Our Trade-In and Upgrade Data Trends Review highlights some interesting movements in the industry during the first quarter of this year.
Generation Shift
The iPhone 11 has been the top device turned in through trade-in and upgrade programs for eight straight quarters. Prior to the iPhone 11 holding the No. 1 spot, it was the iPhone XR, which held that title until 2Q22. The iPhone 12 is poised to be the No. 1 device this quarter, as the quantity difference between the 11 and 12 has been shrinking and is now separated by just 4 percentage points.
Here’s what we noticed when we examined the data.
- The iPhone XR took on the No. 1 spot of our top five turned-in-devices list during 2Q21. That device was released 4Q18, 2.5 years prior.
- The iPhone 11 took on the No. 1 spot during 2Q22. That device was released 4Q19, 2.5 years prior.
- The iPhone 12 is now positioned to take the No. 1 spot in 2Q24. That device was released 4Q20, 3.5 years ago.
Another way to look at this is the iPhone XR and 11 were both two generations behind the most current device when they moved into the No. 1 spot, whereas the 12 is growing in position and, when it takes the top positions, it’ll be three generations behind the most current shipping iPhone. When the age of the most-traded device increases, it’ll certainly impact the overall average age of devices at trade-in. We don’t see that full year reflected in the change from 2Q21 through 1Q24, but we have seen device age go from 40 months to 44 months during that same time period.
