🚨 Apple iPhone 📱 Product News 🗞️ Read this article if you want to know: Why are prices of used iphones going up instead of going down, with the release of the new iPhone 18 lineup 📱 📱 The prices of used iPhones are going up instead of down primarily because Apple completely flipped its pricing strategy by raising the prices of older retail models by $100, creating a higher "price floor" that naturally pushes up values in the secondary used market. Typically, the release of a new generation like the iPhone 18 Pro triggers immediate price drops for older generations. However, a perfect storm of hardware shortages and a staggered release schedule has disrupted this traditional depreciation cycle. 1. The Global Memory Chip Shortage & AI Boom The single biggest driver of this price increase is an acute global hardware crisis. Big tech companies are rapidly building out AI data centers, which has created a severe shortage of LPDDR5 RAM and high-density storage components. Major semiconductor manufacturers have diverted up to 70% of their memory supply toward enterprise AI infrastructure. Because memory and component manufacturing costs spiked by an estimated 38%, Apple chose to pass these costs onto consumers. 2. Apple Slashed Tradition by Raising Retail Prices To protect its profit margins, Apple took the unprecedented step of increasing the retail price of older iPhones by $100 alongside the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro. For example, the two-year-old iPhone 16 was bumped back up to its original launch price of $799. Because retail prices for older brand-new models went up, the benchmark that used listings are compared against rose, supporting higher prices in the secondhand market. 3. A Staggered Launch Schedule Apple altered its release strategy by only launching the premium iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Duo. The standard, more affordable base iPhone 18 and 18e models have been delayed until early 2027. Because there is no standard "budget-friendly" new model available for the holidays, demand has funneled heavily into existing older devices, keeping their market values exceptionally high. 4. Discontinuation of Mid-Tier Flagships Apple immediately discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to clear space for the 18 Pro series. Discontinuation instantly permanently limits the supply of those specific phones. Because the supply is fixed and new premium phones are more expensive, buyers looking for high-end features at a discount are aggressively bidding up the prices of remaining used iPhone 17 Pro units. If you are looking to buy or sell a device right now, or think this is a good idea from Apple @Apple please comment below 👇