It might not be a good time to trade in an Android smartphone for a new iPhone as Apple has lowered the maximum exchange credit. More often than not, Apple products are placed in the premium segment. For instance, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are available at $999 and $1,099 for the base models. If someone wants to buy the 256GB or the 512GB versions of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the price can go as high as $1199 and $1,399, respectively.
With such a high price tag, getting a decent trade-in price for another smartphone will encourage more people to switch over to iPhone. This is where Apple’s trade-in program comes in handy. It allows users to exchange their current devices, whether iPhone or Android, to receive a credit that can be used on their next purchase. While users can redeem the credit as an instant discount on the value of the new iPhone, they can also get an Apple Gift Card which can be used at any time.
Up until now, Apple was offering a decent exchange value on older iPhone and Android flagship models. However, as pointed out by MacRumors, Apple has recently reduced the value for Android flagships. The maximum credit, offered for a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, has dropped from $545 to $405. In contrast, Apple offers as much as $700 when trading in an iPhone 12 Pro Max. Further, the actual trade-in discount depends upon the condition of the smartphone that is being exchanged.
How Much Is Your Android Phone Worth?
The trade-in value for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is not the only one to be reduced. For example, exchanging the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G will now fetch as little as $260, which works out to be roughly a 20% decrease from the previous $325 price. The maximum discount for trading in Google Pixel devices has also been reduced. Now, the Google Pixel 5 and the Google Pixel 4 have a maximum exchange value of $235 (down from $315) and $110 (down from $150), respectively. The only Android smartphones that seem to have retained their exchange value are the Samsung Galaxy S8 ($50) and the Google Pixel 3a ($50). To check the current value of any smartphone, head over to Apple’s official trade-in page.
For reference, the trade-in price for some Apple products have been reduced as well, with the iPad Air ($345 to $335), MacBook Air ($550 to $530), and the iMac ($1,320 to $1,260) some examples. Even here, though, the reductions on Apple’s own products are not anywhere near as significant as those for competing Android flagship smartphones.
