How to sell your iPhone

So you want to sell your old iPhone. Great idea! Used iPhones in good condition can command some serious cash on the market. Hell, some websites will even pay $100 for a dead iPhone X (64GB).

Older iPhone models recently dropped in value thanks to the release of the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. But that doesn't mean you can't still get a good deal on your old baby. And you can put the money you make towards a shiny new iPhone! 

Here's what you need to do before you sell and how to get the best value.

Step one: Back up your iPhone

Stop right there. Before you go rushing off to turn your iPhone into cash, your absolutely must wipe it of your personal content first. You never want to let any of your personal information, especially security information, fall into unknown hands.

But before wiping your phone’s memory, you should make sure that you have all your content backed up either on iCloud, Google, or on your home PC or laptop.

iCloud backup

If you’re using iOS 5 or later, then iCloud should automatically back up the most important data on your iPhone once every 24 hours. For this to happen your device has to be connected to a WiFi network, plugged in to a power source, and the screen must be locked.

To manually backup go to Settings – iCloud – Backup.

Once the backup is complete, remember to deactivate the iPhone from your iCloud account. Go to www.icloud.com/find, click on Devices at the top of the screen and select the iPhone you are selling and choose Remove from Account.

iTunes backup

If iCloud isn't your style, or if you just want a second backup (it's never a bad idea!) you can manually back your iPhone up to a PC, Mac or laptop via iTunes.

You'll need to connect your iPhone to your computer via the USB cable. Open iTunes and go to Devices. Find your phone and click Back Up.

Wait until the process is finished before disconnecting – this could take a while, depending on the amount of stuff on your iPhone.

Step two: Reset your iPhone

Now that you're all backed up, you need to wipe your information off it by resetting. This part is easy. Go to Settings – General – Reset – Erase All Content and Settings. 

This will completely wipe your phone clean and reset it to its out-of-the-box factory default settings. Once that's done – congrats! You are now safe to sell.

Step three: Sell your iPhone

Now you're ready to sell, you have two basic options: set up a private sale or go through a reselling business. Which one you choose will depend on how confident you are using sites like eBay and how much you think you can get through each method. We'll take you through how to work that out next. 

Private sale

If you don't want to go through a reselling business, eBay is probably your best option for selling your old iPhone. If you're going down this route, we recommend using the Australian eBay and not the American one: it makes shipping easier, and often ensures a better price for gadgets, as Aussies are (unfortunately) used to paying a premium for tech.

Begin by searching eBay for other used iPhones of the same generation, model and storage size as yours, to check out the going rate. Prices will vary, of course, but at the time of writing a pre-owned iPhone 8 64GB is selling for $335+ on eBay's "buy it now" function. 

If you're selling via auction, it’s a good idea to set a starting price a bit lower than the current going rate of similar models that already have bids running on them. Sellers should remember that, more than anywhere else, eBay prices are subject to change – and if you're listing an item at low cost hoping to spark a bidding war, you may be disappointed. You should also pay attention to trends. For example, a white model is more likely to sell for less than a black one.

When setting up your listing make sure you include your model type, colour, and on-board storage size, i.e. “iPhone 7, 16GB model, Rose Gold”. Try your best to pack your iPhone as you originally bought it, and if you still have the box, use it. If possible, include all the original accessories. If you don't have them, you'll probably need to lower your asking price.

Use a reseller

If you’d prefer not to roll the dice with strangers, there are websites that will make selling your old iPhone easy. These operations tend to be painless to deal with and are quick to pay once they've received your handset.

How it works is that you visit the site, select your iPhone model, answer some basic questions about the condition of the device, and get a quote. The company then sends you a box to safely post your phone to them. Once they have inspected your handset and ensured its in the condition you described, you'll receive your money via cheque or direct bank transfer.

These businesses work like pawn shops, and are required to operate like them. That means you'll probably need to send them a photocopy of your I.D. before they can take your old phone. 

Here are some of the reputable sites we know about that will exchange your old iPhone for cash.

Mazuma

Mazuma is a trade-in site that will give you actual money for your device, and accepts models from the iPhone 2G all the way up to the iPhone X.

You'll need to specify the condition of your phone and Mazuma provides options from "Excellent" condition all the way down to "Dead". Mazuma provides a definition of each "condition" and you should be sure to read these carefully.

Once you finish selecting your phone and condition, you'll get a quote from Mazuma. If you choose to accept the quote you'll be sent a return post bag for your phone. Mazuma will deposit money in your account once they receive and inspect your device.

Mobile Monster

Mobile Monster is another trade-in site. This site currently accepts all models from the iPhone 4 and up, and has three categories for device conditions: As New, Working or Dead.

Like Mazuma, Mobile Monster starts with an initial quote, and then adjusts according to your phone's condition. If you've got a working, fault-free iPhone X 64GB, Mobile Monster is currently offering $810 (with the option to settle at $730 if the company finds your phone does not meet "as new" conditions). You can even get $100 for your iPhone X 64GB if it's dead. Not too shabby.

Cashaphone

Cashaphone is yet another trade-in site. Just like the other sites we've discussed, Cashaphone offers cash for your iPhone, and they’ll even take the iPhone 4s (albeit for a paltry $10).

Cashaphone defines conditions for each model: Working, Partly Working or Broken. On top of that. Cashaphone has special categories for iPhones with "iCloud on". That means an iPhone that hasn't had iCloud deactivated (we describe how to do this in step one). You'll notice there's a big difference between what Cashaphone will pay for an "iCloud on" phone and what they'll pay for one that has been totally wiped. That alone should be a good enough reason to wipe your phone!

For a good condition iPhone  X, you should be able to expect the following prices: