Cashify Expects iPhone’s Latest Lineup Launch Could Drive New Wave of iPhone Buybacks and Refurbished Demand

Apple’s latest lineup launch is likely to set the next upgrade cycle in motion, with the impact expected to extend to India’s secondary smartphone market. As consumers move to newer models, more previous-generation iPhones could enter the buyback market, increasing the availability of devices for refurbishment and resale.

Cashify’s latest whitepaper, The Great Indian Upgrade 2026, shows the scale of Apple’s presence in this market. Apple accounted for 65.3% of refurbished smartphone sales on Cashify in 2025 and 32.6% of all buybacks. The iPhone 13 emerged as both the most bought refurbished iPhone and the most traded-in model on the platform during the year.

With the upcoming iPhone lineup launch, Cashify expects the next phase of the upgrade cycle to play out across four key areas.

Price Drops on Outgoing Models

A new launch typically puts downward pressure on outgoing models. However, higher prices for new iPhones could strengthen demand for more affordable previous-generation devices, limiting the extent of any correction.

As more iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 units enter the secondary market, their availability is expected to improve. However, if refurbished demand rises alongside supply, prices may soften gradually rather than fall sharply.

The extent of the correction will vary by model, storage capacity and device condition, and will depend on inventory levels, buyback volumes and pricing in the new-device market. Models offering the strongest balance of performance, longevity and affordability are likely to retain their value better.

Inventory Influx for Refurbishers

Higher prices for the latest iPhones could make trade-ins more important to consumers looking to reduce the effective cost of upgrading. This is expected to bring more recent models into the buyback ecosystem, increasing the availability of newer iPhones for refurbishment and resale.

Cashify expects the initial increase in buybacks to emerge within the first 30 days of the launch and build over the following 60 to 90 days as availability improves, festive offers expand and more consumers complete their upgrades.

The strongest increase is expected among iPhones that are two to three generations behind the latest launch, particularly the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series. iPhones 13 and 14 could continue to contribute significant volumes because of their larger existing user base.