Sell your iPhone 7: how to get the most cash for an old return

how to sell iphone 7
(Image credit: Future)

If you've decided to sell an iPhone 7, maybe to invest into your next device or even just to get some cash to spend, it can be hard to know where to recycle it. There are a lot of options to go for...so which is the best to sell a phone?

While the obvious names pop up: eBay, Gumtree etc, they can often be the most arduous and complicated options. Instead, phone recycling services can make the whole system a lot easier.

With these, you simply enter the details of your phone including its current condition, model and storage size. You will then be given a quote and voila, send it over and you'll get a nice wad of cash.

And the good news is that despite the iPhone 7's age, its value has held up surprisingly well due to Apple's excellent resale value. That means you can score a pretty healthy amount for an iPhone 7 sell.

But how much can I get for it? What is the best website for recycling an iPhone 7 and how do I go about actually packaging it and selling it off? We've answered all of those questions for you below.

Where can I sell my iPhone 7?

ed's choice
SellMyMobile | Get up to £170 cash

<a href="https://www.sellmymobile.com/?tsid=95087" data-link-merchant="sellmymobile.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">SellMyMobile | Get up to £170 cash*
If you're looking to sell your iPhone 7, one of the best options out there is the service SellMyMobile. It aggregates a wide range of providers and shows the price they will offer, TrustPilot scores, how long until you get paid and other factors to consider.

This allows you to quickly find the best price and a company that you are happy to use without having to go out and research them all yourself.

(* Correct at time of writing for new iPhone 7 256GB)

Of course, this isn't the only available website. There are popular options like Music Magpie but with these you're not able to compare prices to other companies so you won't know if it is the best price out there.

Many retailers offer trade-in options as well. Samsung and Apple for instance will allow you to cut down the cost of a new device by giving them your old handset.

How much can I sell my iPhone 7 for?

A quick look through SellMyMobile shows a list of different prices depending on a few different factors including condition and memory size:

iPhone 7 32GB:
- New: £179
- Working: £100
- Broken: £68

iPhone 7 128GB:
- New: £173
- Working: £110
- Broken: £70

iPhone 7 128GB:
- New: £170
- Working: £120
- Broken: £76

iPhone 7 Plus 32GB:
- New: £224
- Working: £155
- Broken: £105

iPhone 7 Plus 128GB:

-New: £225
- Working: £173
- Broken: £115

iPhone 7 Plus 256GB:
- New: £223
- Working: £183
- Broken: £120

These prices were correct at the time of writing, but can of course fluctuate up and down with different prices available when certain companies step in, up prices or reduce them.

How does selling your iPhone 7 work?

When you go through SellMyMobile there are a few nice and easy steps to go through:

Step 1: Register
The very first step involves heading to the website and registering. Put in your phone with its memory size and other similar details. Then choose the company you wish to go through and accept the quoted price.

Step 2: Pack it up and send it back
Once your packaging arrives, you need to put your phone in it, fill out any forms that come with it - for example, whether your phone is tied to a network, its condition and your personal details.

Then pack it all up in your provided envelope, chuck it in the post (carefully of course) and wait for your response.

Step 3: Collect your reward
Once it arrives, the company will review the device and decide whether it is still happy with the original quote. If so, it will then send you the money straight away. If not, it will give you a new updated quote.

You then decide whether you are happy with this new quite. If yes, you accept it. If not, you can have your phone returned to you.

What to do before I sell my iPhone 7?

Look around at the competition
Take a look at what all of the different companies are offering for your phone and whether there is another website where you could get a better fee. If you know the website you want to buy your next phone from, it could be worth checking how much they will offer for trade-in.

Check over your device
SellMyMobile only offers three levels of condition - working, new and broken so you don't have a whole lot of choice. New needs the phone to still be un-opened in its box, working is going to be most people's devices, maybe with a few scratches but still working and broken means any considerable issues.

Reset your phone

This is something a lot of people forget to do, but you have to make sure you’ve reset your device before you then sell it on. You can hard reset all modern smartphones, which means it will then delete all of your data that’s currently on there. 

Without doing this, whoever buys you phone may have access to your data, your private accounts and you’ll likely lose things in the process too. Before resetting your phone also make sure you’ve backed up any data you want to save to use on your next device such as music, photos and videos.

Ready to make some cash from that old iPhone 7? Head to the SellMyMobile website and get the best price now

Can I sell my iPhone 7 if its locked to a network?

While it will lower the amount of money you are offered, you can sell a device if its locked to a network. When SellMyMobile sends you your box to send the device back in, you simply need to tick the box that indicates your phone is locked to a network.

If you want the highest price and you're willing to put some work in, you can sometimes get your phone removed from a network yourself. Try calling your network and seeing if they will do it for you.

What's the best phone to replace my iPhone 7 with?

There are a lot of good devices to replace your iPhone 7 with but likely the best choice, or the best choice for those not wanting to spend too much at least is iPhone SE deals.

It's cheap and pretty similar to what the iPhone 7 offered, just slightly more powerful. Or if you're willing to throw a bit more cash in, iPhone 11 deals could be a great choice.

They're a bit more expensive than the SE but well worth it to have one of Apple's best devices yet. The iPhone 11 combines the affordability of devices like the SE with the powerful specs that the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max reward you with.


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Alex Hughes

Alex is a journalist who has written extensively about all things broadband, SIMs and phone contracts, as well as scouring the internet to land you the best prices on the very latest in gadgets and tech. Whether that be with the latest iPhones and Android handsets, breaking down how broadband works or revealing the cheapest SIM plans, he's in the know, and will help you land a bargain.