Android smartphones depreciate much faster than iPhone

SellCell took a look at tech depreciation and created a great report revealing the least and most devalued high-tech devices, including smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches.

It’s no secret that technology loses value over time, and as new technological advancements are made constantly, it can be difficult for an old device to keep up with newer releases.

Technology depreciation is an unpredictable game – sometimes the products that lose value fastest are the ones least expected, and sometimes the underdog wins out.

To reveal depreciation levels for tech products through 2022, phone and tech exchange comparison site SellCell has compiled a report on device depreciation through the end of 2022.

SellCell compared data from devices from Google, Samsung and Apple, with a range of other technologies, including tablets, smartphones, game consoles and smartwatches.

Apple’s iPhone holds the smartphone crown and Sony’s PS5 takes the top spot

The biggest winners of 2022 (devices that have the most value)

1. Smartphone: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 2021, depreciated by 44.6% of its MSRP by December 11, 2022.
2. Tablet: 2021 Apple iPad Pro 11 3rd Generation depreciating by only 56.7% of its value by December 2022.
3. Smartwatch: Apple Watch Series 7 45mm Aluminum, depreciated by 71.2% of its MSRP through December 2022.
4. Game console: Sony PlayStation 5 has depreciated 25.0% of its MSRP by December 2022.

2022 Biggest Losers

1. Smartphone: Google 2016 Pixel XL, depreciated by 98.6% of its original value by December 2022.
2. Tablet: Samsung 2018 Tab A 10.5, marked down 94.8% from MSRP in December 2022. Samsung 2021 Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, marked down 86.9%.
3. Smartwatch: The 2020 Samsung Watch 3 45mm lost 95.6% of its original value by December 2022.
4. Game console: The 2019 Nintendo Switch Lite, depreciated by 65.0% of its value by December 2022. The Xbox Series S, depreciated by 53.3% of its original MSRP.

In most categories, Apple was the clear leader. On average, iPhone depreciation across all models was around 68.8%, down from 58.7% in January 2022. Similarly, the iPad experienced an average loss of 67, 9% in December 2022.

Unfortunately for Samsung, the same cannot be said for its smartphone models, with the average depreciation of all models being around 84.2% by December 2022. In January 2022, this figure was already high at 76, 4%. Samsung tablets have also seen an 84.3% drop in value by December 2022.

Similarly, Google’s Pixel line of phones saw an average depreciation of 89.5% through December 11, 2022.

Interestingly, smartwatches in general saw significant depreciation regardless of manufacturer, with Apple Watch models losing around 83.3% of their launch price and Samsung smartwatches seeing an 87.9% depreciation.

Game consoles experienced the lowest levels of depreciation of any technology compiled in the report:

• Sony PlayStation 5 (25%)
• Microsoft Xbox Series X (36%)
• Nintendo Switch (43.3%)
• Microsoft Xbox Series S (53.3%)
• Nintendo Switch Lite (65%)

The COO of SellCell.com, Sarah McConomy, commented on the report’s findings :

“Technology in general tends to lose value relatively quickly, as new models of smartphones and tablets come out all the time and each improves on the previous generation with additional features and higher specs. With the high demand and popularity of Apple products, it’s no surprise that they have come out on top in most categories this year.” she says.

SellCell main findings

• The best performing smartphone is the iPhone 13 Pro Max, depreciating by only 44.6%.
• The best performing device overall is Sony’s PS5, losing only 25.0% of its value.
• Apple trounces Samsung across smartphones, losing on average 68.8% of its value vs. Samsung’s 84.2%.
• Google’s smartphone’s fare the worst, losing 89.5% of their value on average, across all models.
• iPhone undeniably holds its value better than any other handset. For smartphones launched in the past three years, the iPhone 14 Pro Max 128GB loses only 26.9% of its MSRP since launch in September 2022, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max 128 GB relinquishing only 39.9% of its value between January-December ’21.
• In terms of Apple flagships launched in the last three years, the iPhone 14 Pro Max 1TB has performed the worst out of Apple 14 Pro Max range, losing 36.8% of its value since September 2022. The iPhone 13 Mini 512 GB is Apple’s overall poorest performer in 2022, seeing its value depreciate 58.5% (which is still excellent, compared to some Android phones).
• For Android smartphones released in the past three years, the best performance in terms of depreciation is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G 128GB, which has lost 58.2% of its value since launch. The Pixel 6a is Google’s most valuable handset, losing 66.6% of its value since launch in July 2022.
• Apple performs well with tablets, too. The iPad Mini 6th Gen is its best-performing 2021 slate, losing only 52.2% of its value. The Samsung Tab S7 FE (2021) has lost 75.3% of its value since 2021.

• The Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm Aluminum model) has lost a mere 16.2% of its value between January and December ’22, while the 2021 Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 (44mm) only saw its value depreciate by 13.6%.
• For games consoles, Sony’s PS5 is the undisputed champion. Despite a 2020 release, the console is still holding its value well, with a 15.0% depreciation in 2022. Depreciating by a total of 25.0% of its MSRP since launch.
• Apple’s latest iPhone 14 Pro Max 128GB appears to perform the best, depreciating by 26.9%, although Apple only released it at the end of Q3, so it doesn’t have 12 months’ data.
• The iPhone 13 Pro Max 128Gb is the best performer with a full 12 months’ data, losing only 39.9% of its initial 2021 launch value.
• Apple’s worst performer is the SE 2nd Gen (2020) 64GB, which has lost 79.7% of its launch MSRP.
• The best performing Samsung smartphone is the Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G 128GB, which has lost 58.2% of its value. The 256GB model has lost 58.8% of its value since launch.
• Samsung’s S20 5G 128GB is its worst performer. In fact, it is the worst performer overall, losing 85.8% of its value.
• Google occupies the middle ground. The Pixel 6a retained the most value, with depreciation at 66.6% vs. launch MSRP. Google only released the handset in July 2022, though.
• Google’s most-depreciating handset is the Pixel 5 128GB, which has a depreciation value of 80.7%.