trade-in

iPhone 6 in Apple Store – Reuters

In a move to boost iPhone sales, Apple will soon introduce a new recycling and trade-in program that will accept non-Apple smartphones, notably including Android and BlackBerry devices, in exchange for gift cards to be used toward the purchase of new iPhones. In continuing to court Android switchers, Apple will use a similar system to the one it uses to repurchase iPhones, whereby Apple Retail Store employees determine trade-in values for devices by considering their cosmetic and functional condition, according to multiple sources…

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Just one day after T-Mobile unveiled its Smartphone Equality program letting loyal customers avoid credit checks, Sprint has announced a new promotion specifically targeting T-Mobile customers with an offer to make switching carriers easier. Sprint’s latest buyback and trade-in offer joins the carrier’s existing ‘Cut Your Bill in Half’ promo which encourages AT&T and Verizon customers to switch; T-Mobile was notably missing from that offer. Here’s how Sprint details the new promotion for T-Mobile customers:
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Gazelle has long been a popular choice for conveniently turning a used iPhone or iPad into cash, and today the electronics trade-in service announced its own certified pre-owned store for buying “gently used devices” at a discounted price. While the pre-owned store lists categories including iPhone, cell phones, iPads, and tablets, Gazelle inventory is currently limited to pre-owned Apple devices including iPhone 4 and up, iPad 2 and up, and iPad mini.
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Electronics trade-in site Gazelle has today announced that it will lock trade-in prices for iPhones between now and September 9th for 50 days. This means that iPhone owners looking to upgrade can get a quote today, but not let go of their device until the new iPhone arrives, keeping the original quoted price.  Gazelle predicts that trade-in prices for iPhone 5s to fall up to 25% in the month following the expected iPhone 6 announcement.

Gazelle is also running another promotion in tandem, temporarily raising prices offered for iPhone 5s. Gazelle will now offer up to $350 for an iPhone 5s in perfect condition. Obviously, arranging an iPhone trade-in sooner rather than later will ensure you get the highest price for your devices.

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Late last month 9to5Mac reported that Apple would soon be launching its iPhone trade-in program in Australia. Today the Apple Store app started notifying Australian users that the offer is now available in that country. Customers who trade-in a previous-model iPhone at an official Apple Retail Store can receive up to A$250 in credit toward a new device.

Apple first debuted the “Reuse and Recycle” program in the United States last year, and has slowly been rolling it out across the world since. Earlier this year the offer was expanded to allow for iPad trade-ins as well, though that extension has yet to reach most markets.

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Users looking to trade in their iPhone 5 for credit toward a newer model will now get less value out of their old devices. Today Apple cut the trade-in value of the iPhone by $45, from the previous $270 down to only $225. The change is visible on websites for both United States and Canada Apple Stores, but it is likely that stores in other countries will see changes in local currency equivalents. This change comes just days after the program launched in Italy, with Australian stores planning to follow suit soon…

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After launching a new iPhone trade-in program through its retail stores in the U.S and UK and another initiative in India, Apple appears to be planning even more trade-in programs in emerging markets. A new job listing posted on the company’s website seeking a Reuse (Trade-In) Worldwide Program Manager is looking for someone to assist in “developing and implementing programs in emerging markets, with emphasis in APAC and ALAC, while enhancing current EMEIA and North American programs.”

That sounds a lot like Apple is planning to launch new trade-in programs in some of its emerging markets across Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America and the Caribbean (ALAC). Apple describes the trade-in programs as a “mega trend” and lists its objectives as increasing its share of the used electronics market and “reducing the flow of Apple-branded materials into unauthorized markets, which tarnish the Apple Brand.”  The job listing adds, “Scaling these programs to keep Apple on the leading edge of this emerging mega trend is a priority,” something it has already started doing in recent months with its new retail store trade-in program in the US and UK.

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Starting this week the trade-in value for iPhones will no longer be impacted by the phone’s liquid damage indicator, according to Apple retail employees. Previously, if a device’s “liquid contact indicator” was tripped, the phone would be completely worthless as a trade-in under the company’s “Reuse and Recycle” program.

This week’s changes to the program, however, will allow more customers to trade in their devices. However, the company isn’t going to start allowing seriously water-damaged phones for trade-in anytime soon. If there is evidence of liquid under the phone’s display or corrosion in the ports, the phone will still be ineligible for any trade-in value regardless of what the liquid contact indicator looks like.

These changes are only valid in physical Apple Stores, so the new policy won’t affect online trade-in values.

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Cook at Palo Alto Apple Store (Getty Images)

Following our reports detailing the new service, Apple today officially kicked off its new Apple Store iPhone trade-in program that will see customers trading in old iPhones in exchange for credit towards an upgrade to a newer model. The initiative is part of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s new iPhone sales strategy and meant to be “competitive” with other trade-in services, but is it really the best option for getting the most out of your old iPhone before new devices get announced?

The new in-store program will fall under the same Reuse and Recycling marketing Apple uses for its online trade-in system, but for in-store trade-ins it has switched from partner PowerOn to Brightstar to determine the value of iPhones and handle the trade-ins. Apple employees are even encouraging customers to take advantage of the new trade-in offer when bringing in a damaged device to their local Apple Store, but we’ve found other services are currently offering much more for your used iPhone in good condition. 
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Apple is beginning final preparations to launch an iPhone trade-in program in its retail stores by next month, according to sources with knowledge of the initiative. This trade-in program will allow customers that own earlier versions of the iPhone, such as the iPhone 4S, to bring the phone into an Apple Store and exchange it for a new iPhone model, like the iPhone 5, at a discounted price…

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Update: Gazelle has announced an extended 50-day price lock window. That will give you until October 15th to send your iPhone in, but you’ll have to lock in your price before Apple’s September 10th event to take advantage.

With the unveiling of a next-generation iPhone expected on September 10th, it’s once again time to start thinking about trade-in options for your current device. While iPhones typically hold their resale value much better than competing devices, previous iPhone models historically experience a big drop in trade-in value in the 3-4 weeks leading up to an iPhone announcement. That’s highlighted in the chart above showing average decline in selling prices for previous gen iPhones leading up to the iPhone 5 launch.

With reliable reports of the next-gen iPhone coming early next month (no word on if that means the rumored iPhone 5S, 5C, or both), now is the time to get the most for your iPhone if you plan on upgrading when Apple’s new device finally becomes available. Apple is testing its own trade-in program that should launch in the coming months, but until then we’ve put together a chart showing where to get the most out of your device today:
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This upcoming Friday and Saturday, Best Buy will hold an iPad trade-in-program, the company told AllThingsD. The promotion will give at least a $200 gift card in exchange for iPad 2s and third-generation iPads. The iPad-focused promotion is reportedly in response to the successful iPhone version that occurred last month.

Update: the Best Buy iPad Trade-in Sale has gone live, below:

Note: Your best trade-in bet might be at other locations like Amazon which starts iPad 2s at $210 or Gazelle where 9to5Mac readers get $10 off with this link.

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Update: The no-contract, Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 and promotional discounts are now live on RadioShack’s website.

We reported last week that the iPhone 5 would be coming to Virgin Mobile tomorrow starting at $549.99 on its usual no-contract, $30/month unlimited plans. RadioShack will be one of the first to carry the device and is also planning to offer a number of promotional discounts to celebrate the launch.

RadioShack will start carrying the Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 tomorrow both online and in-store for $549.99 (that’s for the 16GB model), but will also be offering $50 for eligible trade-ins until the end of next month. On top of the same $50 trade-in for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, the retailer is also slashing prices on those two devices to $399.99 and $299.99 until July 6th.

Virgin Mobile will have both the black and white versions of the iPhone 5 available on its monthly no-contract plans starting at $35/month and its $30/month auto pay plan. 
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