Apple iPhone 12 (2020): What It's Worth + Where to Recycle

Name: Apple iPhone 12
Brand: Apple
Availability: InStock

Last updated: 17 May 2026

The Apple iPhone 12 launched in 2020 at $799 and is now 6 years into its lifecycle. In excellent condition it trades in for $140-$190, a 79% drop from original retail. This guide covers what the iPhone 12 is worth right now across the major trade-in services, where to buy a certified refurbished unit, and how to recycle one safely if it's reached end-of-life.

Reviewed by the eCycling Central editorial team. Trade-in values verified against Decluttr, Gazelle, Back Market, Apple Trade In and Best Buy as of 2026-05-17.

Current Trade-In Values

These are real quoted values from the major US trade-in services as of 2026-05-17:

| Condition | Low | High | Sources | |---|---:|---:|---| | Excellent | $140 | $190 | Decluttr, Back Market | | Good | $90 | $140 | Decluttr, Gazelle | | Fair | $45 | $80 | Decluttr, Gazelle |

Trade-in values change weekly. Always get a live quote before posting your device. Quotes drop sharply if the device arrives in worse condition than declared - pack carefully and document the condition with photos before shipping.

Where to Trade In a Apple iPhone 12

Apple Trade In - Cash card or new-purchase credit. Mail-in or in-store. Most products eligible including non-working.
Decluttr - fast quotes, instant cash on receipt. Pays bank transfer or PayPal within 24 hours of receiving the device.
Gazelle - PayPal payout, generally 5-10% lower than Decluttr on phones but more lenient on inspection.
Back Market Trade-In ^(ad) - bank transfer; tends to win on Macs and premium laptops.
Best Buy Trade-In - instant in-store quote; pays in Best Buy gift card.

For a direct comparison of payouts across services, see our Decluttr vs Gazelle vs BackMarket comparison.

Where to Buy a Refurbished Apple iPhone 12

If you're replacing a iPhone 12 rather than buying new, certified refurbished saves 30-50%:

Apple iPhone 12 on Amazon Renewed (US) ^(ad) - Amazon-certified, 90-day warranty minimum.
Apple iPhone 12 on Amazon Renewed (UK) ^(ad) - 1-year warranty.
Back Market ^(ad) - wider model range, 1-year warranty, 30-day return.

All certified-refurbished sellers test the device, replace the battery if degraded below 80% capacity, and reset to factory defaults.

How to Recycle a Apple iPhone 12

If trade-in value is below £20 / $25 - or the device has a swollen battery, cracked screen with internal damage, or won't power on - recycling is the responsible end-of-life route.

The fastest free option for a Apple device is the manufacturer programme: Apple Trade In. Cash card or new-purchase credit. Mail-in or in-store. Most products eligible including non-working.

Free options that work for any smartphone:

Best Buy Electronics Recycling - 3 items per household per day, all US locations.
Staples Electronics Recycling - no quantity limit on small electronics.
Apple Trade In and Recycling - free pickup label for any Apple product even if it has no trade-in value.

Before recycling, factory-reset the device, remove SIM and SD cards, and sign out of any cloud account.

What's Inside (Recoverable Materials)

A modern smartphone contains roughly 0.034g gold, 0.34g silver, 0.015g palladium, 15g copper and 16g aluminium. Total recoverable raw-material value is around $1-$3 per device at 2026 commodity prices. Lithium-cobalt batteries are 30-50g and require separate processing.

The UN Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 estimates that the raw materials in global e-waste were worth $91 billion in 2022, with only 22.3% formally recycled. Every device sent to certified recycling closes a small part of that loop.

Repair vs Replace

Fair-condition trade-in is around $62. Small repairs (battery, screen) at $40-$100 can lift the unit to excellent and double the resale value - worth doing if the device is otherwise functional.

Common failure modes for this generation: battery degradation below 80% capacity (cheap fix at any independent repair shop), screen damage from drops (out-of-warranty repair from the manufacturer is usually 2-3x what an independent shop charges), and water damage (rarely worth repairing - recycle and trade up).

Related Guides

Sources

Trade-in prices: live quotes from Decluttr, Gazelle, Back Market, Apple Trade In, Best Buy Trade-In, retrieved 2026-05-17
Manufacturer take-back URLs: official manufacturer recycling pages
Recoverable materials: UN Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 (UNITAR/ITU) baseline data
Repairability scores: iFixit teardown database where available

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Apple iPhone 12 worth in 2026?

In excellent condition, the iPhone 12 trades in for $140-$190. In fair condition (screen scratches, battery health 80-90%), expect $45-$80. Quotes vary by service; check Decluttr, Gazelle and Back Market for live pricing.

Where can I sell my Apple iPhone 12 for the most cash?

For US sellers, Decluttr typically pays the highest cash for Apple devices and ships money within 1 business day of inspection. Back Market wins on Macs and premium laptops. Apple Trade In pays in store credit only but stacks with current promotions.

Is the Apple iPhone 12 worth repairing?

It depends on what's broken. Battery replacement on the iPhone 12 costs $40-$80 at an independent shop and is almost always worth it if the device is otherwise functional. Screen damage is more expensive ($150-$250) but still cost-effective if the device is less than 4 years old. Water damage is rarely worth repairing.

How do I recycle a Apple iPhone 12 if it has no trade-in value?

Three free options: (1) the Apple manufacturer take-back programme (prepaid mail label), (2) Best Buy Electronics Recycling (drop-off, 3 items per day), or (3) Staples Electronics Recycling (no quantity limit). All three are R2 or e-Stewards certified.

Is it safe to sell or recycle a iPhone 12 with personal data on it?

Only after a full factory reset. On the iPhone 12, this clears the encryption key and makes the data unrecoverable to the next owner. Sign out of any cloud account first (iCloud, Google, Microsoft account), then perform a factory reset from the settings menu before shipping.