iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launch: Apple dominates September trade-ins

Every September, Apple's new iPhone launches drive a surge in trade-in activity for Apple smartphones, reinforcing the brand's strong position in smartphone renewal cycles.

According to Dipli's Market Data Lab, Apple accounted for more than 50% of smartphone trade-ins on three consecutive Saturdays in September 2026, around the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Yet this year's peak remained slightly below those recorded in 2024 and 2025, a difference that could partly reflect Apple's revised launch calendar, with the standard iPhone 18 expected in 2027, outside its usual September release window.

How the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launch shaped Apple's September trade-in trends in 2026

Why September iPhone launches consistently drive trade-in activity

Every September, the launch of a new iPhone generation creates a recurring shift in smartphone trade-in activity. As consumers upgrade to the latest models, their previous devices enter trade-in channels, increasing Apple's share of smartphones traded in across stores and online platforms.

This pattern has become a familiar feature of the smartphone renewal cycle. Apple's September launches not only stimulate trade-in activity but also temporarily reshape the brand mix, with iPhone accounting for a larger proportion of devices entering the secondary market.

💡 For circular tech professionals, this recurring seasonal effect is an important market signal, as it influences the flow of used smartphones into refurbishment and resale channels.

Apple exceeds 50% of trade-ins for three consecutive Saturdays

Dipli's Market Data Lab confirms that September 2026 followed this familiar pattern. Around the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple accounted for more than half of all smartphone trade-ins on three consecutive Saturdays, across the channels analyzed.

The figures reveal a clear increase in Apple's trade-in share around the key launch dates:

• September 12, 2026 (pre-orders open): 55.01% of trade-ins, up 6.47 percentage points from the previous Saturday.
• September 19, 2026 (in-store launch): 57.57%, the highest share recorded across the three Saturdays.
• September 26, 2026: 51.08%, keeping Apple above the 50% threshold for a third consecutive Saturday.

💡 This sustained dominance highlights the influence of Apple's flagship launches on smartphone renewal activity. These figures also illustrate how closely the timing of Apple's product launches is linked to the composition of devices entering trade-in channels, with potential implications for refurbished smartphone supply.

Apple's iPhone trade-in share: comparing September launches from 2024 to 2026

Why was Apple's 2026 trade-in peak lower than in previous years?

While Apple's September trade-in performance remains strong, the 2026 launch peak was slightly lower than those recorded in the previous two years, according to Dipli's Market Data Lab.

• In September 2024 and 2025, Apple's share of smartphone trade-ins exceeded 60% on the Saturdays corresponding to the in-store launches of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 families.
• By comparison, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launch reached 57.57% on September 19, 2026, roughly 2 to 4 percentage points below the peaks observed in previous years.

Despite this difference, the result remains significant. With more than half of all smartphones traded in on three consecutive Saturdays being iPhone, Apple continues to demonstrate its strong influence on smartphone renewal cycles.

💡 One notable difference sets 2026 apart from previous years: for the first time, Apple's standard iPhone was absent from its September launch lineup, with the iPhone 18 expected to arrive separately in 2027.

This change in release strategy could partly explain why Apple's trade-in share peaked slightly lower this September. With only the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launching, some consumers who would typically upgrade to the standard model may be postponing their device renewal until its release.

Could the standard iPhone 18 launch in 2027 trigger a new trade-in peak?

The next iPhone 18 launch will therefore provide an interesting opportunity to observe whether a staggered release calendar creates a second wave of trade-in activity, rather than concentrating demand around a single September launch.

For now, the impact remains a hypothesis. Dipli's Market Data Lab will continue tracking Apple's trade-in performance to see whether the standard iPhone 18 release produces another significant shift in the brand's share of smartphone trade-ins.

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