Apple begins accepting non-iPhone trade-ins in the US, Europe
Consumers looking to make the switch from an Android, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone device to an iPhone can now bring their old handset directly to Apple, where they could trade it in to receive credit toward the purchase of a new iPhone.
Under Apple's expanded reuse and recycling program, owners of recent handsets from Sony, Samsung, Nokia, BlackBerry, HTC, or LG are eligible to swap their device for Apple Store credit. Consumers can begin the process online or in one of Apple's first-party retail stores.
Eligible non-Apple smartphones include 8 Sony models, including the Xperia Z3; 22 Samsung models, including the Note 4 and Galaxy S5; 5 Nokia models, including the Lumia 1520; 4 BlackBerry models, including the Bold 9900; 7 HTC models, including the One M8; and 9 LG models, including the Nexus 5.
At press time, the program was live in the U.S., UK, Italy, and France. French blog Macplus was first to notice the launch.
Word of the trade-in expansion first surfaced earlier this month. It is the latest in a series of steps Apple has taken to lure Android switchers in recent months -- including the launch of a detailed Android to iOS migration guide -- that saw the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus drive the highest Android switch rate of any iPhone launch in the last three years.
Under Apple's expanded reuse and recycling program, owners of recent handsets from Sony, Samsung, Nokia, BlackBerry, HTC, or LG are eligible to swap their device for Apple Store credit. Consumers can begin the process online or in one of Apple's first-party retail stores.
Eligible non-Apple smartphones include 8 Sony models, including the Xperia Z3; 22 Samsung models, including the Note 4 and Galaxy S5; 5 Nokia models, including the Lumia 1520; 4 BlackBerry models, including the Bold 9900; 7 HTC models, including the One M8; and 9 LG models, including the Nexus 5.
At press time, the program was live in the U.S., UK, Italy, and France. French blog Macplus was first to notice the launch.
Word of the trade-in expansion first surfaced earlier this month. It is the latest in a series of steps Apple has taken to lure Android switchers in recent months -- including the launch of a detailed Android to iOS migration guide -- that saw the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus drive the highest Android switch rate of any iPhone launch in the last three years.
Comments
Why do Apple want to buy non-Apple products? Are they selling better than Apple ones, and this is a bit of moonlighting by Apple?
Apple is desperate. Apple is doomed. -)
I wonder iff they plan to crush them or resell them, perhaps in an impoverished country. No benefit in adding to cheapo smart phone inventory in the 'developed' (i.e. Apple) countries.
They still have some furnaces from the GTAT plant, IIRC. Good way to repurpose them.
Boom.
This must have the guys in Seoul scrambling....
This is like grocery chains honoring competitors' coupons. Why not.
I'm genuinely curious to see if this accelerates the rate of Android-to-iPhone conversions... While I don't support this type of transaction, because one can usually get more cash value for their handset if they sell thru venues like Craigslist or eBay (yes, even those craptastic Android junkers), if it helps get more people out of that trash world, so much the better.
Also curious what Apple will do with those purchased handsets later, resell or recycle in an environmentally responsible fashion?
Great! Good idea! And because the ONLY advantage that Android has over Apple is that it's easier to download illegal movies, TV shows and music onto your phone, many of those who switch will become Apple aficionados like ourselves. I've been wondering how long it would take Apple to do something like this, as it may be the last nudge someone who's on the fence deciding whether or not to switch needs to finally make the jump to Apple's superior ecosystem, operating system and hardware.
?????
Thank you for your kind words.
One of the first things I would do is bring back the mute switch for the iPad.
My focus would be on Apple products rather than politics. I would turn iCloud into a reliable, comprehensive cloud service and make iOS and OS X rock-solid.
It's quite ironic that Apple use Ireland as a tax haven and save many billions in the process and yet there isn't a single Apple store in the whole country, while there are 38 in the UK.
Luck of the Irish.
I wonder iff they plan to crush them or resell them, perhaps in an impoverished country. No benefit in adding to cheapo smart phone inventory in the 'developed' (i.e. Apple) countries.
They still have some furnaces from the GTAT plant, IIRC. Good way to repurpose them.
Or...perhaps they intend to make a "brick" wall around the new Apple campus?