Trading in Apple Gear May Already Be Possible Near You

The idea of trading in phones and tablets to get better and faster access to better and faster hardware is gaining a lot of ground. Apple is already working on such a program itself, which is likely to get plenty of interest from iOS hardware users. Though the iPhone trade-in program won't reach certain stores for a while yet, some already have access to it, and the full details on the trade-in program will likely raise a few eyebrows.

Reports on the exact start date of this program are varied, with some saying that training has already begun, while others are calling for a start date of “sometime in September.” Techcrunch recently noted that, in some places, the program has already begun, offering trade-ins on hardware, and having been doing so for the past few weeks. But this isn't universal, so there's pretty much room for everyone to be right on this one.

As for how the program works—at least in those few places where the program is up and running—it's actually fairly simple. First, customers go to an Apple Retail Store and bring in the old iPhone in question. Employees then evaluate the condition of the device via an online site, accessible from the employees' iMacs or iPads. The customer then answers a set of questions as well and, with all that information in place, the company can determine a value of the trade which can then be applied toward new hardware. Several similarities have emerged between the new Apple trade-in plan and the iPhone recycling program, though the recycling program covers more products and isn't offered in stores.

Perhaps more unusual here is that the prices that Apple is offering on its older hardware are lower than those found at other device trade-in sites like Gazelle and NextWorth; reports indicate that Apple will offer up $250 for a 16GB iPhone 5 in good condition, and by way of comparison, Gazelle will offer $315 for a good condition 16GB iPhone 5 from AT&T or unlocked. However, there's certainly something to be said for the convenience of going through Apple for both trade-in and buying the replacement, though whether that value is at least $65 will vary from person to person.

Reports further suggest that the old devices are sent off to emerging markets where said devices can be refurbished with an eye toward resale, and aren't being sold as refurbished devices at the stores in which said devices were traded in. This is still a pilot program, so it will be worth watching to see if any changes are made between now and the start of a wider launch, which may well, as noted earlier, hit in September.

It's not a bad idea on Apple's part; indeed, that convenience factor isn't to be slighted by any means, but by like token, it's got to be sure that its trade-in values are at least comparable with those offered at other venues just so it keeps up. Sure, if it's a $10 or $20 difference most likely won't want to wait, but with at least a $65 difference showing up in one instance, it may sort of crimp Apple's potential reach. Still, when this goes wide, it's likely to prove at least reasonably successful, and if Apple can tune up the values ahead of a wider launch, then it's likely to do even better.