Study finds iPhone resale value at 63%, Android 46% after a year

We usually associate resale value with property, but thinking of the resale value of handsets before purchasing them sounds vague, doesn't it? A study by priceonomics, gives a fair idea about the resale value of the leading phones. Obviously, we are here to speak about the crème de la crème of the handset market – iPhone and Android smartphones, along with the struggling BlackBerry smartphones. So, if you have bought an iPhone, then its resale value after six months will be 89 percent, while an Android phone will fetch you around 66 percent in the same span of time.

Resale value, who all would really consider it?

The study claims to have examined several iPhone models and 70 most popular Android phones, alongside 30 popular BlackBerry handsets. Moreover, the study doesn’t consider the high, off-contract price of iPhones or the economical options for Android buyers. The study is based only on hardware, and doesn’t compare carrier charges, and is inclined towards American resale values considering the location of Pricenomics’ user base.

Furthermore, this doesn’t seem getting anywhere close to good for Android fans. After 12 months of purchase of the iPhone, the value depreciates to 63 percent, while that of Android devices falls to 46 percent. 18 months down the line, while prices of the iPhone fall to 53 percent, that of Android falls to 43 percent and that of Blackberry smartphones to 41 percent.

This clearly shows that iPhone hardware comes across as promising and is not just about the glam look. However, there are several manufacturers who dish out sturdy and rugged designed Android phones, too. Moreover, one doesn’t look at the high-end device with the sale perspective, usually, unless the owner isn’t too happy with the phone and decides to get rid of it, using the resale value for a better buy.

The study also points out that paying for additional memory space does not help improve the resale value. It also says that breaking a contract and paying fee is much cheaper than purchasing an off-contract smartphone. On the Android front, prepaid Androids hold more value, compared to Android devices tied in a contract.