Brand guides
Selling an old iPhone in India: what yours is worth
iPhones are the easiest phones in India to sell and the easiest to get wrong, because three Apple-specific checks decide most of the price.
What iPhones fetch right now
Ceilings move weekly, so treat this as a shape rather than a quote. The live Apple price list has the current number for every model and storage tier we buy.
| Generation | Typical top-condition ceiling | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Latest Pro Max | ₹1,10,000–1,25,000 | Highest ceiling in the book |
| Latest standard | ₹65,000–80,000 | Drops fastest in September |
| Two generations back, Pro | ₹45,000–60,000 | Best value-retention band |
| Four to five years old | ₹12,000–22,000 | Battery health decides the band |
| Six years and older | ₹4,000–9,000 | Priced close to the floor |
The three checks that decide your price
Is Activation Lock off?
Settings › your name › Find My › Find My iPhone, switched off with your Apple ID password, then Sign Out at the bottom of the Apple ID page. A locked iPhone is a paperweight to the next owner and no legitimate buyer completes the purchase. Full steps in removing iCloud Activation Lock.
Is the display original?
Settings › General › About shows a Parts and Service History entry on recent models — a non-genuine display, battery or camera is named there. A third-party screen typically costs more in deductions than the repair saved, which is why we advise against pre-sale screen replacement.
What is the battery health?
Settings › Battery › Battery Health & Charging. Above 85% is clean; 80–85% is a minor deduction; below 80% is a fault. An iPhone that says "Service" will be graded there regardless of the number.
Apple-specific things people forget
- Unpair your Apple Watch first, or it stays tied to an Apple ID you are about to sign out of.
- Delete the eSIM if you are not transferring it — Settings › Cellular › your plan › Delete eSIM.
- Keep the box. Apple boxes are worth more at resale than most Android packaging because refurbishers resell them complete.
- Don't erase from a computer only. Erasing without signing out leaves Activation Lock in place.
Timing an iPhone sale
The September launch is the single most important date in the Indian iPhone resale calendar. Prices for the outgoing two generations reset downward within weeks of it. If you plan to upgrade to the new model, sell the old one in July or August — the phone you are holding is worth measurably more before the keynote than after it.
More on this in the best time to sell your phone.
iPhone storage tiers and what they are worth
Apple's storage ladder has a larger effect on Indian resale than on most Android ranges, because the base tier on older iPhones is genuinely limiting for a second owner.
| Variant | Position at resale | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 64GB (older models) | Weakest | Second owners avoid it; expect the lowest ceiling of the model |
| 128GB | Baseline | The volume seller, and the easiest to sell quickly |
| 256GB | Best balance | Usually returns the largest share of the upgrade you paid for |
| 512GB / 1TB | Highest rupees, lowest return | A smaller pool of buyers wants it |
Check yours in Settings › General › About › Capacity before quoting. On an iPhone the difference between 128GB and 256GB of the same generation regularly runs to several thousand rupees, and quoting the wrong one is the most common reason a price changes at pickup.
Frequently asked questions
- How much can I get for my old iPhone in India?
- Anywhere from a few thousand rupees for a six-year-old model to well over a lakh for a current Pro Max in top condition. Check the live Apple price list for your exact model and storage tier.
- Does a third-party screen reduce an iPhone's value?
- Substantially. Most price books ask whether the display is original, and a non-Apple panel triggers one of the largest single deductions in the table.
- Do I need to turn off Find My iPhone before selling?
- Yes. Find My keeps Activation Lock in place, and the buyer cannot activate or resell the phone until you sign out of your Apple ID on the device.
- Is battery health important on an iPhone?
- Yes — it is one of the few condition figures a buyer can verify instantly. Below 80% is treated as a fault requiring replacement.
- Which iPhone storage variant holds value best?
- 256GB usually returns the largest share of what the upgrade cost. Older 64GB models are the weakest at resale, because second owners find them limiting.