Has anyone found a sweet spot in keeping up with purchasing the latest ipad and selling the previous one? i am not sure if it works out better to update frequently or to keep a device a long time and gain value from the purchase that way. Do you use ebay, Music Magpie etc.? Any advice as I have always passed the device on to a family me,ber and never sold. Thanks.
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All iPads Buying latest device and selling the old one.
- Thread starter Pearlbutton
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I usually pass on my old iPad to a family member or friend who could use it. If there isn't anyone to take it, then I usually trade it in toward the purchase of its replacement. One reason why trade-ins work for me is that I never pay full MSRP... I'm a bit of a bargain hunter and can buy new Apple devices for less than Apple sells refurbished models. With a lower upfront cost, there is less pressure to eek out the maximum on the resale/trade-in in order to make the deal financially prudent.
I never sell them. There are way too many obsessive people who will nitpick anything and everything to get you to lower the price, or scammers who will outright try to steal it.
Yes, there are many who have great experiences selling their older devices, that's great for them, and I'm not trying to invalidate their first-hand experiences.
As for when to switch from my current device to a newer one, there isn't a hard-and-fast rule that I follow. It greatly depends upon the device I currently own and what is available.
For example, a while ago I had moved over to a Samsung Galaxy Tab 6 as my primary tablet. But when Apple released the 9th gen iPad, I knew that it was going to be the last of the classic design with a physical home button and headphone jack. Because I prefer the classic design over the newer ones, I bought that. When the iPad Mini 5 was released, I knew that it too would be the last of that design so I traded in my Mini 4 (that I only had for 2 years or so)
Iirc, if you get the lowest storage wifi model, the annual depreciation is equivalent to keeping it a long time then selling.
Alas, I usually get the highest capacity cellular and those don't tend to hold their value well. Hence, I keep them as long as possible and give them to family members when I upgrade.
Alas, I usually get the highest capacity cellular and those don't tend to hold their value well. Hence, I keep them as long as possible and give them to family members when I upgrade.
I used to sell in advance of the Apple announcements to get the best price - residual prices were much better in the early days. Now it’s more a matter of buying at the right price.
If you’re prepared to go without an iPad for a while, you can get a decent discount on a new or refurbished one, but that isn’t an option for most people. The last ‘refurbished’ model I got was from Amazon Warehouse, taking advantage of a promotion, but those are harder to come by now.
I use eBay to sell and always make use of the £1 final value fee or 80% off promotions. Make sure you enable notifications for these in your seller preferences.
If you’re not familiar with selling on eBay, I would suggest you sell some smaller items first to get used to it and build up your feedback as a seller.
Music Magpie sells on eBay so you're effectively cutting out the middle-man and will get a much better price than they will offer, but the risks are increased.
Also, sell any Apple accessories separately to get the best price e.g. Pencil, Magic Keyboard, etc. Inexpensive third-party cases probably won't make much difference as they will have little value anyway.
If you’re prepared to go without an iPad for a while, you can get a decent discount on a new or refurbished one, but that isn’t an option for most people. The last ‘refurbished’ model I got was from Amazon Warehouse, taking advantage of a promotion, but those are harder to come by now.
I use eBay to sell and always make use of the £1 final value fee or 80% off promotions. Make sure you enable notifications for these in your seller preferences.
If you’re not familiar with selling on eBay, I would suggest you sell some smaller items first to get used to it and build up your feedback as a seller.
Music Magpie sells on eBay so you're effectively cutting out the middle-man and will get a much better price than they will offer, but the risks are increased.
Also, sell any Apple accessories separately to get the best price e.g. Pencil, Magic Keyboard, etc. Inexpensive third-party cases probably won't make much difference as they will have little value anyway.
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I have found that Apple devices tend to have infrequent major upgrades, interspersed with more frequent minor upgrades (like a spec bump). IMO, the "best" time to upgrade is when there is a major upgrade, or when a particular feature is added that you want, rather than after a certain number of years.
That being said, I expect the resale value to drop significantly after 5 years, because it starts to lose support for the latest iPadOS and Apple classifies it as "vintage."
That being said, I expect the resale value to drop significantly after 5 years, because it starts to lose support for the latest iPadOS and Apple classifies it as "vintage."
Depends on a lot of things, the frequency of upgrades, ability to purchase without selling, etc, but if you ask me by preference alone, I don’t upgrade frequently and I take care of my devices, so I keep them. I’ve had three iPads: an iPad 4 (it broke); a 9.7-inch iPad Pro (which I still have); and an Air 5 (main device).
I agree with the advice about getting the lowest capacity Wi-Fi-only device if your biggest concern is resale value as a percentage of original purchase price. That said, it probably depends on your use case. The iPad Air 5th gen is a popular device because it gets a lot of the “advanced” features of the 11” iPad Pro for $200 less (albeit with only 64GB and 256GB options, and a lesser quality camera). It gets full Stage Manager support and with the M1 should get at least 2 more “full” iPadOS upgrades.
But if you are just using an iPad for content consumption, the 9th gen is still “good enough” for most, and once the 10th gen starts getting discounted, it could warrant a harder look, as well.
10th gen definitely slid into that territory before Christmas- coming down to $399 or even $389 at many retailers.... I think that is a really good price point for what it is- I have played around with one of these and the hate it gets in the online reviews really isn't fair- it's a great device, the screen looks great, it is really fast, I don't notice any difference at all playing with it vs. the Air 5th gen in the store, so without seeing the specs I wouldn't know that one is an A14 with 4GB RAM and the other is an M1 with 8 GB RAM.
The Pencil concern is understandable- for me I would just use a 3rd party pencil anyway, but even some of those have magnets in them to stick to the side of the case of the Air and Pro models (even though they charge via a cable), and so it is annoying that the pencil won't stick to the side of the 10th gen....
But aside from that, it's a great device! I am regretting not getting one before that sub-$400 price sale ended at all of the retailers....
I have this experience with iPhones even though I tell myself every year I do not need the newest model. T-mobile/BestBuy has had pretty decent deals regarding how much credit you get. I sell a lot of items on the marketplace, and with the time it takes to sell an iPhone, I feel like it makes sense to just get slightly less by trading last year's iPhone in. For someone who doesn't have experience selling in the marketplace, it might even more sense to just trade your old iPhone in.
For the iPad, I have the 2018 iPad pro(512gb), and based on the features of the newest ipads I have very little reason to upgrade especially since the best pro apps run like butter on old iPad pros.
For the iPad, I have the 2018 iPad pro(512gb), and based on the features of the newest ipads I have very little reason to upgrade especially since the best pro apps run like butter on old iPad pros.
I tend to keep my iDevices until they won't run the current iOS, ipadOS, etc.
iosref.com
Once they fall to "Vintage" status, I sometimes re-purpose them (to a lesser role) or gift-it-away to family members. Many of their requirements for an iPad are minimal. They also like them for their kids to play on (so they don't have to use mommy's). 
Can't say I've ever tried to sell one or trade-it-in. By the time we are finished with them ... seems like a lot of trouble for just a bit of money. I do like to properly and securely recycle them though (like if battery puffs-up) ... you can do that at the Apple store.
As for buying ... I always buy new iDevices. Nice models (that fit my current needs) and with lots of internal memory. My first iPhone was a 5 with only 16gb of memory. I swore I would never limit myself like that again. For iPhones, unlocked (directly from Apple) seems best.
iOS version by device — iOS Ref
Tables showing the first and maximum iOS versions for each iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Can't say I've ever tried to sell one or trade-it-in. By the time we are finished with them ... seems like a lot of trouble for just a bit of money. I do like to properly and securely recycle them though (like if battery puffs-up) ... you can do that at the Apple store.
As for buying ... I always buy new iDevices. Nice models (that fit my current needs) and with lots of internal memory. My first iPhone was a 5 with only 16gb of memory. I swore I would never limit myself like that again. For iPhones, unlocked (directly from Apple) seems best.
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This is good advice. I picked up a refurb iPad Pro 12.9 M2 wifi 128gb in John Lewis with £200 off. It is essentially brand new and comes with their 2 year guarantee from the date I bought so won’t need to get Apple Care. Will sell my 2021 M1 equivalent on eBay when one of those offers comes up on reduced sellers fees.
For iPads, I usually keep them until they get too slow for my needs, which usually coincides with some new feature I want. I replaced my Gen 1 with a Gen 4, which had a Retina screen and was much faster. I replaced that with a Gen 5, probably for speed reasons, although I can't recall for sure. I replaced that with a 2021 iPad Pro, for both speed reasons and because I wanted to experiment with the Apple Pencil and art programs like Procreate. I wait for sales, refurbished units, or, in the case of the iPad Pro, an open-box unit from Best Buy. I usually pass my previous Apple devices to relatives or sell them locally on FaceBook Marketplace. I rarely get as much money as I'd hoped for, but since I don't buy new things just to have the latest and greatest, I figure I've gotten my money's worth.
iPhones are a slightly different story. I've been upgrading a year before I'd planned to because Apple or T-Mobile has given me such a great trade-in on the model I have, which is the oldest model for which they offer a trade-in. For example, I was pretty happy with my iPhone XR, and I was planning to upgrade to a 2015 Pro Max for its rumored periscope lens (aside from making phone calls, the camera is the most important feature to me), but T-Mobile offered me $800 to trade my XR for a 14 Pro Max. They weren't offering a trade-in on any model older than that, so I figured I wouldn't get a trade-in deal on the 15 Pro Max. The camera on the 14 Pro Max is a major upgrade over the XR, so I'm happy with it. I find that I use the 1x and 0.5x lenses more than the 2x and 3x lenses, anyway.
iPhones are a slightly different story. I've been upgrading a year before I'd planned to because Apple or T-Mobile has given me such a great trade-in on the model I have, which is the oldest model for which they offer a trade-in. For example, I was pretty happy with my iPhone XR, and I was planning to upgrade to a 2015 Pro Max for its rumored periscope lens (aside from making phone calls, the camera is the most important feature to me), but T-Mobile offered me $800 to trade my XR for a 14 Pro Max. They weren't offering a trade-in on any model older than that, so I figured I wouldn't get a trade-in deal on the 15 Pro Max. The camera on the 14 Pro Max is a major upgrade over the XR, so I'm happy with it. I find that I use the 1x and 0.5x lenses more than the 2x and 3x lenses, anyway.
I’ve bought and sold a LOT of iPads over the last 5-6 years for sure. I’ve bought all my grandkids’ iPads, and recently sold/upgraded almost all of them. I sold a couple locally, and a couple on the marketplace here with no problems whatsoever.
I’ve also upgraded my own iPPs and sold my used ones. Usually my devices are like new because I use screen protectors and cases, and I take care of my stuff, so I feel like I’ve gotten fair prices, and I feel like my buyers have gotten great tech for fair prices as well.
At this point, I have the M1 12.9 pro that I’ll likely keep quite a while, and I recently got the mini 6, which I’m sure I’ll also keep a long time. I use the pro as a “desktop” and my mini in my lap and for travel. I’m really loving the combo, as well as being able to use the same Apple Pencil for both devices - very convenient.
I’ve also upgraded my own iPPs and sold my used ones. Usually my devices are like new because I use screen protectors and cases, and I take care of my stuff, so I feel like I’ve gotten fair prices, and I feel like my buyers have gotten great tech for fair prices as well.
At this point, I have the M1 12.9 pro that I’ll likely keep quite a while, and I recently got the mini 6, which I’m sure I’ll also keep a long time. I use the pro as a “desktop” and my mini in my lap and for travel. I’m really loving the combo, as well as being able to use the same Apple Pencil for both devices - very convenient.
Something I missed in my previous comment that is quite common in sentiment is that just like some people keep their iOS devices until they don‘t work well enough for them anymore, I don’t feel particularly compelled to upgrade if my devices work well for me. I have high standards, which is why I don’t update iOS.
I was fine with my iPhone 6s and 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 9 until, just after upgrading to the iPhone Xʀ (upgraded due to battery life, but it‘s not like I wasn’t happy with the 6s: I still use one on iOS 10, and it’s probably my favourite iPhone ever), my 9.7-inch iPad Pro was forced into iOS 12. Battery life plummeted, and even though performance was fine, there was some occasional keyboard lag that wasn’t there on iOS 9. Nothing major, totally usable, but like I said, I like it when they work properly. Apple set that standard, not me: iOS devices on their original versions are flawless. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro, therefore, wasn’t perfect anymore: battery was mediocre, performance was great but not as good as it used to be. Some months ago I upgraded to the Air 5, and now I’ve restored that: iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12, iPad Air 5 on iPadOS 15. Both perfect, both great, no complaints. Regardless of any launches, I’m fine with my iPhone: it does everything I want it to, the way I want it to. Is my current combination better in terms of features and functions than the first one (even though now both devices were forced out of iOS 9)? Yes. Would I be fine with those two devices on iOS 9? As long as they do what I want them to, also yes.
Like I showed with Apple’s forced update of my 9.7-inch iPad Pro, that great (obviously subjective) value immediately plummets if the device does not work like I want it to.
Later addition: I just realized that I wrote the 9.7-inch iPad Pro’s tale in the past tense, for some unbeknownst reason: I still have it and use it; it is still on iOS 12. I also made it seem like I don’t like the 9.7-inch iPad Pro anymore, which would be inaccurate: it’s my favourite iPad ever, even if it isn’t perfect in terms of battery life. I can tolerate a decrease now that I have another iPad, and even when I didn’t, it wasn’t that terrible. iPadOS 16’s reports hover around the 5-hour mark, and I’m getting more than twice that. Not perfect, but it’s half-decent. It still bothers me, but after seeing what iPadOS 16 did to the first gen Pros in terms of battery life, I have to be grateful I get 10-11 hours and not 5.
I like it because I consider it the best iteration of Apple’s original idea for the iPad. Apple could’ve evolved the 9.7-inch iPad in many ways; for once, they could’ve killed the design language before launching the iPad Pro, and they didn’t. Even if it isn’t the last 9.7-inch iPad (that goes for the iPad 6th gen), it is the best one: the best processor (A9X > A10, in many ways), the best screen, and the Pro features at the time, like True Tone, Quad Speakers, and the screen features like I said (this iPad being the only 9.7-inch iPad ever with those). Considering that there will most likely never be a better 9.7-inch iPad, it will probably retain that value forever: many would consider that device obsolete, especially when Apple discontinues iOS support, but for me it will always have that distinguishing feature. And because of that, and alluding to the thread’s question... I will never sell it.
I was fine with my iPhone 6s and 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 9 until, just after upgrading to the iPhone Xʀ (upgraded due to battery life, but it‘s not like I wasn’t happy with the 6s: I still use one on iOS 10, and it’s probably my favourite iPhone ever), my 9.7-inch iPad Pro was forced into iOS 12. Battery life plummeted, and even though performance was fine, there was some occasional keyboard lag that wasn’t there on iOS 9. Nothing major, totally usable, but like I said, I like it when they work properly. Apple set that standard, not me: iOS devices on their original versions are flawless. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro, therefore, wasn’t perfect anymore: battery was mediocre, performance was great but not as good as it used to be. Some months ago I upgraded to the Air 5, and now I’ve restored that: iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12, iPad Air 5 on iPadOS 15. Both perfect, both great, no complaints. Regardless of any launches, I’m fine with my iPhone: it does everything I want it to, the way I want it to. Is my current combination better in terms of features and functions than the first one (even though now both devices were forced out of iOS 9)? Yes. Would I be fine with those two devices on iOS 9? As long as they do what I want them to, also yes.
Like I showed with Apple’s forced update of my 9.7-inch iPad Pro, that great (obviously subjective) value immediately plummets if the device does not work like I want it to.
Later addition: I just realized that I wrote the 9.7-inch iPad Pro’s tale in the past tense, for some unbeknownst reason: I still have it and use it; it is still on iOS 12. I also made it seem like I don’t like the 9.7-inch iPad Pro anymore, which would be inaccurate: it’s my favourite iPad ever, even if it isn’t perfect in terms of battery life. I can tolerate a decrease now that I have another iPad, and even when I didn’t, it wasn’t that terrible. iPadOS 16’s reports hover around the 5-hour mark, and I’m getting more than twice that. Not perfect, but it’s half-decent. It still bothers me, but after seeing what iPadOS 16 did to the first gen Pros in terms of battery life, I have to be grateful I get 10-11 hours and not 5.
I like it because I consider it the best iteration of Apple’s original idea for the iPad. Apple could’ve evolved the 9.7-inch iPad in many ways; for once, they could’ve killed the design language before launching the iPad Pro, and they didn’t. Even if it isn’t the last 9.7-inch iPad (that goes for the iPad 6th gen), it is the best one: the best processor (A9X > A10, in many ways), the best screen, and the Pro features at the time, like True Tone, Quad Speakers, and the screen features like I said (this iPad being the only 9.7-inch iPad ever with those). Considering that there will most likely never be a better 9.7-inch iPad, it will probably retain that value forever: many would consider that device obsolete, especially when Apple discontinues iOS support, but for me it will always have that distinguishing feature. And because of that, and alluding to the thread’s question... I will never sell it.
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I tend to upgrade iPhone every year - pro max. Have a cycle where family upgrade theirs to one I was using (me->mum->sister). iPhone at end of chain tends to sell for about 35% of new device at start of chain (using MusicMagpie or O2 recycle in UK).
iPad Pro is upgraded every two years when AC+ expires. Same cycle again with upgrade to family and I get the residual on device out of end of chain (again about 35% of value).
I have MBA M1 as second machine and portable macOS. Not yet sure if it will be 2 or 3 year change. Likely upgrade sister to sell on. At 3 years tend to find private buyer at about 45% of new price.
Studio display mainly for MBA on second desk. Also has AC+. Not sure what I will do in terms of upgrade. Plan was to keep it through multiple iterations though depends on how it works out and updates. I was ”burnt” in past with the 27” Cinema Display I soon ”needed” to change to Thunderbolt Display though I did get a very good price on ACD.
Also have imac desktop - M1. Tend to keep the desktop for 3 years on AC+ then upgrade. Usually have no issue finding private buyer and in past the iMac 5ks I have sold get about 45% of new price at 3 years.
AirPod Pros and Watch tend to be on AC+ cycle - upgrade when AC+. Usually these go to family.
Apple TVs about same frequency and usually pass to family or eBay. They always sell well on eBay for a surprising price - usually in excess of 50% of new device price.
HomePod minis not yet sure. Too new and not yet had any reason to change yet. Will see how that works out when time comes.
I tend to like everything with Apple including the AC+ which I take theft and accidental damage if I can. Experience with home insurance was a disaster (all sorts of threats on affecting renewals if I claimed - no such hassles from Apple). Also like the support if/when I need it. Apple have been superb with collect/return by courier when needed - new logic board then new iMac 5k, AirPod Pro replaced at 2.5 years.
My experience selling is I do not try to time it. I sell when I get the new device and all is setup and settled. I am never disappointed with the price I get either privately, eBay or Music Magpie/O2. It is one major selling feature for Apple - kit is always in demand, sells well and holds price. That said all kit I sell is flawless, like new, boxed with all accessories and in many cases identical to new. I also don’t buy to maximise sale price. I buy what I need, use it for what I need and sell it when I change. I don’t try to manipulate, time things or buy specs/upgrades to help with resale. I just get what I need/want then sell it when I need/want to change and it all works out that I am never disappointed.
iPad Pro is upgraded every two years when AC+ expires. Same cycle again with upgrade to family and I get the residual on device out of end of chain (again about 35% of value).
I have MBA M1 as second machine and portable macOS. Not yet sure if it will be 2 or 3 year change. Likely upgrade sister to sell on. At 3 years tend to find private buyer at about 45% of new price.
Studio display mainly for MBA on second desk. Also has AC+. Not sure what I will do in terms of upgrade. Plan was to keep it through multiple iterations though depends on how it works out and updates. I was ”burnt” in past with the 27” Cinema Display I soon ”needed” to change to Thunderbolt Display though I did get a very good price on ACD.
Also have imac desktop - M1. Tend to keep the desktop for 3 years on AC+ then upgrade. Usually have no issue finding private buyer and in past the iMac 5ks I have sold get about 45% of new price at 3 years.
AirPod Pros and Watch tend to be on AC+ cycle - upgrade when AC+. Usually these go to family.
Apple TVs about same frequency and usually pass to family or eBay. They always sell well on eBay for a surprising price - usually in excess of 50% of new device price.
HomePod minis not yet sure. Too new and not yet had any reason to change yet. Will see how that works out when time comes.
I tend to like everything with Apple including the AC+ which I take theft and accidental damage if I can. Experience with home insurance was a disaster (all sorts of threats on affecting renewals if I claimed - no such hassles from Apple). Also like the support if/when I need it. Apple have been superb with collect/return by courier when needed - new logic board then new iMac 5k, AirPod Pro replaced at 2.5 years.
My experience selling is I do not try to time it. I sell when I get the new device and all is setup and settled. I am never disappointed with the price I get either privately, eBay or Music Magpie/O2. It is one major selling feature for Apple - kit is always in demand, sells well and holds price. That said all kit I sell is flawless, like new, boxed with all accessories and in many cases identical to new. I also don’t buy to maximise sale price. I buy what I need, use it for what I need and sell it when I change. I don’t try to manipulate, time things or buy specs/upgrades to help with resale. I just get what I need/want then sell it when I need/want to change and it all works out that I am never disappointed.