5 tips to resell your cell phone

We keep repeating it: millions of old smartphones are lurking in drawers around the world! 😱 So why not dust off your used iPhone or Samsung Galaxy and resell your old smartphone for cash before it loses all its value? Compare offers for your phone model and find out the best time to resell your phone here.

👉 Follow this short guide to find out how to sell your used phone - whatever its condition - and get the best possible offer.

When it comes to reselling, a second-hand smartphone in good condition is worth more than a broken or scratched one. A smartphone in perfect condition has the greatest resale value, so take care of your fragile device from day one.

Most importantly, protect the screen and the casing! Sure, life happens: maybe you get caught in the rain or your cat loves pushing things off the table. There are lots of little unexpected "life moments" on a daily basis that pose a risk of damage to your device, especially since most of us tend to have our smartphone in hand more often than not throughout the day.

There's some good news here, though. Not only are phones getting sturdier, but there are more options for protecting your phone than ever before. Today, you can find cell phone cases in huge variety of colors, materials, and styles, so you can express yourself while also protecting your phone from drops and dings.

👉 At Back Market, you can also opt for additional protection when buying a device to cover theft and damage. In the long run, this can help you make more of your money back since you'll be able to resell your used cell phone at the best price.

To prevent someone else from misusing your data, make sure you disconnect your phone from your cloud accounts and remove your SIM card before selling your old phone. If you are still connected to one of your services, the buyer will not be able to refurbish your smartphone and will have to send it back to you.

Here's a short checklist to help prepare before you sell your phone:

✔ ️ Check that your contacts are all stored in the cloud or on the SIM card and not in the device's memory. Then, remove the SIM card.

✔ ️ Sign out of your iCloud, Google, or Samsung account (otherwise your smartphone cannot be refurbished). You can also sign out of your iCloud account remotely.

✔ ️ Erase data or remove the SD card.

✔ ️ Unlock your phone for each operator.

✔ ️ Restore to factory settings (this will delete all personal data from the smartphone: photos, email, apps, etc.).

Your old cell phone is now ready for a new lease on life. All that's left to do is pick the right time to sell it so you get the best price.

We recommend you follow and compare the prices offered on Back Market to estimate the value of your phone over time. Resell prices vary according to demand and the evolution of the cell phone market. 📈

Monitor prices for a month and see if you detect a trend. For example, are there any specific days of the week when smartphones sell for more money?

What is the value of your cell phone? The value of your smartphone depends on its age and model. Android phones lose value faster than iPhones (the Samsung Galaxy S10 lost 50% of its value in 30 days). But in general, all cell phone values see a sharp decline after 18 months.

If you want to sell your smartphone, avoid peak periods: before Christmas or major releases from Apple, Samsung and Huawei (for example, it's better to resell your iPhone before the annual Apple event in September). Likewise, if you want to sell your gaming console or your MacBook, keep an eye on manufacturers' planned release dates so you can sell at the right moment.

👉 Note: If you want to buy a refurbished smartphone, you can score a better deal the other way around. After a new model is released, prices for renewed phones tend to drop.

In short, yes. Reselling your smartphone is worth it, simply because you'll make money from a device that you no longer need. Most likely, you will need to dispose of your old cell phone sooner or later anyway. It can be a bit challenging to dispose of e-waste, so another benefit of selling your cell phone is to ensure it is handled properly.

👉 The consequences of mishandled e-waste are dramatic: metals used in tech devices detach from parts and slowly seep into the earth and groundwater. This is just as harmful to humans as it is to wildlife.

Reselling your cell phone instead of throwing it away means it will be reused by someone else or disposed of correctly by experts. Selling your old device is worth it in two major ways: you'll earn money and help the planet.

If you're considering getting rid of your old phone because you need a new one, you can also trade in your old device. When you buy a smartphone, you can use the money from your old phone towards that purchase if you'd like to offset some of the cost.

There are many options for selling used phones. You're probably familiar with online auction sites, where you can sell your smartphone to the highest bidder. The downside to auctions is that you won't know in advance how much money you'll actually get for your device because the selling price is usually left open-ended. Without a fixed price, you may receive offers that much lower than what your phone is worth. Cue the back-and-forth negotiations, and the flaky buyers who eventually back out. This process takes a lot of time and energy, and you might still end up stuck with your old device.

There's a better way to resell your phone and get the best offer possible. If you sell your phone on Back Market, you'll receive a fixed price offer in advance that you can accept or reject. This way, before selling your phone, you'll know how much money you will receive for your device. No pressure either, you can find out exactly how much your old phone is worth without having to commit to an offer.