5 Ways to Sell or Trade In Your Old iPhone
Apple's iPhone 11 is here- and it's mighty enticing if you're using an iPhone that's a few years old. Don't just toss your aging phone in a drawer when you buy it, though. Sell your iPhone! That old hunk of glass is more valuable than you might think.
There are quite a few services that will give you cash or store credit for a used iPhone. We've gathered up and compared some popular services where you can trade in an old device for cash or store credit. Most of these services accept Samsung and Google devices, and all of them take iPhones.
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First, Some Tips to Get a High Resale Price
Comparing prices on all these services highlights some tips for maximizing the resale value of your phone. First and foremost, take care of your phone. Buy a good case (check out our case recommendations) and consider a screen protector (AmFilm screen protectors work well). They'll keep your device looking new.
Make sure you always buy your phone unlocked. That will maximize your resale value. Unlocked phones work on any wireless network that they have the antenna to support. There's no reason to lock yourself to one carrier. Most stores will list a phone as unlocked, but generally you'll need to pay full price for it and not buy it locked from a wireless carrier. Generally, unless a carrier tells you a phone is unlocked, it probably isn't, especially if you buy it on a payment plan.
The last thing before you run off to cash in your old phone is to make sure you back up all your data using iCloud or iTunes. One gotcha to watch out for: If you back up data using iTunes, not iCloud, make sure you back up your text messages, which sometimes include photos and videos that you haven't saved to your Camera Roll. Remember to unpair your Apple Watch and wipe your phone as well.
1. Best for Pristine iPhones
An eBay clone of sorts, Swappa seeks to eliminate some of the problems associated with eBay: high seller fees, poor seller-buyer communication tools, and too many poor-quality devices. To that end, you won't be able to sell your iPhone here unless it's in good shape, fully functional with no damage.
So long as your phone meets Swappa's listing criteria and you're willing to put in a little effort, this is where you'll get the most money for your old device.
As you would on eBay, you'll need to put together a listing with photos. Be sure to take the case off your phone and be honest about the condition. Remember to factor in shipping when setting your sale price.
Currently an iPhone 8 64-gigabyte model sells for $362, with the 256-gigabyte model going for $432. An iPhone XR sells for an average of $576 to $694, depending on the storage capacity.
2. Best for Fast Cash
If you don't want to spend the time and effort Swappa requires, Decluttr can turn your old iPhone into cash fast, albeit slightly less cash. All you need to do is answer a few questions about the condition of your phone, storage capacity, and carrier lock if any. You can do that through the website or using the Decluttr app.
Once it knows about your phone, Decluttr will make you an offer. Should you accept, you ship your device in and the company inspects. If need be, Decluttr will revise its offer, but you have the option to decline a new offer and get your phone back at no charge.
Assuming you get an offer you like and Decluttr is satisfied with the condition of your device, you should receive your money (PayPal is done same day, direct deposit and check take longer). Decluttr seems to pay a bit more than others. Currently, an unlocked iPhone 8 with 64 GB in good condition can get you $272 and an iPhone XR with 64 GB in good condition will earn you $432.
3. Best for Reliable Cash
Gazelle is the old hand in the world of used phones. The company has been buying up phones since 2006, and it has the (simple) process down at this point.
Much like Decluttr, you fill out an online form and answer some questions about your device—whether it works, which carrier it's tied to, and if there's any cosmetic damage. You'll then get an offer based on the answers you give. If you accept the offer, Gazelle will send a box complete with shipping label, and you'll ship the phone in for inspection. Once the company has looked over your device, and assuming it's in the condition you said it was, you'll be paid—usually in about 7 to 10 days. Payment can be in the form of a check, PayPal, or Amazon gift card.
A factory-unlocked 64 GB iPhone 8 in good condition will get you $198. A 64 GB iPhone XR for Verizon will net you $264. Gazelle sometimes runs promos around new device launches, so keep an eye out on the site for promotional offers.
4. Best for a Broken iPhone
If your iPhone is damaged or the battery will no longer hold a charge, uSell will still buy it. Of the send-it-in-style services, uSell offered the most for damaged devices. We were offered $65 for an iPhone 8 that doesn't even power on.
It's something of a hybrid service since you aren't actually selling your phone to uSell but, rather, to buyers it works with. Still, in practice it works more like Decluttr than Swappa.
5. Easiest Way to Sell
Apple's Trade-In program doesn't always offer the best prices, but if you're buying a new iPhone, Apple will quickly apply your credit to the new phone. Beware that Apple will only pay top dollar for absolutely pristine phones.
At the time of writing, an iPhone 8 in good condition will get you $208. The other option is to trade in to get a discount on a new phone. If you have a pristine condition iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X, you can trade it in to get an iPhone 11 for $399 ($300 off), or an iPhone 11 Pro at $599 ($400 off).
We don't recommend it, but if you're the sort of person who just must upgrade to a new iPhone every year, you might save some money using Apple's iPhone upgrade program. Like a lease, you perpetually pay for your phone, but get a new one after 12 months, which makes it cheaper than buying a new unlocked phone every year.
A Few More Options
Best Buy: Best Buy will do trade-ins online or in participating stores. They won't take damaged devices, and you won't get cash, just store credit, but if you need something from Best Buy anyway it's a relatively no-hassle option, especially if you go the in-store route.
Carrier Trade-Ins: Your service provider probably has a buy-back program of some sort. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile will all buy back your device, though generally for far less than the other options in this list.
eBay: There's always eBay. While personal experience has soured me on eBay lately—the number of buyer scams seems to far outweigh the number of legitimate buyers—it is still one of the most popular places to sell things online. The site even has a special form for selling your iPhone.
Amazon and Others: There are also other device-centric swapping sites, like NextWorth and GadgetGone. Walmart and Amazon also have device trade-in programs, but none of them offered as good a deal as the options above.
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