As of August 7, following price hikes on Macs and iPads, Apple has once again raised the trade-in credit for a slew of devices including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. The increase tops out at nearly 30%, with an average bump of 6.6%. For consumers feeling the sting of rising phone prices, this could be a welcome bit of relief.
Here’s a quick look at the updated iPhone trade-in numbers: The iPhone 16 Pro Max now fetches up to $720, up from $695. The iPhone 16 Pro saw a more substantial jump, climbing $70 to hit $630, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max moved up to $530 from $490.
Older models are getting a boost too. The iPhone 13 Pro’s maximum credit went from $260 to $285, the iPhone 12 Pro Max rose from $220 to $240, and even the iPhone XR nudged up from $80 to $90.
Macs are where you’ll see the most dramatic changes. The MacBook Pro’s top trade-in value soared from $690 to a hefty $855. The Mac mini jumped from $375 to $480—that’s a roughly 28% increase—and the Mac Studio went from $1,045 to $1,305.
But that’s not all. Apple has also added six new Android phones to its trade-in program, including models from Samsung, Google, and OnePlus. Broadening the net to include Android devices could be a smart play to attract a wider pool of potential buyers for iPhones and other Apple gear.
According to industry data, nearly half of all iPhone buyers trade in or sell their old device when upgrading. By sweetening the pot on trade-in values, Apple might just convince more loyal fans to keep upgrading even as prices climb.
This move comes on the heels of Apple’s June 25 announcement that raised prices on Macs, iPads, and home devices by 15% to 20%. For instance, the MacBook Neo’s starting price went from $599 to $699, the MacBook Air from $1,099 to $1,299, the 14-inch entry-level MacBook Pro from $1,699 to $1,999, the 11-inch iPad Pro from $999 to $1,199, and the iPad Air from $599 to $749. That price adjustment was global, though iPhone prices were left untouched at the time.
So, why the price hikes? The skyrocketing cost of memory is the main culprit. On July 31, Apple CEO Tim Cook described the current memory pricing environment as a “once-in-a-century flood” during the company’s Q3 FY2026 earnings call, noting that prices have risen exponentially.
When discussing the Mac and iPad price increase, Cook admitted the decision was made “reluctantly.” He anticipates Apple will face even higher memory costs starting in September, though the company plans to offset some of that impact by reducing costs on non-memory components and leaning on existing inventory.
Data from market research firm TrendForce shows just how intense the memory price surge has been. In Q1, general DRAM contract prices jumped 93% to 98% quarter-over-quarter, while NAND flash rose 55% to 60%. Q2 saw DRAM climb another 58% to 63%, with NAND expanding to 70% to 75%. Spot market prices have been even more volatile—DDR5 16GB memory has surged over sixfold so far this year.
The root cause? Major memory manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron, and Kioxia have deliberately shifted production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI servers and high-layer enterprise 3D NAND, squeezing the supply of consumer-grade SSDs and mobile storage.
This has put enormous cost pressure on phone makers like Apple. On August 5, reports citing foreign media noted that Apple approached CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies) to negotiate prices for LPDDR5X mobile DRAM in an effort to ease manufacturing costs for its next iPhones. However, Apple’s request for lower prices was reportedly rejected. CXMT’s pricing is said to be on par with—or even higher than—what Samsung and SK Hynix charge.
CXMT’s refusal to budge likely stems from the fact that Chinese tech giants like Huawei and Xiaomi have already locked in long-term supply contracts with the company, giving it little incentive to cave to Apple’s demanding terms.
Meanwhile, market research firm IDC’s latest Global Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker reveals that the global smartphone market saw modest growth in 2025, with total shipments reaching 1.26 billion units, up 1.9% year-over-year. Apple and Samsung were the standout performers among the top five vendors, growing 6.3% and 7.9% respectively and combining for a 39% market share. Apple retained its crown as the world’s No. 1 smartphone maker for the third consecutive year, shipping 247.8 million units and capturing a 19.7% share.
