You can make thousands from old, unused mobile phones

A quarter of UK households have at least one old, unused mobile phone gathering dust, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry. But millions can miss out on a tidy profit, because handsets can still be worth something – even if they’re old or broken.

A few rare models can fetch thousands of pounds as collectibles. But even more common versions can still have value.

Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 14 went on sale Friday, sparking excitement among fans of new technology. This is the first model that can automatically call emergency services in the event of an accident and send text messages over a satellite connection if you have no signal or Wi-Fi.

But there are plenty of reasons to get excited about old handsets too – some can even set you back thousands of pounds.

The old phones are worth thousands

Cell phones are so ubiquitous that it seems hard to imagine that they could be considered collectibles. However, some of the earliest and most iconic can now fetch large sums of money.

Lynsey Chilcott, of Love Antiques, explains, ‘The oldest telephones were not made to the scale they are today and so some are rare and remain valuable as collectibles.’

She adds that if you have one of these older phones, you should seek specialist advice and consider selling at auction to get the best prices.

The Golden oldies…as big as bricks

The first mobile phones were the size of a brick, heavy and had a short battery life. Today they are defunct, but iconic and collectible.

Motorola 8000x £800 – £3,500

The original grandfather of cell phones. It was released in 1983 and was heavy, huge and with a battery life of 30 minutes.

Mobira Senator NMT £800 – £2,000

Technically a car phone, this device was arguably the first portable cellphone and went on sale in 1981.

Technophone PC105T £600 – £1,500

The 1986 Technophone was the first phone designed to fit neatly into a shirt pocket. It had a price tag of £1,990 – the equivalent of £6,481 in today’s money. It won the Prince of Wales Award in 1988.

Make a fortune with a Luxury phone

Over the years, phone companies have released deluxe versions of limited edition handsets designed for posing as well as texting or calling. Some are valuable today.

Vertu Signature M £50 – £20,000 +

Nokia launched its Vertu Signature range in 2003. Regular Vertu phones now sell for around £50, but some of the deluxe versions are worth thousands. An 18K white gold model with diamonds is worth more than £20,000, as long as you have the original packaging and papers to prove authenticity.

Nokia Sapphire 8800 £500 – £2,000

Released in 2005, there are versions with leather trim, titanium and carbon fiber and even a real sapphire instead of the navigation button. Also available in 18K gold plate.

Not for sale… but still wanted

Models that never made it to the market are often the most valuable and sought after because of their rarity. There are many counterfeits in circulation so only buy from a reputable seller or auction house.

Pre-production prototype iPhone 1 £10,000 +

The Apple iPhone released in 2007 marked a turning point in mobile technology. If you’ve got one of the early 2G phones, it’s probably worth around £2,000 if it’s still in the box. But the prototype models can bring in tens of thousands of pounds. Prices vary considerably, but have reached £30,000 in online auctions, according to Love Antiques.

Nokia 7700 £1,000 – £2,000

Another prototype, this model was never actually sold, so handsets are rare. Dating back to 2003, it would have beaten the iPhone as the world’s first smartphone…if it ever hit the shelves.

Cash from common models

There are a number of tech resale companies that buy phones even if they are old or damaged. These include musicMagpie, We Buy Any Phone, Compare and Recycle, Mazuma, and Envirofone. You may only gain a few pounds, but that’s better than leaving the dust lying around. Antonia Hristov, an expert at tech resale service Compare and Recycle, says a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in good condition would fetch £20. The Apple iPhone 6, also in good condition, can set you back up to £14; the Motorola Moto G4 is worth between £14 and £16 depending on internal storage; and the first-generation Google Pixel still goes for up to £20.

“The best-selling phone is an iPhone 11 and is worth up to £317,” says Hristov. “The oldest cell phones in the top 20 are the original iPhone SE and iPhone 6s, both of which are over five years old.”

Online marketplace eBay, Gumtree, and other local Facebook or community groups online allow you to list your old phone and determine your asking price. You may get more for it than from a tech resale company, but it involves more hassle.

Before selling or passing on old handsets, make sure you delete all your data, remove the SIM card and factory reset.

Remember… all old phones have value

Even if you can’t sell your old phone, it can still have value to someone else. They can be refurbished and donated to people who cannot afford to buy them themselves, or they can be stripped and their parts reused.

You can donate old phones to Vodafone’s Great British Tech Appeal or O2’s Community Calling. Compare and recycle, sell my mobile and compare my mobile collect offers from dozens of services that buy, redistribute or recycle your old phones for you.