With the iPhone 13 launch due later this week, now is the perfect time for you to trade in your existing iPhone or Android device to get the most value from it. This will help you get the most value from your existing iPhone and ensure that you don’t end up burning a big hole in your pocket while upgrading to the iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro.
As soon as Apple announces the iPhone 13 series at its ‘California Streaming’ event later this week, the prices of existing iPhones will crash. So the smart thing to do is that you sell or trade in your iPhone before the event itself. However, this will only work if you have access to a spare phone. If not, your only option is to wait until the iPhone 13 is out so that you can then trade in your existing iPhone against it.
In case you plan to buy the new iPhone, you can watch the iPhone 13 launch event live to catch all the action as it happens.
How to Prepare Your iPhone for Trade-In
1. Prepare for handover
Before trading in your iPhones, you need to follow a few steps and ensure that all personal data is transferred. It is worth noting that customers prefer unlocked iPhones, so it might be wise to unlock your phone so that it is not locked to a single carrier.
Most of the carriers will unlock your iPhone for free. However, some might charge a nominal fee; either way, it’s worth it. Before unlocking, please make sure that the contract with your telecom carrier is over.
- How to Unlock Your AT&T iPhone
- How to Unlock Your Verizon iPhone
- How to unlock your Sprint iPhone
- How to Unlock Your T-Mobile iPhone
You can find a list of the carriers that allow iPhone unlocking here.
2. Backup and Erase All Your Data
Before you sell or trade in your iPhone, you should back up all your data and then erase it. The backup will let you restore the entire phone along with settings on the new iPhone. In other words, you will be able to access data, contacts, photos, and other data on your new iPhone.
If you have a paid iCloud account, then it is advisable to backup your iPhone on iCloud. However, you can also use iTunes offline method and back up your iPhone data.
Read: How to Backup Your iPhone and iPad with and without iTunes
3. Unpair Apple Watch
If you have paired an Apple Watch with your iPhone, make sure to unpair it first.
4. Deactivate Find My iPhone and Factory Reset Your iPhone
It is important to deactivate Find my iPhone so that the next buyer can use your iPhone without any hassles. Stores that offer trade-in often mandate deactivating your iPhone and check for the same. However, if you are selling it to a private buyer, then the chances are you might forget to do so.
Read: How to Turn Off Find My iPhone
After deactivating Find my iPhone, you need to erase the device. This is one of the most important steps, especially since your iPhone has years of private and personal data stored. We have already detailed How to erase your iPhone’s Data before selling it.
Read: How To Erase Your iPhone’s Data Before You Sell It
Switching to an Android Device?
Are you considering switching from Apple to Android devices? If this is the case, then make sure you turn off iMessage. The messaging platform is unique to Apple devices and cannot be used on Android. Here is how you can Deregister Your Number from iMessage even after selling.
Best Places to Sell or Trade-in Your Old iPhone
If you want the best value for your iPhone, your best option is to sell it to a friend, family or use one of the classifieds websites. However, this is a time-consuming process, and there is also a certain degree of risk involved here as classifieds sites are filled with scamsters.
Cellphone resellers and stores are also an option, though they will not give you the best deal. Depending on your preference, then, you can go with one of the many options listed below to trade in your old iPhone.
1. Trade-In Websites
Trade-in websites are a good alternative to direct selling. You may not get the highest price for your old iPhone compared to classified sites like Craiglist, but you don’t need to worry about searching for the buyer, dealing with them, and ensuring that they don’t scam you. They save you time and hassle.
SellCell is one of the best places to sell or trade-in your old iPhone to get the best price as it compares the trade-in price across 30+ of the biggest buyback companies in the US, including Gazelle, Decluttr, ItsWorthMore, BuyBackWorld & more.
Take a look at the image below, which shows just how much you can get from SellCell for trading in your existing iPhone. For iPhone 11 Pro Max, you can get as much as $821, which means you will only have to spend around $300-$400 to upgrade to the iPhone 12 Pro.
2. Carrier Stores
Take your used iPhone to the Carrier store and trade it for a new iPhone. The store will automatically discount the price and help you save a couple of hundred dollars on the new iPhone.
3. Classifieds
As we said earlier, your iPhone is almost certain to fetch a higher price when sold privately. If you are ready to take the risk and have the time to deal with lowballers, then perhaps this is a good option. You can use Uncle Henry’s in Maine for classifieds.
However, keep your eyes open for scamsters. And as a thumb rule, never meet your buyer in a secluded place, and it is always better to inform or ask your friend to accompany you. Furthermore, you can also try sites like eBay. They offer a lot of conveniences but charge you with service fees.
4. Amazon
Most people tend to use Amazon to buy new products, but they don’t know that you can also trade in your iPhones. Amazon offers a decent trade-in program and a price-lock for 28-day.
The best part is that you can ship off your iPhone to Amazon only after getting hold of the new iPhone. Amazon’s trade-in value greatly depends on the condition of your device. Scratches and phones that are not kept well will command a much lesser price.
5. Family and Friends
Another great way of selling off your iPhone is to hand it over to family and friends. This way, you will know that your device is in good hands, and the chances of being scammed are very low. On the other hand, the buyer will be assured that the iPhone is not stolen or fake.
6. Apple Trade-In
Apple has its own trade-in program where you can trade in your iPhone, iPad, or just about any other Apple device and get an Apple Gift card that you can then use to buy anything from Apple — be it a product or service. In case you do not have a spare phone, you have the option of trading in your existing iPhone or Android device while buying the iPhone 13 from Apple’s online store.
Apple will then ship the new device to you and pick up your old iPhone after that. Post-inspection, the company will credit the payment method or issue a gift card, depending on your preference.
Apple’s trade-in page currently states that you can get up to $450 for trading in an iPhone XS Max while an older device like the iPhone 8 or iPhone 7 will get you $170 or $110, respectively. The trade-in prices are lower than what you will get if you sell the device to your friends or use any classifieds website.
7. iPhone Upgrade Program
The Upgrade Program is best if you want to upgrade to new iPhones every year. In this program, you buy an iPhone from Apple with a 2-year contract. As part of the contract, you are required to pay monthly installments. You can trade-in your existing iPhone at the end of the 12-month period for a new device.
The iPhone Upgrade Program is better than other trade-in methods as you will get free AppleCare+ coverage on devices. Additionally, you will only need to send your existing iPhone to Apple once you get the iPhone 13 in your hand, making the entire process relatively hassle-free.
Check out our detailed guide on the iPhone Upgrade Program to know how it works.
Do drop a comment and let us know how you ended up selling your iPhone 12 and for how much. It might just help our readers!
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