I think you will continue to see high trade in values on "older" phones. The values of these phones are only going up, and the carriers are starting to see that as well. Think about it this way too. You buy your iPhone 6 for $200 on contract. You keep it for 20 months, which at that time you have paid for the phone and then some with your plan and data fees. You give them the phone, they give you a hundred or a couple hundred, turn around and have someone else sign a two year contract on that same phone (after its refurbished, of course). Now instead of breaking even or making a small amount on that phone, they have turned a decent profit. They are banking that you will choose the convenience of trading the phone in over reselling it on craigslist or ebay.
11-09-2014 10:52 AM