The best places to trade-in your old phone for an iPhone 6
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Version 0 of 1. Now that the initial burst of orders for Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is starting to fade away, some stores are actually able to hold the new phones in stock. Sadly, a lot of the best trade-in deals have already expired. But if you're looking to pick up a new iPhone and want to get some cash (or at least store credit?) for your old one, here's a quick rundown of places that are still willing to give you special deals if you buy an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. Wal-Mart: America's largest retailer is kicking off its iPhone 6 trade-in program on Friday, in more than 3,000 of its stores across the country. If your phone (iPhone or Android) is in particularly good condition, you can even get double its trade-in value -- for a limited time -- to use toward a new iPhone on AT&T, Verizon or Sprint on a two-year plan. The doubling deal, which runs from Oct. 5 to Oct. 18, only works if your phone has a trade-in value of $200 or less, as determined by your local Walmart. A normal iPhone 5s, for example, would have a value of $100, which would then get you $200 in store credit toward the newest model. AT&T: AT&T will still give you up to $300 in trade-in value for your old iPhone toward an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus as long as you act before Oct. 31. The carrier will offer you $300 promo card for an iPhone 5s, $200 for an iPhone 5 or 5c and $100 for an iPhone 4 or 4S. You can choose to put the new phone on a traditional 2-year plan, unlocked, or AT&T Next plan -- the carrier's option for those who want to upgrade their devices more frequently than every two years. Verizon: Verizon is still offering an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus trade-in deal, promising to give you a $300 gift card for your old iPhone 5s, and $200 for iPhone 5c, iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. The offer stands through Oct. 15, and is also good for new iPhones that are unlocked, on a two-year contract or on its fast-upgrade plan, Verizon Edge. Sprint: Playing some hardball, Sprint is offering a great deal to people who want to switch carriers. Per Sprint's press release, the carrier will actually buy out their family's plans from other carriers, and give them a Visa Prepaid Card worth up to $350 per line. The deal only applies to "customers who bring their number from another carrier and activate an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus on the Sprint Simply Unlimited Plan." It only works, though, at Sprint stores and by calling Sprint's sales team, and only through Oct. 31. Plus, prepaid cards may take up to 12 weeks to arrive, so budget that in. T-Mobile: In a move that shouldn't surprise anyone, T-Mobile is also aggressively targeting its competitors with its trade-in deal. T-Mobile promises "over $350" for an eligible iPhone 5s, and also promises to match any trade-in value you may get from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. "If you do find a better trade-in value from AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, we will beat it and pay out the difference," the company promises on its trade-in page. "Plus, for a limited time we'll give you $50, so you can trade up to the new device you want today." T-Mobile hasn't given an end date for this promo, but said that it's for a "limited time." eBay: If you're looking to sell your phone on eBay, the online retailer is still offering a pretty good deal, promising that it will give you a $100 coupon for your phone even if you can't sell it. It's also boasting that phones are trending up to $400 on the site -- that plum price is for a 64 GB iPhone 5s in "excellent" condition -- and claims that, overall, is up to $200 better than the average price sellers are getting from other trade-in programs. This deal ends on Oct. 24, and you only have 14 days to redeem your $100 coupon if you phone doesn't sell. Other options: There's also the basic DIY option, which is to clean up your phone yourself and get the cash for it from a reseller such as Gazelle or take your chances on the open market at s Craigslist. Before you do that, be sure to deactivate the "Find my iPhone" service and wipe the data from your phone. It's also always a good idea to pop out your SIM card. The same instructions go for any Android or Windows phones you may want to trade in, though you'll probably want to encrypt data on those phones before you delete them. There are also a ton of retailers who have trade-in programs -- Target, GameStop, RadioShack, Best Buy and Apple itself to name a few -- so even if you missed the best iPhone trade-in deals, you should still be able to get something for your old phone. |