iPhone trade-ins may no longer be just a rumor. New Yorkers will be able to swap out their old models for credit toward news ones beginning Friday. The program has been tested in select stores nationwide and will now launch on a grand scale. Third-party vendors have long participated in buybacks for old iPhones, but now users will be able to go directly to Apple and switch for a new phone. Apple will be refurbishing old phones traded in and resold. However, as the New York Daily News points out, refurbished iPhones will still cost a pretty penny, as a $650 16-gigabyte iPhone 5 can easily be sold for $315 in so-called "flawless" condition.
There is limited details about the program, which Apple itself has not even confirmed yet. However, stores across New York City and the nation have been training employees about the new system, anonymous sources to MacRumors. An anonymous source also told Bloomberg that the tech company is working with recycling company Brightstar likely because it is preparing to recycle old phones. Models predating the iPhone 4 and 4S may not be eligible for swapping, though, considering their low resale value. Employees at store locations in SoHo and the Upper West Side have confirmed the program, though stores employees elsewhere in the city were hesitant to discuss the new system.
It is reported that those who trade in their old phones will receieve a gift card that may be put toward a new phone. It is not known whether the gift card may be used for other Apple products. It is believed that the iPhone 5S will be on the shelves Sept. 10 following an Apple press event scheduled for that same day. The iPhone 6 is likely to be due next summer.
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