It’s hard to believe that Apple launched its first iPhone 10 years ago.  It was a device that came along and completely changed the game for the mobile and technology industry. At a time of Nokia N95s, Motorola RAZRs and for the business-minded folk, the BlackBerry Curve, no one could have predicted just how much the iPhone would, or could, change our lives.

The iPhone has taken the humble mobile phone to a whole new level – we’ve gone from a device that was designed for mainly texting and calling, to a mini-computer in our pockets. One that allows us to manage our bank accounts, control the heating in our homes, listen to our favorite tunes and to pay for just about anything. And that’s without the social media phenomena of Snapchatting, Tweeting, and Instagramming that leads so many of us to take pictures of our food before we eat it.

Rumors have been circling for months about what Apple’s newest device will look like, and whether it will live up to the ‘biggest upgrade in years’ hype. All will be revealed on September 12th at Apple’s ‘Special Event’. While nothing is confirmed yet, rumor has it that Apple will be launching a premium device, the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, as well as the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus.

Even if you spent the better part of your life without an iPhone, it’s pretty hard to imagine the pre-iPhone days. Can you believe we’re coming up on the 10th anniversary of Apple’s hallmark device?

Did you know that there’s a multi-billion dollar market for cracked iPhone repairs?

It’s crazy to think just how many consumers experience that sinking feeling when their iPhones hit the ground and they pick it up to find a cracked screen.

With all the hype that’s been building, it feels like we’ve been waiting for the 10th anniversary iPhone for years. But now that we’ve entered Q3, iPhone 8 (and the 10th anniversary event) is almost upon us.

Each quarter, we analyze data regarding mobile device trade-ins. Our data includes the most-traded devices, an analysis of devices that return the highest trade-in values, the amount of money returned to consumers in the United States, and more.

When you think of a used smartphone, you probably picture a mobile collecting dust in the back of a drawer. Something that is only brought back to life to tide you over when your current device is broken or lost, or as a hand-me-down to a friend or relative in need. But used smartphones shouldn’t just be destined for the drawer.

Consumers think the mobile trade-in process ends when they get their cash or credit towards a new device; but service providers know there’s more to it – especially at the back end.

Every quarter we compile data about the mobile device trade-in market. We look at the most-traded devices, the phones with the highest trade-in value, the money returned to consumers over the quarter, and more.

There’s a certain degree of consistency each quarter, but it’s good to have the baseline data to examine as industry trends come and go.

It seems like we’re just now starting to see the impact Apple’s iPhone 7 release has had on the secondary smartphone market. And yet, the latest-and-greatest iPhone is coming quickly.

Details about the iPhone 8 are still unclear, but it’s never too early to predict how the secondary market will react to the Q4 influx of used devices and trade-ins.