iPhone 4 Values Plummet

With the iPhone 4S pre-ordering like hot cakes, it appears the value of Apple's regular, old iPhone 4 is plummeting in value. According to recent reports, the resale price of a standard iPhone 4 is being reduced virtually every day.

Word of the value reduction comes from NextWorth, which reported to MSNBC that up until the announcement of the iPhone 4S one could get $250 for a 16GB iPhone 4 in average condition. Now, one would be lucky to get $200 flat for that same phone, or $215 for the larger 32GB version of the device.

Most iPhone 4's Available for $200

Similar values are being reported by electronics reseller Gazelle, which is also offering $200 for the iPhone 4 and $222 for a "flawless" condition 32GB iPhone 4.

Flawless, according to Gazelle, means that it "still looks and functions like you just removed it from factory packaging." Think about this for a second -- given that the average iPhone is treated like an extensions of its user's body, the chance that they will look even remotely like a brand new version of the device after a few months' use is nil. (Source: pcmag.com)

Gazelle says most of the phones it receives are in "good" condition, meaning they're scuffed or nicked just a little bit. They're clearly usable, but also clearly used.

Over at BuyMyTronics, $200 is also the resell value for the 16GB version of the iPhone 4, so long as it is in "good" condition.

eBay Reveals Sharp Decline in Value

Checking out eBay, the rapid decline of the iPhone 4's value is really apparent. A week ago buyers would have paid over $300 for the slick handheld, but now auctions are ending well below $200. In fact, the maximum value for the 16GB version of the iPhone 4 appears to be $178.50 right now. (Source: pcmag.com)

The lesson here is that if you're planning to sell your iPhone 4 and make the upgrade to an iPhone 4S, then get about doing it sooner than later. It's expected the value of the old iPhone 4 will only continue to decline between now and the iPhone 4S' release, which is officially on October 14, 2011.