With the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max on the market, many Apple enthusiasts are considering updating their plans. You want one of the new models, but maybe you’ve already invested a lot of money in one of the old models. Solution: Sell your current iPhone to subsidize the newest model. It makes sense, but what is the best way to do it? Do not fear because here we tell you the best options and practices to sell your old iPhone and maximize your profits.
Read more: 2020 iPhone 12: 5G, new design, new screen, and all the news
When to sell your old iPhone: Right now
The latest iPhone litter has been on sale since September, which means your old phone loses value every day. In fact, it is estimated that in 24 hours after the presentation of the iPhone 11, your old phone loses 30 percent of the resale value, according to a recent report by Decluttr, dedicated to fixing the old iPhone. That is consistent with the numbers we have seen in recent years, as with a similar MusicMagpie report on the depreciation of mobile phones.
One concern is that if you sell your old phone right away, you won’t have a phone until the new one arrives. Fortunately, many of the aforementioned repurchase and redemption services give you a grace period (also known as a “price lock”) of up to 30 days after you sell the phone before you have to send it, long enough, hopefully, to Buy and receive your new phone and migrate everything (including the SIM card, don’t forget it!).
Read more: 20 iPhone 11 Hacks Every iOS User Should Know
How to sell your old iPhone, option 1: Use a service
Giving your device in exchange for cash, store credit or gift cards is usually the least profitable option, but it is also a “safe thing.” In fact, unless the phone is not as described when you asked for a quote, you will get your money without any risk of post-sale liability issues. Also, if your iPhone is not in such good condition, some companies will still take the device, even if it doesn’t turn on. Changing your iPhone instead of selling it is an excellent option if you are willing to give up a small benefit for a quick and simple process, comfort and tranquility.
There are traditional options to do the exchange, such as those offered by Apple or Best Buy, and there are places where you can buy and sell (see below). Before you spend a lot of time looking for quotes, however, you can go directly to Flipsy, a website that compares exchange values in about 20 stores. It shows you the payment methods, what the offered price lasts (that is, the time you have to send the phone) and the price based on conditions. Unfortunately, because each repurchase program and each store is a little different in terms of defining conditions, Flipsy does not go beyond the phone model, operator, and storage. Also, SellCell is another service that compares prices For anyone who wants to resell an old phone.
Read more: iPhone 12: 5G, New Design and Display and Everything New for 2020
If you prefer to keep an eye on specific places of sale, it is worth seeing these:
- BuyBackBoss
- BuyBackWorld
- Decluttr
- Gazelle
- Glyde
- ItsWorthMore
- Nextworth
- Swappa
How to sell your old iPhone, option 2: Change it by a credit to acquire the new one
Do you want to avoid the intermediary (so to speak)? You can go straight to the source: Apple’s iPhone exchange program offers a simple way to pay for a new iPhone by exchanging your device for credit at the Apple Store.
For example, this is an estimated estimate of what they would give you for some models in “good” condition:
- iPhone 6S Plus: US $120
- iPhone 8: US $220
- iPhone X: US $400
Those prices are low calculations, especially if you think Apple doesn’t even let you specify how much storage your phone has. An iPhone 8 with 256GB should give you much more than one with, say, 64GB of storage and, in fact, an unlocked iPhone 8, with 64GB of storage could give you up to US $292 through a specialized service, according to Flipsy.
Best Buy also has an exchange program; Now, an iPhone 8 of 64GB in good condition could give you about US $ 170, while the iPhone 8 of 256GB, however, US $ 190 (interestingly, the Best Buy exchange program apparently does not accept phones that are not unlocked, only those that come from one of the four major operators in the United States).
As with Apple, Best Buy gives you what is quoted on a store gift card – a good thing if you’re a Best Buy fan or plan to buy your new iPhone there, but it’s not the best thing if you expected some cash.
The key here is to shop around. There are many services willing to buy your old iPhone or market it, but you better sell it yourself.
Read more: iPhone 11 Expert Review: Design, Camera and Performance
How to sell your old iPhone, option 3: Sell it yourself
Selling an iPhone is what will surely generate the greatest profit, although it involves risks and inconveniences.
Craigslist: Craigslist is the riskiest option, but you will receive cash for your device. The biggest challenge here is finding buyers — even arriving. You must be prepared for some possible scams.
If you decide to use Craigslist or some other option to sell an iOS phone from private to private, make sure you meet the buyer in a well-lit public place (many police departments offer their parking lots as sites for these types of transactions). To make the transaction quieter, make sure it is clear in the agreement prior to the meeting; Your customer must know from before the price, the conditions of the telephone and the telephone operator to which it is linked (especially if the telephone is unlocked).
eBay: If you don’t mind having to work a little more – publish it, send it and pay a minimum sales fee – eBay is a better option than Craigslist to sell a used iPhone. Because eBay offers protection to its buyers, people feel more comfortable buying things from strangers through the site.
The bad? The fees. eBay charges sales to products sold through the site: 10 percent of the final cost (sales price). If you accept payment through PayPal, you charge a fee of 2.9 percent (4 percent if it is an international sale) of the sale price.
To give a price to your device, look for your model on eBay and check the lists of items sold. At the time of writing this article, these were the price ranges of iPhones on eBay:
- iPhone X (64GB): US $350-US $450
- iPhone 8 Plus (64GB): US $300-US $400
- iPhone 7 (64GB): US $100-US $200
If there is a disadvantage when selling your iPhone on eBay, it is the potential risk of remorse from buyers. eBay offers protection to both the seller and the buyer, but customer service tends to side with the buyer in case of a dispute. Scammers know how to take advantage of this. You can minimize the risk by documenting everything (including taking photos or screenshots of the phone’s IMEI number) and making sure you get a signed delivery receipt.
Read more: 8 iPhone Hidden Features You Must Know
What you should know before selling your old iPhone
Whether you sell the iPhone yourself or exchange it with a third company, there are some things you should know to make sure your information is secure:
Answer it: Back up important information — including contacts, videos, and applications — using Apple’s iCloud service or some other cloud storage service.
Turn off the Find My feature: The Apple Find My app (formerly known as Find My iPhone ) is a security feature that must be turned off before you sell your phone — or nobody else can restore or use the phone. To turn off Find My, open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to Settings> [your username]> Find My and turn it off.
Clean it up: Exit all connected applications, services, and accounts (such as your iCloud account). Then, open the Settings app and go to General> Reset> Erase All Content and Settings (General> Reset> Clear all content and settings). Once this is done, you can also go to General> Reset> Reset All Settings to restore the factory settings of the iPhone, just in case.
Remove the SIM card: Do not forget to remove the SIM card, which you will surely need for the new phone and keep your same number and service.
You will receive the most money on your phone if it is in perfect condition, but you can still make a good deal if it is in “good” condition: no cracks on the screen, no big dents or scratches on the case, no water damage and Everything works fine (which means the phone is switched on, charging, etc.).
If your phone is damaged, maybe you can still get something for it, even if it doesn’t turn on. It is not worth repairing a broken screen before selling it, but if your screen is slightly damaged, for example, a small crack in the corner, you may want to sell it on your own instead of changing it. An individual may be willing to overlook the surface damage of the screen for a good price.
Have you already gone through this process to buy a new iPhone? What option did you choose and how was your experience? Tell us in the comments!
