iPhone Trade-In Value in Canada: What Your Phone Is Really Worth
Updated
The five factors that set the number
Model and storage. Newer generations hold value best, and within a generation the Pro and Pro Max models keep more of their price than the base ones. Storage matters more than people expect: the same phone in 256 GB is worth noticeably more than in 64 or 128 GB, because used-phone buyers are usually trying to escape the entry tier.
Condition. Buyers grade used phones — at SubTech Wholesale every phone is graded A+ to C after testing. A clean screen and body put you in the top grades; scratches, dents or a cracked screen move you down the scale, but rarely to zero. Even a phone that will not turn on still carries value. To see how grading works from the buyer's side, read our guide to how used iPhones are graded.
Battery health. Below about 80% maximum capacity, iOS itself flags the battery for service, and any buyer will price that in. Check Settings → Battery → Battery Health & Charging before you ask for quotes so the number does not surprise you — our used iPhone battery health guide explains what the figures mean.
Locks. There are two kinds, and they are not equal. A carrier lock (the phone only works on one network) lowers the value but does not make the phone unsellable. An account lock is different: with Find My iPhone or the Google account lock still on, a phone cannot legitimately be resold at all — turn it off before you go, because no honest buyer can take the phone with it on.
Timing. Used values are seasonal: when a new iPhone generation launches — historically each September — trade-in and resale values on earlier models dip as the market fills up at once. A phone also loses a little value every month it sits in a drawer. If you have already replaced it, there is rarely a reason to wait.
Trade-in or cash sale: two different deals
Both start the same way — the buyer tests your phone and makes an offer — but what you get back differs. A trade-in is credit: the value of your old phone comes off the price of the next one, you pay the difference, and it all happens in one visit. A cash sale (buyback) puts money in your hand with no obligation to buy anything.
| Trade-in | Cash buyback | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Credit toward your next phone | Money in hand |
| Best when | You are upgrading anyway | You just want to sell |
| The visit | One — appraise, apply the credit, leave with the upgrade | One — test, offer, paid |
Where you can sell or trade a phone in Canada
| Option | What you get | Speed | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer or carrier trade-in | A fixed credit from a chart, applied to a new device | At purchase | Convenient, but the value is take-it-or-leave-it credit, not cash |
| Local buyback counter | Cash the same visit, after a test done in front of you | Same day | You watch the test, ask questions, and walk out paid |
| Mail-in buyback site | A quoted amount by cheque or e-transfer after they receive and inspect it | Days to weeks | The final amount can be revised after inspection — read the terms before shipping |
| Marketplace (Kijiji, Facebook) | Whatever a private buyer agrees to pay | Days to weeks | Often the highest asking price, but no-shows, haggling and scam risk are yours to manage |
How to prepare your phone (and protect the price)
- Back up first — iCloud or your computer.
- Turn off Find My iPhone or the Google account lock. This one is mandatory: nobody can legitimately buy the phone with it on.
- Sign out of your accounts and factory-reset. At SubTech we wipe the phone in front of you either way.
- Remove your SIM card and any eSIM profiles.
- Check battery health in advance so you know what to expect.
- Bring a piece of photo ID — a legitimate buyer will ask for it.
Selling or trading in Montréal? Here's how it works at SubTech
SubTech Wholesale buys phones for cash and takes trade-ins at 757 Rue Beaubien Est in Montréal, open 7 days a week, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tell us what you have — iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel, in any condition, cracked screens and phones that will not turn on included — and you get a free quote in about ten minutes, no appointment and no obligation. Selling for cash: we test the phone with you at the counter, agree on a number, and you leave paid the same visit. Trading in: the value comes off any tested, graded and unlocked phone in stock and you take the new one home the same day. Carrier-locked phones are fine; the one thing we cannot buy is a phone still locked to an iCloud or Google account. We buy multiple units too.
Frequently asked questions
›How do I find out what my iPhone is actually worth?
Get a real quote from a real buyer — it is the only number that means anything. Online estimators give you a range for a phone they have never seen; a ten-minute in-person test gives you a firm offer. At SubTech Wholesale the quote is free and there is no obligation to accept it.
›Is trading in better than selling for cash?
They value your phone the same way but return different things: a trade-in is credit that comes off the price of your next phone, a buyback is cash in hand. If you are upgrading anyway, a trade-in means one visit and less to organize. If you just want the phone gone, take the cash.
›Can I trade in or sell a phone with a cracked screen?
Yes. A cracked screen lowers the offer, but it does not disqualify the phone — damaged devices still carry real value, including phones that will not turn on.
›What do I need to bring?
The phone, a piece of photo ID, and Find My iPhone or the Google account lock turned off. A phone still locked to someone's account cannot legitimately be bought by anyone.
›When is the best time to sell a used iPhone?
Sooner beats later. Values slide a little every month, and they dip hardest when a new generation launches and trade-ins flood the market. If you have already stopped using the phone, waiting rarely pays.