If you’ve reached the end of your plan, or you just want to get rid of an old iPhone, you might be wondering whether you can sell a locked iPhone? Here’s what you need to know…
Back in the day, most carriers locked their phones. This means if you bought a phone from Verizon or T-Mobile or, if you’re in the UK, Three or O2, the phone would be locked to that network.
In the case of iPhones, when it comes to selling the phone, it doesn’t really matter too much if the phone is locked or not. You have more options if the phone is unlocked, as you can sell it on open markets like Facebook Marketplace and eBay.
But these auction sites and marketplaces come with their own, unique headaches. Yes, you can charge whatever you like for the iPhone but you then have to deal with the general public, and there’s no telling who you’ll be dealing with – disputes are common and can get annoying quickly.
If you plan on selling your iPhone to a recycle company or a buyback company, and you should, it is the easiest way to sell your iPhone, then it doesn’t matter whether the phone is locked or unlocked.
Best Place To Sell Locked iPhone?
If you’re looking for a quick and simple way to sell your locked iPhone, your best bet is using a legit buyback company – AKA a phone recycler. There are many, many options when it comes to phone recycle companies.
And finding the best price can be a bit of a pain, unless you don’t mind comparing the prices at 30+ different online phone recycle companies.
If you want to speed things up, use SellCell – it compares quotes from over 30 phone recyclers, pulling them into one place, so all you have to do is pick the highest paying option.
SellCell – and its partners – will accept locked iPhones, broken iPhones, smashed iPhones, and really old iPhones.
You’ll get more money for am iPhone in good condition with no cosmetic damage, but having a locked phone should not impact the price you get for your iPhone.
Again, providing it is in good condition. If the phone is locked and looks like it has been through the wringer several times, the amount you’ll get will be less than what you’d be offered for a mint condition iPhone.
This is why it is important to use cases on your iPhone, a good case will protect your iPhone’s chassis, keeping it scuff and scratch free, as well as stop the screen smashing if you drop it.
And if you want the best of the best, check out our guide to the most protective cases for iPhone.
How Much Is My Locked iPhone Worth?
How much is your iPhone worth? Again, the fact that is locked doesn’t really affect the price too much.
As long as your iPhone is in good condition, you’ll get a great price for it. Of course, newer models and those with higher storage will always fetch more.
You’ll still get a $100 or so for a really old iPhone like the iPhone 6s. With something like the iPhone 11, you’re looking at almost $400 for the phone.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can expect to get for each iPhone model – from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 6. These prices are based on the phone being in excellent condition, however, so if your phone has damage, you’ll need to knock off a few dollars.
| iPhone Model | Potential Worth (Good Condition) |
|---|---|
| iPhone 12 Pro Max | $1010 |
| iPhone 12 Pro | $896 |
| iPhone 12 Mini | $573 |
| iPhone 12 | $652 |
| iPhone 11 Pro Max | $671 |
| iPhone 11 Pro | $602 |
| iPhone 11 | $478 |
| iPhone XS Max | $408 |
| iPhone XS | $358 |
| iPhone XR | $280 |
| iPhone X | $280 |
| iPhone 8 | $185 |
| iPhone 8 Plus | $264 |
| iPhone 7 | $123 |
| iPhone 7 Plus | $187 |
| iPhone 6s Plus | $124 |
Wrapping Up – Can You Sell A Locked iPhone?
Yep, you can sell a locked iPhone. The only thing that REALLY matters is the condition the phone is in. If the iPhone is in good condition and not too old, you’ll get a great price for it – regardless of whether or not it is locked.
Unlocking an iPhone is fairly simple, these recycle companies know this, so it doesn’t really factor too much into their valuation of your phone. In fact, in some instances it is beneficial: if you’re with Verizon, for instance, plenty of users might want to buy a Verizon iPhone, so this would work in your favor.
Recycle companies that buy and sell iPhones like to keep equal amounts of locked and unlocked iPhones. For this reason, do not worry about trying to sell your locked iPhone – it will not affect the price you get for it, as you can see here by using this free tool to get a valuation of your iPhone.
Richard Goodwin
Richard Goodwin has been working as a tech journalist for over 10 years. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.