What’s your old smartphone worth to Apple?
Apple extends its trade-in programme to the company's retail stores - but how much will you get?
Apple is hoping to tempt more Android users over to the iPhone by extending its trade-in programme to the company’s retail stores. Apple’s staff will now be able to determine the value of your old handset and give you a credit against the purchase of a new iPhone 5c, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
The company has been offering an online trade-in programme for some time, in conjunction with its recycling partner Brightstar. It’s not clear if the new trade-in scheme is being run in partnership with the same firm, but if it is, you can get an indication of what your phone will be worth to Apple by using the Brightstar website.
You’re not going to earn a huge discount off your new Apple slab, if the Brightstar website is anything to go by. An original HTC One will fetch only £54. A 32GB Samsung Galaxy S5 is worth £144, an S4 of the same capacity will generate £83, while the S3 is worth only £45.
Apple’s not much more generous with its own handsets. A 16GB iPhone 4 is now worth a mere £25 at trade-in. A 32GB iPhone 5c is worth £90, but dropping storage to the base 8GB still gives you a return of £80, proving that stiff premium Apple applies to storage when you buy a new iPhone doesn’t necessarily flow back when it comes to recycling the handset. The most it seems you can earn from Apple’s trade-in scheme is £170, if you’ve got a 64GB iPhone 5s to hand back. That will get you about a third off the cost of a new iPhone 6, with only 16GB of storage.
Apple’s trade-in deals don’t necessarily offer the best value for old handsets. Carphone Warehouse will give you £65 for the HTC One, £174 for the Galaxy S5, but only £130 for the 64GB iPhone 5s. Private sales of handsets on auction sites such as eBay may also fetch a higher price. Used HTC One devices appear to be fetching between £70 and £80 on the auction site, but such sales obviously comes with added risk and inconvenience.
The new in-store trade-in scheme will swing into operation in Apple Stores this week, including those in the UK, according to a report on 9to5Mac.