Apple is offering extra trade in credit on iPhones for a limited time, but is it the best offer?
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End of Financial Year is a great time to pick up a bargain on a new gadget thanks to EOFY sales, but Apple is also hoping to make it pay you.
Apple has shared that according to data from research firm Kantar, 48% of Australian iPhone users who purchased a phone in the 3 months to December 2023 did nothing with their old device, compared to 32% of customers in the UK.
That means that almost half of new iPhone owners have an older device just sitting around in their drawer somewhere, gathering dust and losing value.
So to raise awareness of its trade-in program (and to encourage those iPhone hoarders), Apple is offering extra trade-in credit on eligible iPhones between $50 to $120, depending on the phone.
T&Cs apply (obviously), but the offer is valid for Apple customers trading in a valid iPhone (iPhone 7 Plus and later) and purchasing an eligible new device – I recommend the iPhone 15 Pro, as it’s a Hall of Famer.
If you want to save that value for an iPhone 16, you can get the normal value on an Apple Gift Card for future redemption, too.
The bonus trade-in value is only valid until 3 June though, so best get in quick if you’re thinking about an upgrade
Is Apple Trade-in the best option?
There’s definitely a simplicity to trade in an older Apple phone and get a new Apple device in return. But there are a number of services that offer the ability to sell or trade-in older devices for cash as well.
I wanted to see how Apple’s new offer compares to some of those other services, so pulled together the table below.
Before you compare though, a couple of points on what you’re reading:
- All prices are values “Up to” that amount. Trade-in values vary depending on the model, the storage capacity and the condition of the device. For all these services, the value is for the highest storage capacity for the best “used” condition available.
- In some cases, this means you are required to supply the phone in its original packaging with all the accessories it shipped with. You may not get the highest value if you don’t have the box, or if there’s clear marks of use on the device, or if the battery’s capacity has dropped below a certain point.
- The pricing info was gathered on 21 May 2024, and should be used as a guide only. It will definitely change.
- I’ve highlighted the best quoted offer, but that doesn’t mean you should expect that much. If you are looking to trade in your phone, you should check the different stores to see what they will actually offer you.
| Device | Apple | Reebelo | OzMobiles | Mobile Monster | CashaPhone | Greener Mobile | We Buy Back | MobileGuru |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | $1,210 | $1,150 | $1,150 | $1,150 | $799.48 | N/A | $1,250 | $1,170 |
| iPhone 14 Pro | $970 | $1,080 | $1,080 | $1,080 | $768.68 | N/A | $1,100 | $1,100 |
| iPhone 14 Plus | $785 | $810 | $810 | $810 | $608.52 | N/A | $830 | $820 |
| iPhone 14 | $725 | $730 | $730 | $730 | $541.20 | N/A | $720 | $730 |
| iPhone SE (3rd generation) | $335 | $290 | $290 | $290 | $378.40 | N/A | $370 | $300 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max | $845 | $800 | $800 | $800 | $660.44 | N/A | $790 | $830 |
| iPhone 13 Pro | $735 | $740 | $740 | $740 | $642.40 | N/A | $740 | $770 |
| iPhone 13 | $540 | $670 | $670 | $670 | $590.92 | N/A | $670 | $680 |
| iPhone 13 mini | $510 | $470 | $470 | $470 | $398.20 | N/A | $500 | $480 |
| iPhone 12 Pro Max | $665 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $452.76 | N/A | $630 | $610 |
| iPhone 12 Pro | $565 | $540 | $540 | $540 | $399.96 | N/A | $540 | $540 |
| iPhone 12 | $420 | $420 | $420 | $420 | $312.40 | N/A | $500 | $430 |
| iPhone 12 mini | $340 | $300 | $300 | $300 | $173.36 | N/A | $440 | $310 |
| iPhone SE (2nd generation) | $180 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $190.30 | N/A | $150 | $160 |
| iPhone 11 Pro Max | $460 | $480 | $480 | $480 | $355.30 | N/A | $560 | $490 |
| iPhone 11 Pro | $420 | $420 | $420 | $420 | $345.40 | N/A | $500 | $430 |
| iPhone 11 | $350 | $300 | $300 | $300 | $322.30 | N/A | $350 | $310 |
| iPhone XS Max | $280 | $210 | $210 | $210 | $215.83 | $280 | $550 | $220 |
| iPhone XS | $235 | $170 | $170 | $170 | $150.92 | $280 | $400 | $180 |
| iPhone XR | $230 | $180 | $180 | $180 | $132.06 | $240 | $260 | $190 |
| iPhone X | $185 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $128.28 | $250 | $280 | $130 |
| iPhone 8 Plus | $210 | $155 | $155 | $155 | $109.72 | $180 | $160 | $135 |
| iPhone 8 | $140 | $120 | $120 | $120 | $75.46 | $150 | $120 | $130 |
| iPhone 7 Plus | $120 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $33.96 | $140 | $180 | $110 |
So who has the best trade-in offers on iPhones?
Based on the amounts publicly shared on their websites, We Buy Back offers the highest maximum trade in value for 10 of the 24 phones listed.
Apple, with its bonus trade-in offer, has the best offer for five of the devices.
As stated above, these are maximum values though, and what you actually get offered will depend on the storage capacity of your device and its condition.
