Now Is the Best Time to Sell Your iPhone 6: Here's Why

It's the time of the year when the smartphone industry and Apple's rivals are eagerly anticipating what the next addition to the Apple family will be.

While everyone is doing their guesswork on what Apple's got up their sleeve, we pulled the data from our price tracking system to see how the recycling prices for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are looking in the run up to Apple's yearly iPhone release.

Earlier this year at WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference), Apple revealed its next software version that will be running on the upcoming iPhone XI line-up, and will also be available for older generation iPhones and iPads this September. Despite the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus being great phones, with their largest ever screens and powered by a smart A8 chipset, they will turn 5 years old in a few weeks and the iOS 12 is the last version of software that they can upgrade to.

That said, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus won't be compatible with iOS 13 rolling out later this year which means that there's little time left before these 2014 iPhones will reach their lowest trade-in prices.

Looking Back

Apple is doing a remarkable job at keeping their iPhones supported for an additional few years in comparison to Android phones, but iOS support for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is about to end.

When the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were released with iOS 11 straight out of the box, the iPhone 5 and 5c stopped receiving software updates and recyclers dropped their offer prices significantly.

How Did iOS 11 Affect iPhone 5 Recycling Prices During Its Release in 2018?

According to our data, when the iPhone 5 lost iOS software support, resale prices were dropping by £3 a day or depreciated by 28% in 2 months following the iPhone 8 announcement day. Recycling prices for the iPhone 5 never recovered from this drop, depreciating even further, reaching current recycling prices of £20 on average. Notably, resale prices were at their peak for the iPhone 5 model just a few weeks prior to Apple's keynote in 2018. Our price tracking reveals an uptick of around £20 the month before the iPhone 8 launch.

How Did the iOS 11 Release in 2018 Affect iPhone 5c Recycling Prices?

The same pattern can be seen with iPhone 5c recycling prices as this iPhone model wasn't compatible with the new iOS 11 version once it rolled out in September 2018. Merchants were offering on average £12 more for an iPhone 5c prior to the iOS 11 release and that's when the 4 year old iPhone 5c could have fetched around £50. Since the iOS 11 distribution started, the iPhone 5c value has depreciated dramatically- by a further 60% since.

What Impact Will iOS 13 Have on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Recycling Prices?

Looking at the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus recycling price dynamics for the past 2 years, we can see that these iPhones are holding their value surprisingly well, given the fact that they were released 5 years ago.

We estimate that recycling prices are going to peak at just over £80 for the iPhone 6 (depending on capacity) and £90 for the iPhone 6 Plus (depending on capacity) prior to the iOS 13 release and the 2019 iPhone launch. Once Apple starts distributing the new iOS 13 for iPhone 6s and above, the value of iPhone 6 could drop to £40 and the iPhone 6 Plus could drop to £60 with a subsequent depreciation of around 60% over the next two years.

Reasons to Sell Your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus in August

When iOS 11 was released in 2018, the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c duo were the first of their kind to undergo considerable recycling price reductions due to incompatibility with the latest software update. It's safe to say that the iPhone 6 family is also likely to follow this pattern. Sell your Apple iPhone 6 nowGet up to £1.00!

According to our findings, selling your iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in August is your last chance to get the best price:

• iPhone trade-in prices generally go up in August in the run up to Apple's annual keynote
• Depending on capacity, iPhone 6 recycling prices could peak at £80, dropping to as low as £40 instantly after the iOS 13 roll out
• Also depending on capacity, iPhone 6 Plus trade-in prices are set to reach their peak at £90 and then drop to as low as £60 following the iOS 13 release
• Post-iOS 13 release, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will continue to depreciate, losing a further 30% of their value by Christmas

With the new iPhone lineup and the iOS 13 release around the corner, this is your last chance to get a higher trade-in offer before iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models start to lose their value irrevocably.