iPhone 17 Pro Max Curiously Becomes Most Traded-In Smartphone

New trade-in data indicates that Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max has rapidly become the single most traded-in smartphone.

According to a new report from SellCell, Apple's latest flagship iPhone has quickly risen to the top of the independent trade-in market, accounting for 11.5% of all devices appearing in the top-20 trade-in rankings just months after release. The analysis is based on SellCell internal trade-in data and secondary market pricing trends gathered from 40 independent iPhone buyers.

The ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max's share of the top-20 trade-in rankings increased from about 5.1% in late November to 11.5% by early February, more than doubling in approximately 12 weeks. 86% of traded-in units were categorized as being in mint or good condition, suggesting many owners are selling soon after purchase.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max remain prominent, each accounting for approximately 7.3% of trade-ins, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 13 sit at 7.2% of trade-ins each. The top-20 devices collectively represent around 47% of all trade-in activity.

Trade-in rankings typically reflect a wide mix of devices at different points in their lifecycle, with older models often dominating resale volume due to large installed bases and the natural upgrade cycle. The ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max's rapid rise is therefore notable because the device only entered the market relatively recently yet has already become the most frequently traded-in model across the tracked channels.

The ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max has apparently lost approximately 25.4% of its value since launch when measuring average resale prices for mint-condition devices over a 145-day period. Over an equivalent timeframe, the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max lost roughly 32.5% of its value. This represents more than 7% lower depreciation for the newer model and translates to as much as $95 in additional retained value compared with the previous generation over the same period.

SellCell attributes early trade-ins primarily to strong resale pricing. Average resale values for mint-condition ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max devices currently sit around $967.50. Premium smartphones can function as short-term assets that owners may sell to release cash when needed, so the ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro Max's rise to the top of trade-ins likely reflects broader economic conditions.