In the year following its launch, Apple's iPhone 17 Pro has surrendered nearly a quarter of its value on Vietnam's secondhand market — a reminder that even the most coveted objects are subject to the quiet erosion of time and novelty. Tracked across seventeen models on Cho Tot, the country's largest used-goods platform, the 17 Pro's 23.5% decline was the steepest of its generation, yet iPhones as a category continue to outlast their Android rivals in resale demand and liquidity. The arrival of a new generation does not erase value so much as redistribute it, pressing older devices down the lad
iPhone 17 Pro depreciates 23.5% in Vietnam's secondhand market within a year
iPhones lose value fastest in their first few years, then the decline slows
Mark
So the iPhone 17 Pro lost nearly a quarter of its value in one year. That's a lot. Is that normal for flagship phones?
Mimi
It's steep, but not unusual for iPhones specifically. What's notable is that it was the worst depreciation among all seventeen models surveyed during that period—worse than the Pro Max, worse than the standard 17.
Luke
Wait—we're comparing across different launch dates and different market conditions. The 17 Pro launched in September 2025, the 18 series arrived a year later. The survey happened right when the new phones hit. That timing matters for the comparison.
Mimi
True. But the data does show that iPhones lose value fastest in their first few years, then the decline slows. The 16 Pro lost 39%, the 15 series lost about half.
Mark
So if I buy a used iPhone 17 Pro today, I'm getting a phone that's already depreciated. Will it keep losing value?
Mimi
Yes, but probably more slowly than it did in that first year. And here's the thing—it will hold its value better than a comparable Android phone would have.
Luke
That's an important claim. The source says iPhones have "stronger resale activity and better value retention than many competing Android models, particularly premium devices." But we're only seeing Cho Tot data. That's one marketplace. We don't know if that pattern holds across all of Vietnam's secondhand market.
Mark
Fair point. So we know the iPhone 17 Pro depreciated 23.5% on one platform. We don't know if that's representative of the entire market.
Mimi
Right. But Cho Tot is described as the largest online marketplace, so it's probably a reasonable proxy.
Luke
Probably. But the source doesn't say it's the largest. It just says it's where the data came from. That's a gap worth naming.
Mark
What about older iPhones? The X from 2017 is still selling for VND2 million. Does anyone actually want those?
Mimi
Apparently enough people do that they're still listed. They're in the same price range as budget Android phones now, so they're competing on price, not brand prestige.
Luke
The source doesn't tell us how many X models are actually selling, or how long they sit on the market. We know they're listed at that price. We don't know if they move.
Le Pouls
- The iPhone 17 Pro lost VND8.23 million — roughly $312 — within its first year, the sharpest single-model drop among all seventeen iPhones surveyed on Cho Tot.
- The entire 17 lineup felt the pressure: the Pro Max fell VND8.15 million, the standard 17 shed nearly 20%, and even the six-month-old 17e slipped 15.6% as Apple's 18 series arrived.
- Older generations tell a harsher story — the iPhone 16 Pro has lost 39%, the 16 and 16 Plus have each shed roughly 42%, and three-year-old 15 series devices have lost about half their original value.
- Despite the steep first-year curve, iPhones consistently outperform premium Android devices in resale activity and price stability, giving buyers a more liquid exit if they choose to sell.
- The market is settling into a recognizable pattern: sharp early depreciation, a moderating decline with age, and a long tail of budget-tier devices that keep older iPhones in circulation for years.
In the year following its launch, Apple's iPhone 17 Pro has surrendered nearly a quarter of its value on Vietnam's secondhand market — a reminder that even the most coveted objects are subject to the quiet erosion of time and novelty. Tracked across seventeen models on Cho Tot, the country's largest used-goods platform, the 17 Pro's 23.5% decline was the steepest of its generation, yet iPhones as a category continue to outlast their Android rivals in resale demand and liquidity. The arrival of a new generation does not erase value so much as redistribute it, pressing older devices down the ladder while sustaining a market that remains, by regional standards, remarkably active.
A year after its September 2025 debut, Apple's iPhone 17 Pro has lost nearly a quarter of its value in Vietnam's secondhand market. The 256GB model, which launched at VND35 million, now averages VND26.77 million on Cho Tot — a drop of VND8.23 million, or about $312 — making it the steepest depreciation among seventeen iPhone models tracked as the 18 series arrived.
The broader 17 lineup followed a similar trajectory. The Pro Max fell from VND38 million to VND29.85 million, while the standard 17 settled around VND20 million after losing roughly 20% of its value. The 17e, released just six months before the new generation, showed the most modest erosion at 15.6%. Cho Tot collected the data between September 1 and 22, 2026, capturing the market's immediate response to Apple's latest launch.
Older iPhones reveal how the depreciation curve steepens with time. The two-year-old 16 Pro has shed 39% of its original VND29 million price, while the standard 16 and 16 Plus have each lost around 42%. Three-year-old 15 series devices have lost roughly half their value. At the far end of the spectrum, used 12, 13, and 14 models now sell for between VND4 million and VND8 million — price territory shared with entry-level Android phones — and the iPhone X still appears on listings at around VND2 million.
What sets iPhones apart in Vietnam's secondhand market is not immunity to depreciation but relative resilience. Premium Android smartphones at comparable price points show weaker resale activity and poorer value retention. For anyone buying a used iPhone 17 Pro today, further decline is likely — but it will happen in a market where demand remains steady and prices hold up better than the competition.
A year after its September 2025 launch, Apple's iPhone 17 Pro has shed nearly a quarter of its value in Vietnam's secondhand market. The 256GB model, which sold for VND35 million when new, now averages VND26.77 million on Cho Tot, the country's largest online marketplace for used goods. That represents a loss of VND8.23 million—roughly $312—making it the steepest depreciation among seventeen iPhone models tracked during the period when Apple's newer 18 series arrived.
The 17 Pro's fall was the sharpest in its class. Its larger sibling, the 17 Pro Max, dropped from VND38 million to VND29.85 million, a decline of VND8.15 million. The standard 17 fared somewhat better, losing only 19.9% of its value to settle around VND20 million. Even the 17e, released just six months before the 18 launch, showed more modest erosion at 15.6%, falling from VND18 million to VND15.2 million. The data came from Cho Tot listings collected between September 1 and 22, 2026, a period that captured the market's immediate reaction to the new generation.
The 17 Pro's position as the world's third best-selling smartphone during the second quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research, did not insulate it from the depreciation curve that defines consumer electronics. Older iPhones tell a starker story. The 16 Pro, released two years prior, has lost 39.2% of its original VND29 million price. The standard 16 and 16 Plus have each shed roughly 42%, now trading for around VND13.38 million and VND15.16 million respectively. The 16 Pro Max, which launched at VND35 million, now averages VND21.7 million—a 38% decline. Three-year-old 15 series devices have lost approximately half their value, with the Pro Max averaging VND15.6 million.
The oldest iPhones in active circulation have become budget-tier devices. Used 12, 13, and 14 models sell for between VND4 million and VND8 million, placing them squarely in the price range of entry-level Android phones. The iPhone X, released in 2017, still appears on secondhand listings at around VND2 million. This trajectory reveals a pattern: iPhones experience their most severe depreciation in the first few years after release, then the rate of decline moderates as the devices age further.
What distinguishes iPhones in Vietnam's secondhand market is not their resistance to depreciation—the 17 Pro's 23.5% first-year loss is substantial—but their resilience relative to competing devices. Premium Android smartphones typically show weaker resale activity and poorer value retention than iPhones at equivalent price points. Cho Tot's data suggests that despite steep initial losses, iPhones maintain stronger demand and liquidity in the used market, a pattern that has held across multiple generations. For buyers entering the secondhand market, this means an iPhone 17 Pro purchased today will likely continue losing value, but it will do so in a market where buyers remain plentiful and prices remain relatively stable compared to Android alternatives.
Citations marquantes
iPhones generally experience their steepest depreciation during their first few years before the rate of decline slows— Cho Tot marketplace data analysis
iPhones remain prominent in Vietnam's secondhand smartphone market, with stronger resale activity and better value retention than many competing Android models— Cho Tot marketplace data analysis
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