Is the Samsung Galaxy S24 still worth buying?

Samsung's Galaxy S24, launched at $800 in January 2024, is now available refurbished for roughly $350-$400, while Samsung-certified units start at $519—only $80 below a certified refurbished Galaxy S25 at $599. The article concludes that newer $449-$599 alternatives, including the Pixel 10a, Nothing Phone 4a Pro, Galaxy A37 5G and iPhone 17e, generally offer better value through fresh batteries, newer hardware and longer remaining support. The S24 remains attractive around $300-$350 for buyers prioritizing compact size, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 performance and a 3x telephoto camera, subject to battery-health and warranty checks.

Analysis

The relevant read-through is not to AAPL fundamentals directly, but to a widening replacement-cycle problem across premium smartphones: a two-generation-old flagship clears only when discounted far enough below new mid-tier devices to compensate buyers for battery and warranty uncertainty. That raises residual-value risk for OEMs and carriers, increasing the effective cost of upgrade subsidies and making reported premium ASP resilience more dependent on financing and trade-in support. Apple is relatively insulated near term because iOS retention and its vertically integrated trade-in channel protect resale liquidity better than Android, but the industry signal is unfavorable for unit growth.

Over the next 1-3 months, watch whether carrier promotions become more aggressive around new-device launches. Higher trade-in credits can preserve sell-through while shifting economics to carriers and OEM promotional reserves; weak promotions instead imply slower upgrades and inventory risk for handset suppliers. For AAPL, the more important catalyst is whether refurbished pricing for prior iPhone generations similarly compresses: that would threaten the upgrade cadence embedded in Services growth assumptions over 6-18 months, since a longer device life delays new-user hardware attachment.

The contrarian view is that secondhand price pressure can be constructive for Apple if it expands the installed base through refurbished iPhones rather than merely cannibalizing new sales. That outcome requires stable used-iPhone resale values relative to Android and continued Services ARPU growth; absent those data, this article alone does not justify an AAPL directional trade.

Key Decisions for Investors

• No standalone AAPL trade on this signal; impact is too indirect and the article provides no evidence on iPhone resale values, carrier inventory, or Apple upgrade rates.
• Set a 1-3 month monitoring trigger for AAPL: reassess if carrier checks show rising promotional spend or if used iPhone 15/16 pricing falls materially faster than comparable Galaxy resale values; either would raise risk to FY handset-unit expectations.
• Maintain a relative-quality bias toward AAPL versus Android-exposed handset OEMs/suppliers if secondary-market data confirm stronger iPhone residual values; falsify the view if iPhone resale-value spreads compress while Apple upgrade rates miss consensus.
• For 6-18 month positioning, monitor Apple Services ARPU and installed-base growth at earnings. A combination of slower installed-base growth and decelerating Services revenue would indicate that extended handset replacement cycles are becoming an earnings, rather than sentiment, risk.