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As we bid farewell to 2023, reflecting on the performance and value retention of flagship smartphones becomes imperative. According to a report by price comparison site SellCell, Apple exhibited its ability to retain the iPhone 15 series’ value much better compared to many of its Android counterparts. In the Android realm, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series emerged as a resilient option.
The iPhone 15 lost only 27.9% three months post-release. Putting it into comparison, this figure is 27.1% less than the average depreciation seen in other flagship Android devices. The iPhone 15 series, particularly the 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max, stood out, depreciating by a mere 18.2% during the initial three months.
Coming to Android, the Galaxy S23 experienced 32.8% less depreciation compared to other Android flagships in the same timeframe. Despite an initial loss of 43.5% in the first two months, the Galaxy S23 held its ground, with the 256GB Galaxy S23 Plus showcasing exceptional value retention, losing only 35.3% after three months.
However, unlike the Galaxy S23, some Android flagships depreciated considerably
However, not all Samsung models fared equally well. The Galaxy S23 FE took the unfortunate title of the worst-depreciating model, with an astonishing 68.4% loss in value within three months of release. The Galaxy S22, its predecessor, had depreciated by 46.8% in the initial two months.
Interestingly, the Google Pixel 8 faced a significant drop in value, plummeting by 61.2% in the first three months. Surprisingly, its predecessor, the Pixel 7a, outperformed it by losing 52.5% of its value in a comparable period.
OnePlus entered the scene with the OnePlus 11, experiencing a depreciation of 48.5% in the initial three months. While this performance landed it on the list of worst-depreciating phones in 2023, it still outshone the Google Pixel 8. Some Galaxy S23 models are also featured on this list, potentially impacted by discounts offered by Samsung and third-party retailers. It influenced their resale values.
In summary of the smartphone value retention study, Apple’s iPhone 15 and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 fared the best in terms of value retention. The Galaxy S23 FE and Google’s Pixel 8 faced some significant value depreciation.
