iPhone Duo Resale Prices Fall 22%... iPhone 18 Pro Falls 30% Amid ‘panic-full’ Controversy [IT Item of the Day]

[Financial News] Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the “iPhone Duo,” saw its secondhand buyback price plunge immediately after launch, while the iPhone 18 Pro, which faced controversy over “panic-full,” had a secondhand buyback price about 30% below its launch price.
According to SellCell, a U.S. platform that compares prices for used smartphones, on the 14th, the highest buyback price for the 256GB (gigabyte) iPhone Duo in top condition was $1,560 (about 2.08 million won). That was $439 (about 580,000 won), or 22.0%, below its U.S. launch price of $1,999 (about 2.66 million won).
The highest buyback price for the iPhone 18 Pro with the same storage capacity was $844 (about 1.12 million won), $355 (about 470,000 won), or 29.6%, below its launch price of $1,199 (about 1.6 million won). The gap is still considerable, even taking into account that the iPhone 18 Pro launched about a month before the iPhone Duo.
The results were similar even when storage capacity was increased to 512GB (gigabytes). The highest buyback price for the 512GB iPhone Duo was $1,660 (about 2.21 million won), 24.5% below its launch price of $2,199 (about 2.93 million won). By contrast, the 512GB iPhone 18 Pro was listed at $944 (about 1.26 million won), 32.5% below its launch price of $1,399 (about 1.86 million won).
The premium that accompanied the launch in China has also been shrinking rapidly. According to local media outlets, including the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the premium on the 1TB iPhone Duo at Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei market fell by at least 2,800 yuan (about 560,000 won) in the week after launch. On some online platforms, the selling price of the 256GB model even fell 500 yuan (about 100,000 won) below the official launch price when subsidies were applied.
Buyback prices also varied considerably depending on the device’s condition. For the 256GB iPhone Duo, the highest price was $1,315 (about 1.75 million won) for the Good grade, which showed signs of use, and $1,107 (about 1.47 million won) for the Poor grade. These prices were 34.2% and 44.6% below the launch price, respectively.
For the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro, the Good grade was priced at $735 (about 980,000 won), while the Poor grade was priced at $645 (about 860,000 won). These were 38.7% and 46.2% below the launch price, respectively.
Both models faced quality controversies early after launch. Reports emerged that the iPhone Duo had cracks in the inner display on some devices or that parts of the screen did not display properly. The high cost of screen repairs was also cited as a concern.
The iPhone 18 Pro drew controversy over the so-called “panic-full” issue, in which the device suddenly freezes and then restarts. After some users reported that their devices restarted following failed Face ID authentication, Apple fixed the related error in the iOS 27.0.1 update on September 29. However, even after the update, claims continued to circulate in some online communities that similar incidents were recurring. 
[email protected] Yoon Hong-jip Reporter