[Edaily Reporter Han Kwangbeom ] Data shows that requests to sell used iPhones increased by more than 10% during the first week following the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max compared to the launch of previous models. Notably, for the second consecutive year, there has been a trend of concentrated demand for upgrading devices and selling used phones—particularly for iPhone models that have been in use for about three years—around the time of new product launches.

LG Uplus(032640) “Sello,” a used phone sales platform operated by MediaLog—a subsidiary of a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO)—announced on the 30th that an analysis of used phone sales applications during the first week following the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max showed a roughly 11% increase in total sales applications compared to the same period during the iPhone 17 launch.

Compared to the week immediately preceding the launch, the number of sales applications surged by approximately 277%, increasing to 3.8 times the previous level. The share of iPhones among devices submitted for sale also rose sharply by 44 percentage points—from 44% before the launch to 88% afterward—meaning that approximately 9 out of every 10 sales applications immediately following the new product’s launch were for iPhones.

Cello analyzed that the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max rapidly stimulated demand for used iPhones, noting that while sales applications increased compared to the launch of last year’s new models, there were also significant changes in the scale and models of applications both before and after this year’s launch.

The model with the most sales requests following the new product launch was the iPhone 15 series, now in its third year on the market. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 16 series followed, with the number of requests for the iPhone 15 being approximately 9% higher than the average of the other two series.

Last year, when the iPhone 17 was released, the iPhone 14—which was then in its third year—also ranked first in sales requests, followed by the iPhone 13 and iPhone 15. This confirms for the second consecutive year a trend of users selling devices they have used for three years around the time of a new iPhone release.

Among the three-year-old models, the high-performance Pro series accounted for a significant share. At the time of the iPhone 17’s launch last year, Pro and Pro Max models made up about 84% of the iPhone 14 trade-ins received, and following the launch of the iPhone 18 this year, Pro and Pro Max models accounted for about 78% of the iPhone 15 trade-ins received.

Cello analyzed the trend, stating, “The launch of new models has sparked a surge in demand to replace iPhones that have been in use for about three years, and among these, customers who previously owned premium models have been particularly active in submitting requests to sell their used phones.”