 continues to set the benchmark for resale resilience in the UK market. Its incremental design changes, predictable repair pathways, and stable component architecture support ongoing second-hand demand. Many UK refurbishers report that iPhone 15 devices still move through resale channels faster than newer models when competitively priced, making them a strong reference point for anyone planning to sell my iPhone later.
Outside the Air, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are tracking ahead of the iPhone 16 range at the same lifecycle stage. Familiar dimensions, stable thermal performance, and well-understood repair economics underpin this strength. UK buyers historically favour evolutionary upgrades, especially when devices are expected to be kept for two to three years before resale.
From a refurbishment perspective, ultra-thin devices introduce higher operational risk. Increased repair complexity, denser internal layouts, uncertain parts availability, and perceived fragility are all priced into trade-in values early. While these factors may not affect daily use immediately, refurbishers managing volume risk factor them into valuation models long before consumers feel any impact.
One of the most notable findings is the inversion of the storage value curve for the iPhone Air. Higher-storage variants are depreciating faster, suggesting buyers are questioning whether storage premiums are justified on devices with less certain long-term durability or repair economics. This is a significant shift for a market where storage has traditionally boosted sell my iPhone prices.
Cost-of-living pressures continue to reshape UK buying habits. Resale value is increasingly considered at the point of purchase, with fewer consumers upgrading annually. Experimental designs therefore face heightened scrutiny, as future resale demand becomes harder to predict.
For trade-in platforms, the iPhone Air currently represents higher provisioning risk and slower expected resale velocity. While not a failure, current pricing suggests that market confidence has yet to settle, a signal that both refurbishers and consumers watching sell my iPhone values are taking seriously.
Apple has historically reduced early volatility through software optimisation, improved repair pathways, and ecosystem maturity. If long-term durability proves stronger than early assumptions, depreciation could moderate. For now, however, pricing places the Air in a weaker position than any mainstream iPhone since the iPhone 14.
The next six months will be decisive in determining whether the iPhone Air stabilises or remains a design-led niche. At present, the UK resale market is delivering a clear and cautious verdict through trade-in pricing.
Distributed by Pressat