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If you’re planning on selling or trading in your current iPhone in preparation for the new iPhone, there’s no time like the present. For a week, until September 9th, tech trade-in company Gazelle is offering an extremely enticing deal—up to $481 for a used phone—guaranteed to be at least $1 more than what Apple or your carrier is offering.
A trade-in value of just $1 more than what your current carrier or Apple will pay might not seem like much, but considering that companies like Verizon give you a combination trade-in credit and bill credit instead of cash, it offers flexibility if you want to switch up carriers.
Whether or not you use Gazelle to sell or trade in your phone, flipping your current iPhone now would save you from the dive in value of the old iPhone that follows the launch of every new one. According to AppleInsider, 5S trade-in prices fell 15% when the iPhone 6 was announced and then another 15% three weeks after it was released. Selling now would preempt that depreciation.
Of course, selling now raises a significant problem: Most people can’t handle a gap in their phone ownership. Gazelle addresses this by providing a 30-day price lock window to send your phone in after you accept a price, a window which should give consumers enough time to secure a new iPhone after its release.
If you favor a trade-in service that doesn't offer this window, you can also bridge that gap by activating an old iPhone 4S or 5 if you have one around—which you might, considering many people keep them as spares since they have poor trade-in value. Or, if trading in now means saving more than $60, which it could, you can grab a used 4S on eBay or Craigslist and use it until you secure a new phone.
The Apple Watch, officially released on April 24, 2015. The sport model starts at $349. The mid-tier Apple Watch starts at $499, while the Apple Watch Edition starts at $10,000. George Pimentel—WireImageThe original iPod (left) was released on November 10, 2001. The cheapest model held 5GB of music and cost $399. On May 2, 2003, Apple released a redesigned iPod (right) with entirely touch-sensitive interface. The new model held 10GB of music and cost $299. (left) Susan Ragan/Reuters; (right) Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesA salesperson bags a new Apple iPod MP3 player shortly after the Apple store opened in Palo Alto, California, November 10, 2001. Apple stores across the country hosted lines of eager customers wanting to be among the first to own iPod. The breakthrough MP3 player holds up to 1,000 songs and fits in your pocket. Lou Dematteis—Reuters/NewscomApple released the first iPhone on June 29, 2007. An 8GB model launched with a price point of $599. David Paul Morris—Getty ImagesPeople wait outside an Apple store on June 28, 2007, in Santa Monica, California for the iPhone, scheduled to be released at 6:00 pm the next day. GABRIEL BOUYS—AFP/Getty ImagesPeople line up to be the first to buy an iPhone at Apple's flagship store on Fifth Avenue on June 29, 2007, in New York City. Michael Nagle—Getty ImagesNew iPhone owners exit Apple's flagship store, showing off their purchases to the media. Michael Nagle—Getty ImagesIn September, three months after the iPhone's original launch, Apple cut the 8GB model's price to $399 and discontinued the 4GB model (left). The iPhone 3G (right), released on July 11, 2008, cost $199 and featured faster internet, GPS, and the ability to run third-party applications. Mike Segar/Reuters (left); Thomas Peter/Reuters (right)Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds an Apple iPad tablet during its debut at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. The iPad would launch on April 3, 2010, with a price tag of $499. Tony Avelar—Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPeople wait in line to purchase Apple iPads during a launch event at the Apple retail store in Berlin. Tobias Schwarz—ReutersA customer lifts his iPad over his head after leaving the iPad launch at the Apple Store in New York. Jessica Rinaldi—ReutersThe iPad Mini, sporting a smaller 7.9 inch screen, hit store shelves on November 2, 2012. The new device cost $329. Daniel Acker—Bloomberg via Getty ImagesCalled a "hobby" by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the Apple TV appeared in stores on March 21, 2007. The device was priced at $299 and stored 50 hours of video. Mario Tama—Getty ImagesThree and a half years after the Apple TV's initial launch, Apple completely rebuilt the product as a much smaller device that streamed content from Netflix, YouTube, and users' home computers. The slimmer product also came with a slimmer price: $99. Paul Sakuma—APOnlookers gaze at the Apple Watch during a preview in London. Tom Nicholson—APMen wearing cardboard Apple Watches on their heads pose for photos before it goes on display in front of the Apple Store in Tokyo's Omotesando shopping district. Toru Hanai—ReutersLine of customers waiting to purchase an Apple Watch outside Dover St. Market on April 24, 2015 in London City. Ben A. Pruchnie—Getty ImagesYuichiro Masui, the first customer to purchase an Apple Watch at an electronics store in Omotasando, poses with his watch in Tokyo April 24, 2015. Thomas Peter—Reuters
