Apple to activate Chinese iPhone trade-in program in March with backing from Foxconn

Posted:
in Feedback edited March 2015
A report on Wednesday claims Apple is primed to roll out an iPhone trade-in program in China that will let customers sell back old equipment to Foxconn in return for store credit.




Citing sources close to the matter, Bloomberg reports Apple customers in China will soon be able to trade-in their old iPhones for credit toward a new device. The introduction is in part thanks to the success of a similar U.S. program , the report said.

Whereas Brightstar provides backend resale support for Apple's U.S. trade-in initiative, Foxconn is slated to handle the Chinese version. Unlike its U.S. counterpart, Apple's Chinese trade-in program only applies to iPhones.

As part of the deal, Apple Store employees will evaluate the condition of incoming iPhones before selling the hardware directly to Foxconn, meaning Apple never takes ownership trade-in products.

Following Apple's inspection, Foxconn will repair and resell devices through its websites eFeihu and FLNet, as well as Alibaba's Taobao store. The Taiwan-based company is currently in talks to sell refurbished Apple hardware in physical stores.

In the future, Foxconn may process online trade-ins, much like Apple's U.S. program

Most recently, rumors suggest Apple is planning to expand its Reuse and Recycling Program to non-Apple products, a move that could lure over smartphone owners using equipment running Google's Android.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    That picture makes the 6 seem small...
  • Reply 2 of 4
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Watch out for the flood of millions of knockoff iPhones...
  • Reply 3 of 4
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,122member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    Watch out for the flood of millions of knockoff iPhones...





    You'll never see Samsung doing something like this.  They'd go out of business with everyone returning that trash.

  • Reply 4 of 4
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post

     





    You'll never see Samsung doing something like this.  They'd go out of business with everyone returning that trash.


     

    Agreed, it'd be highly unlikely. :/



    It is unfortunate that the typical message put out by big media is "what Apple isn't doing" or "what it could be doing it better". When the real story should be "How Apple is making slow consistent progress towards reducing their footprint." I'm not aware of any other tech company that even talks about becoming more sustainable let alone actually doing it. If someone does have links to such articles please post so I may become more educated on the matter. Thx.

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