Is the iPhone a better buy because of resale value?

[cnguyen0320]

So I want an GS3 but then I realized that an iPhone will have a better resale value in 2 years when I upgrade again. I got an iPhone 4 two years ago and right now I'm about to sell it for $300 (the price of a new one unlocked is $500). Because of this, I know Apple products will have a great resale value when I am out of contract. It actually makes me some money over two years if I buy the phone subsidized (which I do).

The GS3 is a great phone and I actually like it more since its a change from iOS but since its resale will be like $50 - $100 in two years, iPhone seems like a no brainer. If you were in my shoes, would you still buy the an alternate phone you like or buy the iPhone. In my point of view, they are the same functionality.

PS. I know this question will come up, but I will be reselling overseas where iPhones are not available subsidized and prices are heavily inflated (iphone 5 unlocked is $1200). I will be on vacation so I'm not going out of my way to do this.

 

[ixodes]

Buying for resale value is to cheat yourself. Why care about that, when in the meantime it could be lost, stolen, damaged etc. Buy an iPhone because they are great phones and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Buying for resale value is to cheat yourself. Why care about that, when in the meantime it could be lost, stolen, damaged etc. Buy an iPhone because they are great phones and the rest will take care of itself.

So true.

I notice people keep touting the resale-ability of iPhones and Apple products in general, and while yes they're easier to sell, it doesn't mean you'll necessarily earn more back. That's my experience anyway.

Why? Because they're expensive to begin with.

Let's just drum up a crude and quick example:

$700+ bucks for unlocked iPhone. Resale for probably 400-500 bucks. Lose $2-300 give or take.

$500+ bucks for unlocked GS3. Resale for probably 200-300 bucks. Lose $2-300 give or take.

Cheaper bought things resale cheaper. More expensive things resale higher but are bought higher too. It's really marginal.

I guess subsidized is a different story, but, like ixodes pointed out.... this is over two years. Why cheat yourself of two years? For two years, you should get the phone you actually want.

 

[cnguyen0320]

Buying for resale value is to cheat yourself. Why care about that, when in the meantime it could be lost, stolen, damaged etc. Buy an iPhone because they are great phones and the rest will take care of itself.

Its good to think ahead to what the phone will do for you. S3 beats iPhone because in my mind android > iOS but since they both get the same thing done, is iPhone a better value?

 

[onthecouchagain]

For me, those would be two miserable years. Heh.

 

[cnguyen0320]

I guess subsidized is a different story, but, like ixodes pointed out.... this is over two years. Why cheat yourself of two years? For two years, you should get the phone you actually want.

Because it's a compromise. I lose some (not everything) for 2 years but I get back more than I put in. Android is nice but to me not a must have.

 

[Technarchy]

Resale is only one piece of the puzzle.

 

[marc11]

I never buy something based on resale value. I expect to use 100% of the value of the device when I buy it; if it has value when I sell it that's a bonus. But really, for me, I want 100% enjoyment out of what I buy and weigh the cost of the item to the value it will bring me while in use, not when I sell it.

You always lose something when you sell devices; the question you need to ask yourself is, based on the time you keep the device, what you pay for it up front, what would or could you do with the money had you purchased a less expensive device, and further, what is the value of the resale amount in TODAY's dollars, not two years from now.

Resale value when it comes to disposable things like computers and phones is just another form of price justification IMHO since you can drop your phone the day you buy it, scratch the heck out of it and make your resale value moot.

 

[ixodes]

I like variety and that's why I have multiple lines. The bare minimum is an Android and an iPhone running concurrently.

Having their pros and cons like any other device, I would rather enjoy both.

It keeps me current with both platforms and satisfies my tendency to get bored easily.

 

[cnguyen0320]

I like variety and that's why I have multiple lines. The bare minimum is an Android and an iPhone running concurrently.

Having their pros and cons like any other device, I would rather enjoy both.

It keeps me current with both platforms and satisfies my tendency to get bored easily.

This would be the dream but microsim and nanosim convertibility issues won't work for me

 

[onthecouchagain]

Because it's a compromise. I lose some (not everything) for 2 years but I get back more than I put in. Android is nice but to me not a must have.

Then it doesn't sound like you have any problems? Decision is made?

 

[cnguyen0320]

Then it doesn't sound like you have any problems? Decision is made?

Well i was hoping to be convinced that samsung or lg (nexus) would have enough resale to get me atleast my money back. I havent used a non-apple since 2010 when I upgraded from a feature phone so I thought maybe something has changed with android OEM's build quality and resale quality

 

[tjl3]

Yes iPhone has better resale value, but no it sounds like a Nexus 4 would be a better buy for you. Nexus 4 should have the best resale value of all the Android phones currently available.

iPhone benefits by being the only device running iOS, on top of its premium price at release. But for Android there are a lot of attractive options. So the one that stands out is the one that will always get the latest updates when they are released.

I bought a Galaxy Nexus in July for $380 on the Google Play store, that is w/ tax and shipping. I sold it on eBay for $370 in August, which is about 10 months after release, granted my GNex was pretty much new.

 

[G51989]

For me, No. I don't get rid of phones when I'm done with them, Still have my Palm....Blackberry....Windows HP IPAQ Pocket PC, NGAGE QD, some old flip phones, and my 3GS, and my old Samsung Replenish, sitting in a drawer somewhere, currently a 4S ( work phone ) and S3 ( personal phone ) are what I carry.

To me, buying something thinking about resale value at this price point is silly, its not alot of money. Resale value is something to think about when buying a car you only plan to keep a few years, or a house you'll want to sell at some point.

But cars, we're talking between 15,000 to 80,000+ in money spent, Houses easily run from 80K to half a million for most people, THATS when you think about resale value.

Something as disposable as a phone? That will be worn out and broken most likely in 2 years? Why bother?

 

[ChickenMoMo]

I don't think resale should be ignored. There's no reason to expect that you'll break your phone or drop it. Many of my old electronics were in perfect working condition, so why wouldn't I sell them back used?

But resale value is hard to predict. Apple is still seen as a premium brand and people are willing to pay for it. If Android continues to improve and iOS not as much, the Apple brand can be devalued in 2 year's time. You may find that the resale value may not be as high as you'd expect. Smartphones are improving at break neck speed.

 

[mattopotamus]

resale is something to consider, but should definitely not be the determining factor between two phones. Also, like someone else said....the top of the line android phones and iphones resale are proportional. The place where resale really shows are ipads and macs....they hold value like nothing else. I sold my Air for $1200 that cost $1600 after a full year of usage. If I were to spend $1600 on a windows PC, I would be lucky to recoup half of it.

 

[Stuntman06]

Well i was hoping to be convinced that samsung or lg (nexus) would have enough resale to get me atleast my money back. I havent used a non-apple since 2010 when I upgraded from a feature phone so I thought maybe something has changed with android OEM's build quality and resale quality

If resale value is what you are looking for then just stick with the iPhone. You haven't indicated any reason to me that would make me want to recommend something else to you. Why are you even considering an Android device when the one criteria you are discussing isn't met by Android?

With regard to build quality, that is something very subjective. If you just like that aspect of iPhones more than anything else, again there is not reason to recommend anything else.