Apple Starts iPhone Trade-In Program at Retail Stores This Month
Trading in iPhones certainly isn't a new trend. In fact, many online portals exist almost entirely to handle the inflow and outflow of used iPhones, iPods and iPads. The exchange of older Apple products is certainly big business, and now it's one that Apple itself seems keen to tap in on. A third-party trade-in program for iOS products has existed within Apple before, but it hasn't been heavily marketed. Now, according to reports, Apple may be seeking to make this a more notable option in order to spur sales of newer products.
Reportedly, Apple is going to start marketing an official in-store trade-in program for older iPhones as early as this month, right around the time of its WWDC keynote next week. Naturally, this is likely to tie into the launch of an next-gen iPhone. Apple is teaming with Brightstar in order to handle the exchanges, a company that also handles exchanges for carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T.
As Apple begins to hit a saturation point for smartphones in the U.S. market, making a big deal about trading up is a sensible way to spur interest in new products. Of course, a lot will depend on the rates that Apple offers. There are plenty of outlets out there today that can handle these trades, so unless Apple offers significantly more (or just makes the process a lot more seamless), it may not end up being super attractive for consumers.
Reportedly, Apple is going to start marketing an official in-store trade-in program for older iPhones as early as this month, right around the time of its WWDC keynote next week. Naturally, this is likely to tie into the launch of an next-gen iPhone. Apple is teaming with Brightstar in order to handle the exchanges, a company that also handles exchanges for carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T.
As Apple begins to hit a saturation point for smartphones in the U.S. market, making a big deal about trading up is a sensible way to spur interest in new products. Of course, a lot will depend on the rates that Apple offers. There are plenty of outlets out there today that can handle these trades, so unless Apple offers significantly more (or just makes the process a lot more seamless), it may not end up being super attractive for consumers.
