Samsung Galaxy Trade-In Values (2026): Real Buyback Prices by Model

Samsung is the largest phone maker in the world, so there is steady demand for used Galaxy devices — and a crowded resale market to match. That combination is exactly why the number you get depends heavily on which model you have and how quickly you move on it.

The lineup splits into a few families that age very differently:

• Galaxy S-series — the flagship line that goes head to head with the iPhone. Best value retention in the Samsung range.
• Galaxy Z Fold — the book-style foldable. High launch price means a big dollar drop, but the remaining values stay strong.
• Galaxy Z Flip — the compact clamshell foldable. A smaller niche, decent retention.
• Galaxy Z TriFold — Samsung's tri-fold flagship and the highest-value phone we buy, at up to $1,850.

Every price below is a real GadgetRenu buyback figure, current as of August 2026. The "Up to" column is for the top storage tier in Excellent condition, unlocked; the "Floor" column is the low end for a lower-storage or heavily worn device. Your phone lands somewhere in that band.

Want your exact number? Get an instant Samsung Galaxy quote — it takes about two minutes. Quotes lock for 14 days, shipping is free and insured both ways, and payment lands via PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or check within three business days of delivery — real cash, not store credit.

The S-series holds the best resale value of any Galaxy phone. Within a generation, the Ultra sits at the top, and each family drops sharply once it's a couple of years old.

Values as of August 2026. "Up to" = top storage, Excellent condition, unlocked. "Floor" = low storage / rough condition.

Trace the Ultra line and the depreciation curve is easy to read: $785 for the S26 Ultra, $666 for the S25 Ultra, $525 for the S24 Ultra, then $332 for the S23 Ultra. Each older generation gives up roughly $120 to $195. The steepest cliff is the S23-to-S24 gap — about $193 — which is where a still-recent flagship stops being "current." That's the practical case for selling while your phone is one generation back rather than three.

For how these numbers stack against Apple, see How Much Is My iPhone Worth?. For where Samsung lands across the whole market, see which phones hold their value best in 2026.

Samsung's foldables sit at the top and bottom extremes of the Galaxy resale market at the same time. They launch expensive, so the dollar drop over a couple of years is large — but the remaining values still beat most slab phones because supply is thin and demand keeps climbing.

Values as of August 2026. "Up to" = top storage, Excellent, unlocked.

Two things drive foldable pricing. Condition matters more here than on a standard phone — the hinge, the inner-screen crease, and the flexible panel are all things a buyer inspects closely, and any visible wear pulls you toward the floor rather than the ceiling. Working against that, low production volume keeps well-kept units scarce, which props up the top of the range. A Z Fold 7 with a clean hinge and no crease shadow can command the full $811; one with a tired display lands far lower.

Timing. Samsung unveils new foldables at its summer Galaxy Unpacked event, usually in July — the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 landed on July 9, 2025 — with phones shipping shortly after. Used foldable prices tend to soften once a successor is announced, so selling before the summer event generally captures more.

Lock in a foldable quote before the next generation lands. Your price holds for 14 days, so you can ship on your own schedule.

Compare same-era flagships in our own catalog and the pattern is stark. A 2023 iPhone 15 Pro Max trades for up to $607; a 2023 Galaxy S23 Ultra tops out at $332 — a little over half. Go back a year and it repeats: an iPhone 14 Pro Max reaches $476 versus $192 for a Galaxy S22 Ultra. Apple devices simply give up value more slowly. A few reasons stand behind that:

Model sprawl. Samsung ships many phones a year across the S, A, M, Z, and FE families. That variety spreads demand thin. Apple releases a handful of iPhone models annually, which concentrates demand onto fewer devices.

Update runways. Samsung now promises seven years of OS and security updates on recent flagships (the Galaxy S24 series and newer), matching Apple's long support. Older Galaxy models got fewer years, and buyers pay more for a device with more life ahead of it.

Brand premium. The secondhand market has long assigned Apple a resale premium across phones, tablets, and watches. It's about buyer perception and willingness to pay, not a verdict on which phone is better.

Carrier giveaways. Galaxy phones are frequently the "free with a new line" promo, which floods the used market and softens the perception of their full-price worth.

The takeaway for a Samsung owner is practical: because the curve is steeper, waiting costs you more. A Galaxy sitting in a drawer is quietly shedding value every month it isn't sold. The same forces hit other Android flagships — compare Google Pixel trade-in values. Weigh both major brands side by side — Samsung and iPhone — and sell the one you're done with sooner rather than later.

An unlocked Galaxy is worth more than a carrier-locked one, and unlocking is usually quick and free. The reason is reach: an unlocked phone works on any network, so a buyer pool that spans every carrier competes for it. A device locked to one carrier can only go to someone on that network or its MVNOs, which thins demand and pulls the offer down.

How to check if your Samsung is unlocked

1. Open Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Network operators. If it finds and lists multiple carriers, it's likely unlocked.
2. Or swap in a SIM from a different carrier. If it connects and places a call, you're unlocked.
3. You can also dial *#06# to pull your IMEI and check it against your carrier's unlock-status tool.

How to unlock it

Each carrier publishes its own eligibility rules; the common thread is that the device must be paid off and the account in good standing.

• AT&T: request at att.com/deviceunlock — device paid off, account active at least 60 days.
• T-Mobile: request in the T-Mobile app or by calling 611 — device paid off, roughly 40 days on the network.
• Verizon: Verizon no longer auto-unlocks — the FCC ended that 60-day auto-unlock rule in early 2026. Your device must be fully paid off, and financed or promotional phones can stay locked for up to a year after activation, after which you request the unlock.

Unlocking typically clears in 24–72 hours, and it's permanent. If you're still making payments, you generally can't unlock until the balance is cleared — but GadgetRenu will still buy a carrier-locked phone at a somewhat lower offer, and paying off a nearly finished balance to unlock often nets out ahead.

Compare a locked vs. unlocked quote for your model.

You've got three real routes for a Galaxy: Samsung's own trade-in, your carrier's trade-in, or an independent cash buyer like GadgetRenu. They pay in fundamentally different currencies, which matters more than any headline number.

This is GadgetRenu's own read of how these channels typically work. Specific competitor offers change constantly with model, condition, and promotion, so we don't quote their dollar figures here — check each source directly.

Samsung Trade-In hands you store credit toward a new Samsung device. It's convenient if you're already buying one, but the value only exists as a discount on that purchase — there's no cash option, and the eye-catching "up to" figures in the ads usually require a specific new phone, a specific trade-in model, and a qualifying plan.

Carrier trade-ins (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) advertise the biggest numbers, but they arrive as bill credits spread over 24 to 36 months and are tied to a new line or a pricier plan. Leave before the credits finish and you forfeit the rest. It's a subsidy financed through your monthly bill, not a payout.

GadgetRenu pays actual cash — PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or check — with no purchase required and no plan to join. As of August 2026, a Galaxy S25 Ultra fetches up to $666 here, your offer holds for 14 days, and payment lands within three business days of delivery. Because it's spendable cash rather than store credit, it often comes out ahead of a trade-in credit once you factor in the new device you'd be required to buy.

If you want maximum cash with no commitment, an independent buyer wins. If you're already set on a new Galaxy, the Samsung route trades some value for convenience. For a broader look, see GadgetRenu vs. Gazelle vs. Decluttr.

Check your current Samsung quote before you decide.

A few minutes of prep protects your data and keeps the transaction smooth. For a fuller walkthrough, see how to wipe an Android phone before selling.

1. Back up. Save to Samsung Cloud via Settings > Accounts and backup > Back up data, or to Google via Settings > Google > Backup > Back up now. Move photos to Google Photos or a computer if they aren't already saved.

2. Remove your Google account — the critical step. Galaxy phones use Factory Reset Protection (FRP), which ties the device to your Google account. Reset without removing it first and the next owner gets locked out at setup. Go to Settings > Accounts (or Passwords & accounts), tap your Google account, and choose Remove account. Repeat for every Google account.

3. Remove your Samsung account. In Settings > Accounts, tap your Samsung account and select Remove account. This also turns off Find My Mobile.

4. Confirm Find My Mobile is off. Check Settings > Biometrics and security > Find My Mobile and switch it off.

5. Factory reset. Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset, then confirm with your PIN.

6. Pull the SIM and microSD. Use the ejector tool for the SIM, and remove any microSD card — it holds your photos and app data.

7. Wipe it down. Microfiber cloth, remove the case and screen protector, and clear the charging port gently with compressed air.

Once it arrives, GadgetRenu performs a Certified Data Wipe at an R2-certified facility following the NIST 800-88 (Purge) standard, so nothing of yours survives on the device — a documented backstop even if you miss a step above. Lock in your quote and ship within 14 days.

Why is my Galaxy worth less than a similar-age iPhone? Apple holds value better in the used market. In our August 2026 catalog, a 2023 iPhone 15 Pro Max trades for up to $607 while a same-era Galaxy S23 Ultra tops out at $332 — a little over half. It comes down to Apple's tighter model lineup, longer resale premium, and buyer perception. That gap is real, but $332 in cash is still worth collecting on a phone you're no longer using.

Can I sell a Galaxy with a cracked screen? Yes. Damage moves you toward the low end of a model's range rather than off the table — a Galaxy S25 Ultra runs from up to $666 in Excellent condition down to a $78 floor for a rough or low-storage unit. GadgetRenu quotes phones with cracked screens, battery issues, or that won't power on. You'll get an honest number based on the device's actual state, backed by a documented photo inspection.

When is the best time to sell a foldable? Before Samsung's summer Galaxy Unpacked event, typically in July. Used foldable prices usually soften once a successor is announced, so selling ahead of the reveal captures more of your Z Fold or Z Flip's value.

Should I unlock my phone before selling? If you can, yes. An unlocked Galaxy resells to buyers on any network, so it earns a higher offer than a carrier-locked one. Unlocking is free, permanent, and usually clears within 24–72 hours once your device is paid off. GadgetRenu still buys carrier-locked phones — just at a somewhat lower offer.

How fast do I get paid? Payment goes out within three business days of your device arriving, via PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or check — real cash, not store credit. Shipping is free and insured both ways via USPS, and your quote is locked for 14 days. GadgetRenu is family-owned and based in Wallington, NJ.