With the recent release of Apple’s iPhone 5S and inevitable future releases of iPhones of all iKinds, it should eventually become common sense for people to know where to deposit their former generation, and therefore antiquated, smartphone. For all those iHoarders out there who don’t know have an iDea what to do with their caboodle of lapsed tech, this is an entry dedicated to them.
Some retailers give you cash or credit when you turn in your old smartphone. By default, you may immediately choose to want to sell your iPhone on Craigslist, but there are risks involved with that. Your trusty Schatzii may wipe away unsightly signs of aging from your smartphone, but that doesn’t change the fact that you want cash for a new one … and you want it NOW. Here are the top 10 sites to trade in your used iPhone:
Amazon Electronics Trade-In
Amazon Electronics Trade-In is one of more widely known and widely trusted trading services of its kind. You can swap your iPhones, tablets, kindles, laptops, and other electronic devices in exchange for an Amazon Gift Card. Over a million items are eligible for exchange. All you need is an Amazon account. They’ll provide a value for your item after you write an accurate description of its condition, and send you a gift card within two business days of receiving and reviewing your item. Presently, the iPhone 5 is listed at around $441, and the iPhone 4S is priced at $253.
Gazelle’s partnership with Amazon allows trade-in customers the option of receiving an Amazon Gift Card, a check, or PayPal cash. Gazelle lets you trade all gadgets, not just smartphones. Simply find your product and answer a few questions. It’s free to ship items of $1 or more, and currently Gazelle is offering two killer promotions: $10 credit for the first friend you refer and the sweepstakes of winning $1 million as a customer. Gazelle has paid more than $100 million for electronics, warranting them serious street cred. The iPhone 5 has been estimated at $350, and the iPhone 4S has been estimated at $220.
NextWorth
NextWorth has an A+ service rating and over a half a million satisfied customers. When you trade in your smartphone, you have the option of choosing PayPal cash or a Target Gift Card. Target is not the only partner of NextWorth—they’ll provide credit at over 1,500 stores. NextWorth offers a free instant quote and free shipping for your item(s). Payment is issued the following day of inspection. NextWorth accepts other electronics such as calculators, laptops, cameras, and video games. The iPhone 5 has been recently priced at around $410, and the iPhone 4S has been recently priced at $245.
Glyde
The New York Times, CNN and Mashable have touted Glyde as easy and economical, offering uncluttered simplicity through its slick and efficient website. Glyde sends you pre-addressed and pre-stamped shipping kits once you’ve sold the items you’ve listed. It’s so easy a novice can do it in 10 seconds! Proceeds are deposited into your Glyde account 2-3 days after delivery. Take note: you can currently get a $10 free bonus coupon by selling your phone at Glyde through promocodes.com.
Apple Reuse and Recycle Program
Apple unleashed its very own trade-in/recycling program on August 30. For the price of your gadget, Apple will issue you an Apple Store gift card. Unlike the previous companies, Apple only accepts iPhones, iPads, Macs and PCs. Trade-in is only applicable to those who have iPhone contracts. You can either accept Apple’s estimate of your product’s value, or opt to have it recycled. An Apple iPhone 5 16GB in good condition is valued at close to $300.
uSell
uSell gives you a number of different offers to choose from, directing you to sites that buy used phones. For example, when I tried to sell a used iPhone 5, uSell gave me estimates at Monster Buy Back, Technollo, Guzu, BuyMyTronics and many other trade-in services. uSell is a safe bet because it provides a thorough list of options as well as a prepaid shipping kit after you’ve accepted the cash offer. uSell conveniently sends you email updates through every step of the selling process.
BestBuy Trade-In
BestBuy gives you a guaranteed $100 when you trade in any working smartphone. BestBuy provides only store credit, however, but gives you the option of doing your trading in-store or online. Customers have to pick a product category, manufacturer, make and condition, and then fill out a questionnaire. Usually the estimate comes after 10 business days. Fun fact: BestBuy will give you a $50 gift card when you trade in your working phone and buy an LG G2 smartphone.
GameStop
GameStop accepts Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod and Android tablets. You have the option of cash or store credit, and you can simply print the quote and bring it to your local GameStop. Value is determined by condition. Current estimates are $252 to $405 for the iPhone 5.
RadioShack Trade and Save
RadioShack boasts to give $250 for an iPhone 5, $150 for a working iPhone 4S, and $100 for a working iPhone 4. You may trade in-store or online and simply drive to your nearest RadioShack to finalize the transaction.
eBay
Then there’s eBay. New to eBay is the My Gadgets feature. Tech hoarders can rejoice in auctioning off their old iGadgets on one specialized platform. Unique from the recommerce companies listed above, eBay requires you to take a picture of your item, write a summary, and mark an expiration date. From there, strangers will duke it out to get at your tech. Sample auction list prices for the iPhone 5: $350 to $432.