Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile

The When, Where, and How of selling your old iPhone

Molly McHugh
By

iphone 4 for saleThe time has come to purge yourself of that old iPhone in preparation of an upgrade. There are more than a few sites willing to take the soon-to-be antiquated model off your hands, but where do you turn? And what are the prices out there. Here’s a quick guide so you can order that new iPhone—whatever it may be—without too much buyer’s guilt.

When

The problem with this particular iPhone launch is that you aren’t guaranteed to need an upgrade—or want one just yet. Will there be enough that’s different about the 4S to justify upgrading from the 4? Is the 5 going to launch next month and you’d rather hold out? Sorry but those answers will have to wait until tomorrow.

Recommended Videos

Traditionally, however, we can tell you that today (the day before the next-gen model is announced) is typically the best day to sell your old iPhone. Once the iPhone whatever is announced tomorrow, retail value of your old model is guaranteed to drop. Be sure to pick up a cheap replacement for now until you can actually get your hands on the next iPhone, because you’re unlikely to be taking one home tomorrow.

Related

You’ll still be able to sell your old iPhone after tomorrow, but you’ll come closer to breaking even after your new purchase if you decide to sell today. Unfortunately since Apple has been playing with our emotions and making things as confusing as possible, selling your current handset today means you’re taking a leap of faith here. But if you’re willing to, here are your best bets for the highest return on investment.

Where

Old favorites like eBay and Craigslist work, as long as you make sure to research how much you should be selling your old iPhone for. There are also a few electronics resale sites that specifically cater to this type of situation:

  • NextWorth provides a value estimator as well as a guarantee that you can get $250 for a 16-32GB AT&T iPhone 4 before tomorrow. Some retail stores actually have NextWorth assistance so you don’t have to go about the process online.
  • Gazelle is offering $250 for “flawless” iPhone 4s, or $169 if there are a few scratches.
  • BuyMyTronics will calculate how much your iPhone is worth based on its condition as well as what accessories you can include with it. Prices also vary by provider.
  • This is just the tip of the iceberg. Cash For iPhones, iPhones Into Cash, Recellular, and Cash Your Tech are all in the electronics resale business.
  • Instant sale by eBay remains you best bet, given the immense amount of eyes that will get a look at your iPhone. Craigslist also has its benefits: Dealing in cash and being able to sell and get your money the same day is a definite bonus.

How much can I get for my iPhone 4?

Here’s a quick round-up of some of the best prices we saw on the most popular sites for reselling your old iPhone.

Ebay Instant Sale: iPhone 4s (used) cash in for up to $280; white models go for more.

Craigslist: We saw iPhone 4s listed for as much as $500. Also spotted a couple of wanted ads for the iPhone 4 from people willing to pay $350-400.

NextWorth: $250 (Verizon models seem to net a little less, generally between $165-$172).

Gazelle: An AT&T iPhone 4 16GB in good condition will get you $191, and a flawless model brings in $264. The 32GB is (respectively) $206 or $284. The Verizon models go for a little less, ranging between $150 and $238, depending on size.

What about my iPhone 3GS?

If you’ve really been waiting and holding onto that iPhone 3GS, this is still definitely the time to sell.

Ebay Instant Sale: The 3GS sells for between $168 and $216.75.

Craigslist: We saw ads for anywhere between $120 and $200.

NextWorth: Between $121.11-$144.

Gazelle: Flawless 3GS models can get you anywhere between $147 and $206. For the “good” units out there, you can take home $116-$158.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Molly McHugh
Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
iPhone SE 4: news, rumored price, release date, and more
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) and Apple iPhone SE (2020) together.

While the spotlight always seems to be on Apple’s mainline iPhones, the iPhone SE is a great pick for those who are on a budget. If you want an iPhone that doesn't break the bank, the SE is the way to go.

The original iPhone SE came out in 2016, and then Apple revamped it in 2020 and 2022 by giving it some more modern hardware. The iPhone SE tends to get updated every two or so years rather than annually like the traditional iPhone. This means  that we should see a new iPhone SE 4 this year, but it’s not so cut-and-dried with this particular model.

Read more
Here’s how Apple could change your iPhone forever
An iPhone 15 Pro Max laying on its back, showing its home screen.

Over the past few months, Apple has released a steady stream of research papers detailing its work with generative AI. So far, Apple has been tight-lipped about what exactly is cooking in its research labs, while rumors circulate that Apple is in talks with Google to license its Gemini AI for iPhones.

But there have been a couple of teasers of what we can expect. In February, an Apple research paper detailed an open-source model called MLLM-Guided Image Editing (MGIE) that is capable of media editing using natural language instructions from users. Now, another research paper on Ferret UI has sent the AI community into a frenzy.

Read more
There’s a big problem with the iPhone’s Photos app
The Apple iPhone 15 Plus's gallery app.

While my primary device these days continues to be my iPhone 15 Pro, I’ve dabbled with plenty of Android phones since I’ve been here at Digital Trends. One of my favorite brands of phone has been the Google Pixel because of its strong suite of photo-editing tools and good camera hardware.

Google first added the Magic Eraser capability with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which is a tool I love using. Then, with the Pixel 8 series, Google added the Magic Editor, which uses generative AI to make edits that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. There are also tools like Photo Unblur, which is great for old photographs and enhancing images that were captured with low-quality sensors.

Read more