It’s common knowledge that Apple products tend to hold their value better than non-Apple products over time. However, recent data from SellCell suggests that this trend may be shifting.
According to SellCell’s report, iPhones still maintain their value better than other brands, but they are depreciating at a faster rate with each new release. On the other hand, Samsung’s flagship models are starting to retain their value for longer periods. For instance, the iPhone has experienced a nearly 5% decrease in value year-over-year since the launch of the iPhone 12, with the iPhone 16 losing value 8% faster than its predecessor. In just two weeks after its release, the iPhone 16 has lost an average of 41.2% of its value, a significant drop compared to the iPhone 14 and 15 models, which lost 33% and 33.2%, respectively.
Looking at the year-over-year depreciation rates for iPhones, the iPhone 11 depreciated by 43.8% within the first year of its launch. This percentage increased to 46.2% for the iPhone 13 and 48.2% for the iPhone 15.
In contrast, Samsung’s depreciation rate is slowing down. The Galaxy S22 series lost 66.7% of its value in the year following its launch, while the Galaxy S23 only lost 61.7%. This represents a 5.6% improvement in value retention. Even the newer Galaxy S24, which hasn’t been on the market for a full year, has shown an average loss of just 50.4% within the first six months across all models, a 3.7% increase compared to the S23 over the same period.
The decline in value of these phones is not due to a decrease in quality but rather increased competition. Samsung continues to enhance its products with improved functionality, new features, and enhanced build quality. The ongoing advancements in Android have also made it more appealing to former Apple users, attracting a broader customer base.
This unexpected shift in the market challenges the perception of Apple devices as retaining high resale value. It demonstrates that Samsung is consistently enhancing its phone offerings and delivering greater value to consumers, without implying that Apple is producing inferior products. Both the iPhone 16 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 are exceptional devices.
As the gap between the two platforms narrows, consumer choices in the phone market may be driven more by personal style preferences than brand loyalty.
