Apple trims estimated payments for iPhone trade-ins

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2020
Apple has updated its trade-in program webpage with new estimated payment values for a customer's iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and other products, a change indicating consumers will receive less for their trade-ins now than one week ago.




The Apple Trade-In program encourages customers to hand in their older iPhones, iPads, and other Apple products, in exchange for credit towards the cost of a new device. The program gives customers a way to gain value from their old models, by using them to reduce what needs to be paid for newer models.

Spotted by BGR, Apple has recently updated the trade-in site to alter the "estimated trade-in value" for a number of products. Research by AppleInsider indicates the change took place overnight on January 9, with the updated values offered from January 10.

Estimated trade-in values for iPhones from January 9 (left), January 10 (right)
Estimated trade-in values for iPhones from January 9 (left), January 10 (right)


The main changes relate to iPhone values, with the biggest drop occurring for the iPhone XS Max, which went from $600 to $500. The iPhone XS moved from an estimate of up to $500 to one of up to $420, and the iPhone XR from $370 to $300. On the other end of the scale, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus both were cut by $20, dropping to $80 and $100 respectively.

Changes were also made to the iPad listings, with iPad Pro owners now receiving "up to $220" for their device, down from $290. The iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini also see reductions to their estimates, bringing them to $100, $70, and $80 respectively.

Few changes were made to Macs, with the MacBook Air seeing a drop of just $10, the MacBook by $20, the iMac by $60, and the iMac Pro by $90 to a new estimated trade-in value of $4,150. The Mac Pro and Mac mini remain at $1,700 and $230 each.

In the Apple Watch list, the Apple Watch Series 4 was the only model to be reduced, down $10 to $100, with all other models maintaining their values.

Apple's Trade-In program is one of a number of different avenues for consumers to gain value from their old devices. Depending on the outlet, it is possible to secure higher values via a third-party than from Apple directly.

AppleInsider's Price Guide lists expected values for device trade-ins from services including BuyBackWorld, Gazelle, Decluttr, and MyPhones Unlimited, as well as a collection of bonuses to enhance the value of the offers.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    baconstangbaconstang Posts: 1,103member
    I noticed that the SE wasn't on the list.  Then realized no one with an SE would be trading it in since there IS NO REPLACEMENT.
    mbenz1962dysamoriamacgui
  • Reply 2 of 18
    flydogflydog Posts: 1,123member
    I noticed that the SE wasn't on the list.  Then realized no one with an SE would be trading it in since there IS NO REPLACEMENT.
    So people only trade in their phones when there is an exact equivalent available?  mmkay 


    StrangeDaysJFC_PAchasmdoozydozenMplsPwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 18
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    I noticed that the SE wasn't on the list.  Then realized no one with an SE would be trading it in since there IS NO REPLACEMENT.
    What are you talking about?  As if an SE owner may not want a different phone?  Geez...

    JFC_PAwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 18
    I noticed that the SE wasn't on the list.  Then realized no one with an SE would be trading it in since there IS NO REPLACEMENT.
    Could the SE model not be accepted as a trade-in with Apple because it’s carrier locked?  
  • Reply 5 of 18
    iPhone SE has a trade in value of $20. I just checked at Apple’s website. 
    Solicaladanian
  • Reply 6 of 18
    davgregdavgreg Posts: 1,036member
    The market is saturated.

    I would rather the devices have a longer life cycle by having things like user replaceable batteries. The trade in values of Macs seem to be pretty lowball.

    dysamoria
  • Reply 7 of 18
    Trade ins in general are about half the items market value. The main benefit of trading something in is to quickly get some return on your item. If you want to maximize your return it is best to sell on the open market.
    cy_starkmancaladanianwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 18
    davgreg said:
    The market is saturated.

    I would rather the devices have a longer life cycle by having things like user replaceable batteries. The trade in values of Macs seem to be pretty lowball.

    -eyeroll- you can get any Apple battery replaced easily any day you want at very affordable prices; and out of warranty even cheaper.

    if you really want your device to last longer, then make it last longer instead of pretending you can’t.
    mwhiteJFC_PAking editor the gratechasmtmaySoliuraharakurai_kagemacguiwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 18
    I did a quick online check with independent trade-in depots for my late 2014 27-inch Retina iMac.

    Apple's trade-in price is $55 to $100 less.

    But if you add the cost of shipping the unit compared to dropping it off at an Apple Store, the difference may not be worth a difference.

    Or try eBay.
  • Reply 10 of 18
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,273member
    If your old equipment is still in good shape, chances are that you can get as much or more for it by selling it independently, but the trade-in option through Apple (or third parties) is good to have for people who are willing to take less to avoid what they may perceive as a lot of time/energy/hassle going the sell-it-yourself route.

    While I'm not surprised that the trade-in value of older equipment drops notably with each passing year, I must say I'm quite surprised by the large drop in the most recent generation of products on Apple's trade-in price page.
    caladanianwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 18
    iPhone 6S - up to $80. In the meantime, there's a column ad for Gazelle right next to this article - iPhone 6S $280 for the 128GB. Or, curiously, $300 if you happen to have a 16GB....
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 18
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    I noticed that the SE wasn't on the list.  Then realized no one with an SE would be trading it in since there IS NO REPLACEMENT.
    Here you go buddy...
    fastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 18
    davgreg said:
    The market is saturated.

    I would rather the devices have a longer life cycle by having things like user replaceable batteries. The trade in values of Macs seem to be pretty lowball.

    Having a user replaceable battery does not make the device have a longer life cycle, OS Support does.  Batteries are $49 to replace for most of the older iPhone models, which is comparable to a user replaceable battery from the manufacturer and not a dangerous knock off. 

    Of course Apple is going to lowball you when trading in certain equipment. It’s no different than going to a car dealer to trade in your car. It’s a convenience to those who don’t want to take the time to sell their equipment on their own. Plus if you factor in fees, shipping and your time to do all of this, the difference usually isn’t a whole lot. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 18

    I did a quick online check with independent trade-in depots for my late 2014 27-inch Retina iMac.

    Apple's trade-in price is $55 to $100 less.

    But if you add the cost of shipping the unit compared to dropping it off at an Apple Store, the difference may not be worth a difference.

    Or try eBay.
    Apple will send you a prepaid shipping label. Computers cannot be traded in at the store currently, but everything else Apple allows to trade in can be brought into a store. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 18
    It is the same with cars. A private sale is going to net you thousands more, perhaps even double what a dealer or CarMax will offer.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 18
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    davgreg said:
    The market is saturated.

    I would rather the devices have a longer life cycle by having things like user replaceable batteries. The trade in values of Macs seem to be pretty lowball.

    iPhones already have among the longest usable life cycle in the smartphone world - my wife just traded in her 6s and it was still quite usable. Not snappy by any means, but still usable. As for user-replacable batteries, you really only need to do that once, maybe twice in the life of the phone (assuming you keep it for 5-6 years,) so what’s the big deal? 

    As Kurai_kage said above, it’s just like cars. You trade in at the dealer because it’s easier, not because you expect to get top dollar.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 18
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,350member
    I noticed that the SE wasn't on the list.  Then realized no one with an SE would be trading it in since there IS NO REPLACEMENT.
    So it's a bit of hyperbole but there's no need for pedantic bitches to get their panties in a bunch. I think there's a lot of truth in baconstang's statement. There are replacement phones but none that replace the SE's comparatively diminutive as well as iconic form factor. None. Maybe if there was a NUC phone, but that's a tenuous maybe.

    There have been a lot of posts on here and different forums about current SE owners not upgrading until their SE is dead, and some have stated they've bought another for as a backup, as have I. So yes, in a very real and accurate sense for many of us 'IS NO REPLACEMENT' is our sentiment.

    I have given up all hope of Apple making an SE2 and like rumors of the next low-cost [strike that] entry level phone shifting to an iPhone 9 and not SE2.
    baconstang
  • Reply 18 of 18
    macxpress said:
    I noticed that the SE wasn't on the list.  Then realized no one with an SE would be trading it in since there IS NO REPLACEMENT.
    Here you go buddy...
    I shed no tears.  I'm not losing the sales...
Sign In or Register to comment.