Index Data
August 2026 Price Snapshot
Live listing prices by condition tier, read from Back Market US on 21 August 2026 for the exact configuration named. Spread is the gap between the cheapest and dearest tier — a wide spread means the top grade is poor value today.
| # | Device | Fair | Good | Excellent | Premium | Lowest | Spread | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iPhone 15 Pro128GB · Unlocked | $525 | $551 | $547 | — | $525 | 5% | TOP GRADE |
| 2 | iPhone 14 Pro Max256GB · Unlocked | $472 | $495 | $535 | — | $472 | 13% | MID GRADE |
| 3 | iPhone 16 Pro128GB · Unlocked | $665 | $698 | $709 | — | $665 | 7% | TOP GRADE |
| 4 | Galaxy S24 Ultra256GB · Unlocked | $539 | $559 | $577 | — | $539 | 7% | TOP GRADE |
| 5 | Galaxy S25 Ultra256GB · Unlocked | $700 | $715 | $806 | — | $700 | 15% | MID GRADE |
| 6 | Google Pixel 9 Pro128GB · Unlocked | $582 | $638 | — | — | $582 | 10% | MID GRADE |
| 7 | MacBook Air M213" · 8GB/256GB · 2022 | $787 | $751 | $1,190 | $909 | $751 | 58% | GO CHEAPER |
| 8 | MacBook Air M313" · 16GB/256GB · 2024 | $949 | $880 | $920 | $999 | $880 | 14% | TOP GRADE |
| 9 | MacBook Air M413" · 16GB/256GB · 2025 | $999 | $999 | $1,343 | — | $999 | 34% | GO CHEAPER |
| 10 | iPad Pro 11-inch M4256GB · Wi-Fi · 2024 | $807 | $963 | $1,109 | $999 | $807 | 37% | GO CHEAPER |
Analysis
Key Findings — August 2026
New models carry no refurb discount
The MacBook Air M4 lists at $999 in both Fair and Good condition — the same as its new price. On a 2025 machine there is currently nothing to gain by buying used.
On Macs and iPads, skip the top grade
The widest spreads are all Apple computers: MacBook Air M2 runs $751 to $1,190 (58%), iPad Pro M4 $807 to $1,109 (37%), MacBook Air M4 $999 to $1,343 (34%). Excellent-grade listings are thin and priced accordingly.
On iPhones, the top grade is nearly free
iPhone 15 Pro spans just $525 to $551 (5%) and iPhone 16 Pro $665 to $709 (7%). Where the spread is single digits, paying up for the best cosmetic grade costs very little.
Cheapest tracked device: iPhone 14 Pro Max
$472 in Fair condition, the lowest entry price of any device in the index — and $53 buys the jump to Excellent.
One generation back saves 23% on Samsung
Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at $700; the S24 Ultra at $539. A single generation of separation is worth $161 on an otherwise similar flagship.
Pixel 9 Pro inventory is thin
No Excellent-grade listing existed at the time of reading — only Fair at $582 and Good at $638. Limited supply, so prices here are less reliable than the iPhone and Galaxy lines.
Market Commentary — August 2026
Two patterns come straight out of this month's readings, and both cut against the assumption that refurbished is uniformly cheaper.
Recency kills the discount. The MacBook Air M4, a 2025 machine, lists at $999 in both Fair and Good condition — level with new. The M3 sits at $880 and the M2 at $751. On Apple laptops the saving arrives with age, not with the refurbished label, and on the newest model there is currently no saving at all.
Grade premiums vary enormously by category. Across the three iPhones tracked, the gap between the cheapest and dearest condition tier runs 5–13%. Across the Macs and the iPad Pro it runs 34–58%. The practical consequence: on an iPhone, paying up for Excellent is close to free; on a MacBook, it can cost several hundred dollars for cosmetic condition that a sleeve would hide.
Two supply signals are visible in the listings themselves. The Pixel 9 Pro had no Excellent-grade listing at the time of reading, only Fair and Good — thin inventory, and a reason to treat its pricing as less settled than the iPhone and Galaxy lines. By contrast the Galaxy line shows a clean generational ladder: S25 Ultra from $700, S24 Ultra from $539, a $161 gap for one year of separation.
We are not publishing a directional call on where prices go next. This edition is the first built entirely from live listings; once the November reading is in, movement will be measured rather than asserted.