Garmin holds resale value better than Apple, Google or Samsung

Anyone trading a Fenix 8 for the new Fenix 9, or an Apple Watch Ultra 3 for an Ultra 4 in a few weeks, can now quantify their trade-in loss. A new eBay resale study from Wareable puts the Fenix 8’s average value retention at 72% after six months, on a blended launch price across its AMOLED, titanium and solar variants ($1,133). That works out to a $321 loss.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 fares worse. It kept 65% of its $799 launch price after six months, a loss of $278 and a resale value around $521. The outgoing Ultra 2 did better at the same six-month mark: 69% retention, $249 lost, roughly $550 back. Both Ultra models sit behind Garmin’s Fenix line and behind the Fenix 8 Pro, which held 69% of a $1,250 average price despite being the most expensive watch in the dataset.

The study analysed 6,372 used smartwatch sales on eBay US. Garmin’s Fenix line holds six of the top eleven places, and the brand’s overall average across every model is 69%, ahead of Apple’s 58%, Google’s 56% and Samsung’s 42%.

Percentage retention understates the tax already paid

A retention percentage measured against a tax-inclusive launch price flatters the brand less than it should. UK VAT is 20%, so a £799 watch includes about £133 of tax rather than product value, and a private resale is VAT-free. Measuring the $521 Ultra 3 recovery against the ex-VAT cost rather than the gross launch price puts real depreciation closer to 22%.

The dataset is US eBay sales, where sales tax runs lower, so the same correction could be smaller there.

Official trade-in pays less than the open market

Apple’s own trade-in programme inevitably prices an Ultra 3 below what the data shows for private eBay sales, reflecting the no-hassle factor. The 65% figure is also a single snapshot at six months, and the full depreciation curve isn’t linear.

Coros beats every brand on percentage terms

The Coros Pace 4 tops the entire table at 76% retention, albeit on a tiny sample size. It fits the pattern elsewhere in the data: dedicated sports watches, judged on GPS accuracy, battery life and training software, keep more value than general-purpose smartwatches regardless of price tier.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra sits at the other end of the table, keeping only 44% of its $650 price.

Quick answers

How much value does a Garmin Fenix 8 lose in six months?
The study found the Fenix 8 kept 72% of its blended average launch price of $1,133 after six months, a loss of $321.

Is trading in an Apple Watch Ultra 3 worth it before a new Ultra launches?
The data puts Ultra 3 resale value at 65% of its $799 launch price after six months, around $521. A watch approaching a new model’s launch typically sees resale prices soften further, and Apple’s own trade-in programme usually pays less than a private sale.

Which smartwatch brand holds its value best?
Garmin, at an average of 69% retention across every model in the study, ahead of Apple’s 58%, Google’s 56% and Samsung’s 42%.

Last Updated on 1 September 2026 by the5krunner

the5krunner

tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID