Apple’s Trad In service is a handy upgrade path to a new iPhone, Mac, iPad, or Apple Watch. Instead of using second hand platforms such as Wallapop, Apple makes it less painful—but is it worth the trade off? Everything you need to know about Apple Trade In: what you can get for your old device, and whether it’s a good deal.
What is Apple Trade In?
When buying a new one, Apple buys your old device using its Apple Trade in service. If you can’t sell it on second hand platforms, you can hand it over to Apple and get a voucher to spend on any of their products.
The best part? You’ll still have your device throughout the transition. Once you’ve received your new device, Apple allows you to take up to 14 days to get your data transferred over, and then send in your old one.
Advantages of Apple Trade In
- Convenience: You don’t have to post ads, nor deal with potential buyers. Apple Trade In makes for smooth and scam free process.
- No Downtime: If you send this into apple they will most likely want to keep your old device for 15/14 days before handing you in for the new one so you can safely transfer all your data.
- Security: It removes the risk of being scammed, which is almost always a possibility for second hand transactions, where the buyer may be using fake money and flying you to your loss.
- Trade-In for Any Product: You don’t receive the credit only to replace the same device. Say, you can take your iPhone in as part of a trade for a new Mac.
- Older Devices Are Accepted: That’s why Apple buys devices — iPhones or Macs, for example, that would be hard to resell elsewhere — which are 6+ years old. If your device is no longer in vogue, but you still have it, Apple is still going to be around to offer you something for it.
Advantages of Apple Trade In
- Lower Trade-In Value: You’ll usually take away less than you will have if you sell your device on a second hand platform. The price difference can be huge for newer devices.
- Store Credit Only: Apple Trade In doesn’t give cash, but store credit. That essentially means you only are able to use that trade in value towards new Apple products, making your shopping options a little more limited.
- Limited Store Locations: If you ship your device with Apple, they give you the option to do it yourself, but some want to give the phone or tablet to an Apple Store representative in person. If you’re not close enough to a store, this could be inconvenient.
Is Apple Trade In Worth It?
All of it depends on your priorities. Apple Trade In is a great way to go if you prefer convenience and security. You never have to deal with headaches of selling online, and you don’t have to worry about scams, plus you can upgrade to a new device whenever you’d like.
But if you want the most cash, selling it on second hand platforms like Wallapop will get you more lols, particularly if it is a newer model. Bear in mind that Apple trade in values generally come down behind new model releases so if you’re about to upgrade trade in your phone before the latest models hit the shop floor.
Pro Tip: Trade In Before New Releases
The way we see it, if you are thinking of upgrading, it makes sense to trade in before the next release to lower new trade in values that Apple tends to introduce after launches. In this case you get to have 14 days to send your device AFTER you get the new one but you lock that value in and are guaranteed to get a higher value.
What about you? Have you ever used Apple Trade In before? Let us know if you think it’s worth it and if you prefer other ways of selling your old tech as well!