eBay iPhone searches just spiked 57K — buy a used iPhone 15 from the upgrade wave or wait for spring?
September eBay data is ridiculous: searches for 'iphone' jumped 57,000 month over month and click-through went from 55% to 78%. Everyone's either buying the 17 or trying to score a deal on the old ones. Plus Apple isn't even releasing the basic iPhone until spring 2027, so the used market is going to stay weird for a while. My current phone's battery is at 79% and dying by 4pm. I refuse to pay retail. Do I grab a used iPhone 15 now while the upgraders are dumping theirs, or wait until spring when the basic model finally lands and the market floods even harder?
1 answer
- Buy the upgrader's 15, check the cycle count first
At 79% your battery is already done, you're just negotiating with it. A gently used 15 from someone upgrading is honestly the sweet spot right now — new enough to get updates for years, old enough that the upgraders are desperate. Just buy from a seller with actual returns, and ask for a screenshot of battery health and cycle count in Settings before you pay. Anything under 500 cycles and over 87% is a solid phone. Don't wait for spring — your phone won't make it to spring.