The good news is that Apple has been beta testing iOS 17 for several months now and it looks like it’s on schedule to be released in September of 2023. The bad news is that if you own an iPhone X series (X, XR, XS, XS Max) or an 8 series phone you won’t be able to upgrade to it – and the trade-in / resale value of your phone will plummet. That’s why if you own one of those phones it’s time to trade it in or sell it. before the new OS comes out.
iOS 17 promises a slew of new features including updates to Messages, Phone, and FaceTime, animated stickers from Live Photos, improved Autocorrect, interactive widgets, and a long list of other updates. Even in the second-hand market, people usually opt for phones that will support the current generation of iOS so demand for the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, due to the lack of support for the new operating system, is going to drop.
How much less will my phone be worth?
If you have an iPhone 8 or X series, expect about a 50% drop in the value of your phone. Because iOS 17 won’t be supported by those lineups, they are now in the ‘phase-out’ cycle which means companies and organizations will need to replace those models for new ones – and they will need to dump their old ones. Supply will exceed demand and the price will fall. This happens with every “planned obsolescence” cycle that Apple goes through.
When iOS 16 was released in September of 2022 the phone they phased out was the iPhone 7 which fell 50% in value almost immediately. When iOS 13 was released in September 2019 the iPhone 6 series dropped the same percentage as it was no longer supported by the new OS.
Will my iPhone X or iPhone 8 phone still work when iOS 17 is released?
Yes! Your phone will work just fine – but you won’t be getting any new updates so start planning on replacing it on whatever timeframe makes sense to you. For the first few months to a year or even longer you may not even notice much of a difference. But as issues start to arise (that won’t be fixed by Apple) you may find yourself wanting to upgrade. Additionally, the age of your phone may become more of a factor as time goes on as the iPhone X and 8 series were released 6 years ago and most people don’t hold onto their phones for that long without an upgrade.
Hi! I’m Eric and I work on the knowledge base at GadgetMates.com. You can see some of my writings about technology, cellphone repair, and computer repair here.
When I’m not writing about tech I’m playing with my dog or hanging out with my girlfriend.
Shoot me a message at ericchan@gadgetmates.com if you want to see a topic discussed or have a correction on something I’ve written.
