Is It Worth Selling an Old iPhone 11 or 12? 2026 Prices and What to Know

Yes - a recent iPhone almost always beats the drawer it's living in. An iPhone 12 Pro Max in excellent shape is worth up to about $258 at GadgetRenu right now, and even a base iPhone 12 pays up to ~$143. The iPhone 11 is a different story: it still runs Apple's current iOS, but it has aged past the point where most buyback services - GadgetRenu's instant-quote catalog included - keep it listed, which is its own lesson in timing.

The doubt makes sense. Your phone is five to seven years old, the battery has slipped, maybe the screen picked up a scratch, and you replaced it months ago. It feels like it should be worthless. The used-iPhone market disagrees: there are budget buyers who won't pay flagship prices, overseas markets where a used American iPhone is a bargain, and repair shops that want the genuine Apple parts inside - even the ones that don't power on.

The catch is the direction of travel. Your phone loses a few dollars every month, and there's no version of the future where it's worth more than today (and it's rarely the only device gathering dust - here are other things in your drawer worth money). This post covers what your model is worth in August 2026, why it still holds value, and how to turn it into cash. For your exact number by storage and condition, get an instant quote on GadgetRenu's iPhone page.

Here's what GadgetRenu is paying across the iPhone 12 lineup - the oldest numbered iPhones its buyback catalog still quotes. (The iPhone 11 has aged out of the instant-quote list; more on what that means below.) Within each model, higher storage and an unlocked (carrier-free) phone push you toward the top of the range; a carrier lock or lower storage pulls it down.

Approximate top-of-range payouts (unlocked, higher storage) based on GadgetRenu buyback data, as of August 2026. A carrier lock, lower storage, or a lower grade pays less - your live quote is the exact number.

A phone graded Very Good (minor scratches, normal wear, everything works) lands around 85% of the excellent price, and Average roughly three-quarters. Fair - heavier wear, maybe a small crack - still clears a little over half. Even Poor and non-working phones have parts value, covered further down.

Every figure above is a cash offer, paid via PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or a mailed check within three business days of your phone arriving. Devices that reach end of life are handled at an R2-certified facility, where your data is destroyed to the NIST 800-88 (Purge) standard and a Certified Data Wipe is issued. For value across other generations, see How Much Is My iPhone Worth?

It seems odd that a 2020 phone still commands $60-258, or that a 2019 iPhone 11 still works as a daily driver at all. Four things keep the floor up.

Budget buyers at home. Pew Research puts roughly three in ten U.S. adults in lower-income households. A refurbished iPhone 12 is a genuinely good phone for a fraction of a new one - it still runs the current iOS, shoots sharp photos, and handles every modern app.

Overseas demand. In much of Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, import taxes and exchange rates make new iPhones far pricier than in the States. A used American iPhone delivers the Apple experience at a reachable price, and refurbishers like GadgetRenu funnel U.S. trade-ins into those markets.

Parts and repair. A cracked, water-damaged, or dead iPhone is still a box of valuable components - display assemblies, logic boards, camera modules (the telephoto and LiDAR units in Pro models especially), and batteries. That's why buyback companies take phones in any state.

Ecosystem stickiness. Someone using iMessage, iCloud, an Apple Watch, and AirPods isn't switching to a $150 Android - they need an iPhone, and often an affordable older one. That keeps demand pointed specifically at used iPhones rather than cheap smartphones in general.

New phones shed most of their value in year one. By years three and four, the monthly drop shrinks to a trickle - the depreciation floor. That's the trap: because the decline feels small, there's no sense of urgency.

But small losses stack. An iPhone 12 that slips $5 a month is:

• $60 over 12 months
• $120 over 24 months
• $180 over 36 months - by which point it may be worth close to nothing

Unlike a newer phone, where a fresh model launch or a trade-in promo might work in your favor, there's zero upside to holding an old one. (The same timing question applies to current models - see should you sell your iPhone before the iPhone 18.) Two other shifts can knock value down fast. The first is software support: when Apple finally drops a model from iOS, app compatibility breaks within a year or two and resale value falls. Both of these phones dodged that in 2026 - Apple extended even the iPhone 11 to iOS 27 in an unusual year when no iPhone was cut, though neither the A13 (iPhone 11) nor A14 (iPhone 12) chips run the newest Apple Intelligence features. The second shift is buyback availability, and here the iPhone 11 has already crossed the line: it has aged out of many trade-in catalogs, GadgetRenu's included. A phone can still work perfectly and still lose its best buyers - that's the deadline that actually bites. It helps, too, that the iPhone 12 supports 5G while the iPhone 11 is 4G LTE only, giving the 12 a longer resale runway. For the mechanics behind these numbers, see how we calculate trade-in values.

Most of the reasons for hanging on collapse under a little arithmetic.

"I might need a backup." Ask how often your primary phone has died on you with no replacement handy - for most people it's never in five years. A rarely-used backup is worth far less than the $80-258 sitting in that phone today, and a cheap prepaid handset covers the emergency if it ever comes.

"It has sentimental value." Your photos and messages live in iCloud, not in the aluminum. Snap a picture of the phone if you want the memory, then sell the hardware.

"I'll get to it eventually." Every month of "eventually" quietly subtracts a few dollars. Wait six months on a 12 Pro Max and you've handed back $20-30 for the privilege of delay.

"It's not worth the hassle." With a buyback service it's about five minutes of real work: pick your model and condition, accept the instant offer, print the free label, and drop the box at USPS. No listing to write, no buyer messages, no scam risk. GadgetRenu buys any condition and ships from anywhere in the U.S. on free insured USPS labels.

Start to finish, this is about 15-20 minutes of hands-on time.

1. Confirm the model. Settings > General > About > Model Name. If it won't turn on, identify it by design: the iPhone 11 has dual square cameras and came in six colors; the 11 Pro/Pro Max add a third camera and matte glass; the 12 Mini has a 5.4" screen and flat edges; the 12 and 12 Pro share a 6.1" flat-edged body (the Pro has a stainless frame); the 12 Pro Max is 6.7" with triple cameras.

2. Get your instant quote. On GadgetRenu's iPhone page, pick your model, storage (Settings > General > About > Capacity), carrier status, and condition. The cash offer appears immediately - no email or account needed. (The quote tool always shows the current lineup, so it's also the fastest way to confirm whether an older model like the iPhone 11 is still being accepted.)

3. Accept it. Your price locks for 14 days and a free, insured prepaid USPS label lands in your inbox.

4. Prep the phone (10-15 min). If it powers on: back up to iCloud, then Settings > [your name] > Sign Out (this turns off Find My), then Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, and pull the SIM. If it's dead or already wiped, ship it as-is.

5. Ship free. Pad it in any box, attach the label, and drop it at USPS or book a free pickup. The shipment is insured.

6. Get paid. GadgetRenu inspects at its Wallington, NJ facility and pays within three business days of delivery - PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or check. End-of-life devices go through an R2-certified facility with a Certified Data Wipe. GadgetRenu is family-owned and NJ-based.

Damage rarely means zero. Here's how the common problems land.

Cracked screen. Knocks the price down but not out - a cracked-but-working 12 Pro Max typically grades Fair, roughly $125-150. The display gets swapped in refurb; everything else keeps its value.

Battery below 80%. A common, cheap refurb fix, so it trims the offer a little rather than disqualifying the phone. A 72% battery is fully sellable. See how to check iPhone battery health before selling.

Carrier locked. Worth somewhat less than unlocked. If it's paid off, unlocking through your carrier is free and bumps the price; if you can't, sell it locked - the offer is still solid.

Cosmetic wear. Scratches and scuffs move you from Excellent to Very Good (roughly 15% off) or Fair (a little under half off). Still real money.

Water damage. The biggest hit, since it can affect the board, but the unaffected components still carry value and GadgetRenu quotes these honestly.

Won't turn on. The logic board, cameras, and an intact display are all harvestable - expect a Fair-tier or parts-level offer rather than nothing.

Whatever shape it's in, your old iPhone is almost certainly worth more than $0, and a quote costs you nothing to find out.

Is it worth selling an iPhone 11 in 2026? It depends where you sell. The iPhone 11 still runs Apple's latest iOS - Apple kept it on iOS 27 in 2026 - so it's a perfectly usable phone, but it has also aged out of many buyback catalogs, including GadgetRenu's current instant-quote lineup, which now starts at the iPhone 12. Check the live quote tool for what's accepted today: if your model still qualifies, sell before it slips further; if it doesn't, it still has life as a hand-me-down or backup.

How much is an iPhone 12 worth in 2026? Up to ~$143 for a base iPhone 12, ~$210 for a 12 Pro, ~$258 for a 12 Pro Max, and ~$114 for a 12 Mini in excellent, unlocked condition (GadgetRenu, August 2026). Storage, carrier lock, and wear move the number - your live quote is exact. All paid in cash within three business days of delivery.

Can I sell an iPhone with a cracked screen or bad battery? Yes. GadgetRenu buys cracked, dented, battery-worn, and dead iPhones. A cracked-but-working 12 Pro Max typically grades Fair - roughly $125-150 - because a display swap is routine refurb work; a degraded battery only trims the offer slightly since replacement is a standard step.

Why is my old iPhone worth more than I expected? Demand comes from three directions at once - U.S. budget buyers, overseas markets where new iPhones cost far more, and the repair-parts trade - plus Apple's ecosystem lock-in (iMessage, iCloud, Apple Watch) that keeps buyers specifically wanting iPhones. Long software support helps too: Apple carried both the iPhone 11 and 12 into iOS 27, so they stay useful for years.

Should I sell now or wait? Now. There's no scenario where an old iPhone gains value, and the iPhone 11 shows how the window closes - it still works, yet it's already dropped off buyback lineups like GadgetRenu's. If your model still gets a quote, lock it in; the price holds for 14 days. Get your instant quote and turn the drawer phone into cash.