• iPhone 6 revealed as the most sought-after and traded refurbished phone of 2017*
• Owners of iPhone7 and Google Pixel handsets should trade-in now, whilst demand is higher than stock

They say that timing is everything, especially if you are trying to save yourself a pretty penny or two. The phone specialists at Envirofone have revealed a neat trick that could help you to get maximum trade-in value for your current handset, whilst also offering you the best price on a newer model.

• If you’re looking to sell…

So, you’ve got a great smartphone and you’ve looked after it, so it’s in pretty good nick. Your contract is ending and you are starting to wonder if you could sell it and make a bit of extra cash. But when is the best time to trade it in?

Richard Mavers, director of group marketing and online strategy at Enviofone says:

“You want to trade in your handset before everyone else does, or before a new model is launched. As you would expect, the price you’ll get is partly based on demand, so if you can sell it when demand is high but stock is low, you could make more money.

“Consider that when a new handset is released, there is naturally going to be quite a bit of instant take-up, with most people signing up for a two-year contract. If you work out two years from the release of a phone, you can pretty much time it to the day when loads of people will start trading that model in. If you are prepared to sell a couple of months before everyone else thinks about it, or before the next model is released, you could find that your handset is worth quite a bit more than if you waited!”

Top five most sought-after (refurbished) handsets in 2017*:

1.      iPhone 6

  iPhone 6s

  iPhone 7   Samsung S6

  iPhone SE   Average trade-in price paid for handsets in 2017:* £147

• If you’re looking to buy…

You weren’t in a position to get the latest iPhone when it came out, but now your contract is nearly over, you’re thinking about switching to a Sim-Free and Sim-Only combination. When is the earliest time to get the handset you want, at the best price?

Richard says: “In contrast to selling a phone, if you’re buying, you want to wait until there is loads of stock coming in – so about two years after the handset you want, launched to the UK market, or after the next model comes out.

“You might think that a handset that has been used for two years isn’t going to be in the best condition, but you would be surprised! Most of the handsets we receive are spotless, and they then undergo a 100-point check before being ‘graded’. You could save yourself a fortune!”

Top ten most-traded handsets in 2017*: 1.      Apple iPhone 6 16GB 2.      Apple iPhone 5S 16GB 3.      Apple iPhone 6 64GB 4.      Apple iPhone 5 16GB 5.      Samsung Galaxy S5 G900F 6.      Apple iPhone 5C 8GB 7.      Samsung Galaxy S6 G920 8.      Apple iPhone 4S 16GB 9.      Apple iPhone 6S 16GB 10.  Apple iPhone 5C 16GB

  Which handsets may decrease in value when new models are released later this year (and therefore could be traded-in now for best price)?

• iPhone 7 (launched September 2016)
• Google Pixel (launched October 2016)
• OnePlus 3T (launched June 2016)
• Sony Xperia X (launched June 2016)

Which handsets are most likely to be available in high volume over the next six months?

• HTC One M9 (launched April 2015)
• LG G4 (launched April 2015)
• Samsung Galaxy S6 (launched April 2015)
• Samsung Galaxy S7 (launched March 2016 – now the S8 has been released)
• iPhone 6 (launched September 2014)

Find out more about Envirofone at https://www.envirofone.com/