Apple’s iPhone Air is quietly proving its critics wrong. 
Despite gloomy predictions of an early downfall, the sleek and lightweight model is maintaining an unexpectedly strong position in the U.S. used smartphone market. According to SellCell, one of the largest price comparison platforms for pre-owned devices, the iPhone Air is holding its value far better than many expected – and almost keeping pace with its premium sibling, the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
When both models are compared under identical conditions – 256GB of storage, mint condition, and the highest available trade-in quotes – the numbers tell an interesting story. The iPhone Air is currently valued at $671, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max fetches about $827. Considering the retail prices – $999 for the Air and $1,199 for the Pro Max – the depreciation rates sit at roughly 32.8% and 31% respectively. In other words, despite all the noise surrounding its supposedly weak demand, the Air is just about 2% behind the Pro Max in resale value retention.
This result runs counter to a wave of recent pessimistic reports. Analysts such as Ming-Chi Kuo had claimed that Apple was drastically reducing component orders for the iPhone Air, cutting production by up to 80%. Meanwhile, KeyBanc Capital Markets’ survey painted a bleak picture, claiming “virtually no demand” for Apple’s thin, foldable-inspired device. Yet, the used market appears to tell a more nuanced story – one that hints at a steady, niche demand among style-focused buyers and early adopters who appreciate its lightweight design and minimalist aesthetic.
Perhaps the iPhone Air’s resilience is a sign that Apple’s experiment with fashion-first design is paying off after all. The model might not be breaking sales charts, but it’s finding its footing as a status symbol among those who value exclusivity and design over raw specs. As the smartphone market continues to mature, long-term resale stability could prove to be a better indicator of a product’s staying power than short-term demand reports. For now, the iPhone Air seems to be aging gracefully – and that’s something even Apple’s harshest skeptics didn’t see coming.
2 comments
lol the phone’s only been out like 4 weeks, did ppl expect it to be half price already??
bro authors always forget that early adopters will pay extra for design alone 😆