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The thought of $650 off a new iPhone 16, as promised during the Apple event, might be enticing — but know there are conditions associated with trade-in. If your phone is damaged at all, the trade-in value quickly drops to a whopping $0. If you plan to trade in your current device for an upgrade, you might also want to consider taking it in for repairs before you swing by the Apple Store.
Macworld’s Michael Simon had some first-hand experience with this. His iPhone 15 Pro Max, a phone likely to yield almost the maximum value, had a crack along its back. The glass wasn’t falling off, and it was a relatively easy repair — but Apple offered him $0 for the trade-in, even though he could have taken it in for repairs for just $29 thanks to AppleCare Plus.
In Apple’s questionnaire regarding trade-in value, if you select “No” to whether the buttons work or if the body is in good shape, you get nothing. Even without AppleCare Plus, Simon’s repair would cost only $199.
Preorders for the iPhone 16 begin tomorrow, September 13. If you want to take advantage of the trade-in program to reduce the cost of a new handset, make sure yours is in good shape. If it’s not, get it to a repair shop ASAP — you don’t have long before the preorders begin.
Is it a fair system? Not really. Apple doesn’t allow for nuance in your answers, although the company could easily deduct the cost of repairs from your trade-in value. If you don’t answer honestly, Apple will adjust the value anyway. Even a small amount of damage is enough to completely depreciate the value of your phone, so look at it thoroughly before sending it to Apple for your trade-in.
If your old phone is damaged but you still want to get some value for it, try selling it to someone. That way, there’s no middleman.
