It happened quietly. No fanfare, no keynote. Just a shift in the numbers. Apple updated its trade-in prices for iPhones, iPads, watches, and Macs. Most of you looking to upgrade will see more cash. Or at least, more credit on your next bill.
Remember: the figures listed are ceilings. Max potential. Not promises. Actual value hinges on condition. Storage size. That weird dent you got at the bar. The usual stuff.
Older models still lag behind. The hierarchy remains intact.
Who won? Who didn’t
Some devices barely moved. Others didn’t move at all. The second-gen iPhone SE took a hit. The original Watch Ultra? Lower. So did the iMac Pro. The Mac Pro too. Ouch.
But generally? Things got better.
Here’s the breakdown.
iPhone highlights:
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: up to $490 (up $25)
- iPhone 16: up to $460 (up $25)
- iPhone SE (3rd gen): up to $80 (up $5)
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: up to $375 (up $25)
- iPhone 13 Pro: up to $260 (up $20)
- iPhone 14 Pro: up to $320 (up $25)
- iPhone 15 Pro: up to $410 (up $35)
The Pro models from 13 through 15 saw the sharpest percentage jumps. Up to 9.3% on the 15 Pro. Respectable.
Other devices:
- MacBook Air: up to $520 (up $35)
- Mac Mini: up to $375 (up $35). Biggest boost percentage-wise, actually. Over 10%.
- Mac Studio: up to $1,045 (up $70). A solid chunk of change.
- iPad: up to $235 (up $15)
- iPad Mini: up to $265 (up $15)
- Watch SE (2nd gen): up to $60 (up $5)
- Watch Ultra 2: up to $305 (up $10)
- Watch Series 9: up to $130 (up $10)
None of this breaks 10%. The adjustments are tame. Controlled.
The Mac Mini led the pack with a 10.3% bump, climbing from $340 to a maximum of $375.
The Intel problem
This part confuses me. Why does Apple still take trade-ins for Intel chips?
They switched to their own silicon in 2020. By 2023 they went all in. Exclusive. So why is there a market for almost a decade-old architecture? Sites like BackMarket keep them alive. Maybe nostalgia. Maybe ignorance.
MacOS 27 is next. No native support for Intel. Only emulation via Rosetta by MacOS 28.
If you have an iMac Pro: trade it. Now. Before it’s trash. I mean it. It’s a computer reviewer’s plea.
Android gets left behind
While Apple’s ecosystem got a sugar rush, Android got the axe. Samsung Galaxy S23? Dropped. S24? Dropped entirely.
None of the remaining Samsung models went up. Some actually dipped by $5.
I asked Apple about this. We’ll see if they answer. Or if they just ignore me like they ignore most emails.
Timing matters
This isn’t random.
WWDC hits June 8. Major developer event. Historically, this is when hardware drops happen to showcase new OS capabilities. Last time? 2023. Vision Pro. New MacBook Airs.
Silence since. Until now? Maybe.
Then there’s supply chain chaos. AI wants everything. GPUs. Memory. Storage. Prices for these parts are spiking. Shortages everywhere. Phone prices are creeping up. Configuration options shrinking.
So why raise trade-in values right now?
Maybe it’s a band-aid. For the sticker shock. Upgrade prices are painful. Apple knows this. They give you a little back to make the bleeding stop.
Or maybe they’re just cleaning house.
Will it work?
Who knows. We’ll keep spending anyway. That’s Apple’s bet.
