iPhone trade-in roundup: Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, BuyBack World, Gazelle, NextWorth, uSell, Target & Walmart

By AppleInsider Staff

Apple's new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are now officially available for pre-order, but buyers still need to decide what to do with their old device. As in years past, AppleInsider takes a look at nearly a dozen big-name buyback services and retailers looking to attract your iPhone trade-ins over the next several weeks. [Updated Pricing, Offers]

Gazelle

Gazelle

is the nation's leading consumer electronics trade-­in site and arguably the most recognizable brand in the buy-back arena, having serviced more than 1 million trade-ins to date with payouts in excess of $100,000,000. The Boston-based firm pays cash quickly for old electronics (via PayPal, Check, or other means) and prides itself on providing the most streamlined and hassle-free experience for consumers looking to sell their electronics devices with the least possible effort and time commitment.

Unlike some of its competitors, Gazelle handles all trade-in inspections itself, doesn't nitpick over the trade-in value of devices that arrive in good working order, and will even completely wipe your device of data before passing it along to its new owner. When it comes to trade-in services that pay cold hard cash, Gazelle is one of two services that have earned AppleInsider's distinction in recent years for outstanding service and value. It offers a 30-day price lock window from when you lock in an offer till when the device needs to be in the company's hands.

You can read more about how the service works, or check out a list of the company's current iPhone trade-in prices (which have been fluctuating by $10-$20 this week) in our Trade-In Pay Out Guide (also below):

Update: Gazelle is offering AI readers $20 cash bonus added to any Samsung phone trade-in valued at $100 when using this link.

NextWorth

Extremely similar to Gazelle in almost all respects, and also earning AI's distinction for its simplicity, speed, and financial benefits to the consumer, is NextWorth -- another one of industry's largest buyers of used electronic devices with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Consumers can choose payment in the form of PayPal (paid immediately upon inspection of your phone), check (3-10 business days) or in the form of a NextWorth Discover Prepaid Card or Target Gift Card (both arrive in 3-14 days). NextWorth is also the exclusive white-label trade-in partner of Target, where you can also bring your device to receive a trade-in offer and get paid by the company on the spot. Online, it offers a 30-day price lock guarantee.

Expires Today: Through September 20th, 2014, NextWorth is also offering AI readers an additional $20 cash bonus to the maximum prices you see in their pricing chart below when using promo code INSIDER20 during online trade-ins of any working iPhone 5, 5C or 5S. You can read more about the company and its process here.

Current Maximum Cash Payouts (9/20/14)
iPhone Model Cash (up to): iPhone Model Cash (up to):
AT&T iPhone 4 8GB $54.00 Sprint iPhone 5 64GB$114.00
AT&T iPhone 4 16GB $59.00 T-Mobile iPhone 5 16GB$114.00
AT&T iPhone 4 32GB $59.00 T-Mobile iPhone 5 32GB$114.00
Sprint iPhone 4 8GB $10.00 T-Mobile iPhone 5 64GB$114.00
T-Mobile iPhone 4 8GB $10.00 Verizon iPhone 5 16GB$152.00
Verizon iPhone 4 8GB $10.00 Verizon iPhone 5 32GB$152.00
Verizon iPhone 4 16GB $17.00 Verizon iPhone 5 64GB$152.00
Verizon iPhone 4 32GB $17.00 AT&T iPhone 5C 16GB $152.00
AT&T iPhone 4S 8GB $95.00 AT&T iPhone 5C 32GB $152.00
AT&T iPhone 4S 16GB $99.00 Sprint iPhone 5C 16GB $70.00
AT&T iPhone 4S 32GB $99.00 Sprint iPhone 5C 32GB $70.00
AT&T iPhone 4S 64GB $99.00 T-Mobile iPhone 5C 16GB $141.00
Sprint iPhone 4S 8GB $67.00 T-Mobile iPhone 5C 32GB $141.00
Sprint iPhone 4S 16GB $75.00 Verizon iPhone 5C 16GB $138.00
Sprint iPhone 4S 32GB $75.00 Verizon iPhone 5C 32GB $138.00
Sprint iPhone 4S 64GB $75.00 AT&T iPhone 5S 16GB $225.00
T-Mobile iPhone 4S 8GB$78.00 AT&T iPhone 5S 32GB $225.00
T-Mobile iPhone 4S 16GB$82.00 AT&T iPhone 5S 64GB $225.00
Verizon iPhone 4S 8GB $67.00 Sprint iPhone 5S 16GB $146.00
Verizon iPhone 4S 16GB $75.00 Sprint iPhone 5S 32GB $146.00
Verizon iPhone 4S 32GB $75.00 Sprint iPhone 5S 64GB $146.00
Verizon iPhone 4S 64GB $75.00 T-Mobile iPhone 5S 16GB $146.00
AT&T iPhone 5 16GB $154.00 T-Mobile iPhone 5S 32GB $146.00
AT&T iPhone 5 32GB $154.00 T-Mobile iPhone 5S 64GB $146.00
AT&T iPhone 5 64GB $154.00 Verizon iPhone 5S 16GB$217.00
Sprint iPhone 5 16GB$114.00 Verizon iPhone 5S 32GB$217.00
Sprint iPhone 5 32GB$114.00 Verizon iPhone 5S 64GB$217.00

uSell

Another buyback service, uSell, has largely existed as an intermediary to connect users with its network of professional buyers who make varying bids for consumers devices. In years past, uSell would display by default a number of competitive offers for iPhones from its network of buyers, and allow the consumer to choose between them. While viewing the competitive offers is still possible, uSell this year has undergone a rebranding and redesign by which it aims to be more like Gazelle and NextWorth, and therefor displays the highest offer from its network most prominently (currently around $285 for a Verizon iPhone 5S).

Although uSell plans to start handling the majority of its trade-in inspections in-house in the near future, a significant portion are still handled by its third-party partners, who offer varying forgiveness policies on discrepancies in condition/value upon inspection.

You can read more about the uSell process here.

BuyBack World

A relative newcomer to the trade-in arena is BuyBack World, which like the aforementioned incumbents, is similarly striving to be the "quickest, easiest way for you to sell and trade-in your used electronics for cash online." The company's trade-in rates for iPhones change relatively frequently, as the company is focused on meeting or beating the highest cash offers from its competitors, with a promise "not to high ball the estimate, than reduce it substantially on delivery." It's currently paying up to $330 for a used iPhone 5S and offering to lock in all price quotes until October 31st.

You can read more about BuyBack World's trade-in process here.

Apple

Apple's recycling program is the easiest choice if you're trading up to a new iPhone: just walk into any Apple Store in the U.S., and they'll appraise your device and give you a gift card for its value on the spot. You can then use that gift card immediately for the purchase of your new iPhone.

If you prefer to receive your gift card at a more leisurely pace, you can also ship the device in. Apple contracts with Brightstar for their remote trade-in program, and it works just like all the rest:

  1. Describe your handset on the website, and receive an immediate quote
  2. Choose whether you'd like them to send a box, or you'd like to use your own with a prepaid shipping label
  3. Tuck your iPhone inside the box and schedule a pickup with the shipping carrier
  4. Brightstar will verify that the device you shipped is as you described
  5. Apple will issue a virtual gift card for the value of your iPhone

At press time, Apple was offering the following values for recent iPhones:

Note: Prices are based on handsets in good condition; locked prices are based on AT&T-provisioned devices.

Amazon

As an online retailer, Amazon doesn't have brick-and-mortar options for trade-ins. They take that opportunity to pay substantially more than most third parties -- in many cases, more than $100 over what others will offer. However, Amazon does not pay cash. It pays consumers only in the form of Amazon Gift Cards.

At press time, Amazon was offering the following values for recent iPhones -- though the company doesn't currently list 32-gigabyte iPhone 5 units:

Note: All prices are based on handsets in good condition; locked prices are based on AT&T-provisioned devices.

Best Buy

Like Apple, Best Buy offers both on-site and mail-in trade-in programs. You'll receive a Best Buy gift card in exchange for your device, and the company has dropped previous restrictions that made it mandatory to use that gift card on a new smartphone.

Strangely, Best Buy appears to only accept 16-gigabyte unlocked devices for online trade-in. Owners of higher-capacity unlocked iPhones will need to visit a store.

At press time, Best Buy was offering the following values for recent iPhones:

Note: All prices are based on handsets in good condition; locked prices are based on AT&T-provisioned devices.

Walmart

Walmart, too, provides both in-store and mail-in trade-in opportunities. In-store trade-ins will receive a gift card on the spot, while mail-in trades will receive an electronic gift card.

Walmart will not accept unlocked iPhone 5c units for trade online, so owners of those handsets will need to visit a store.

At press time, Walmart was offering the following values for recent iPhones:

Note: All prices are based on handsets in good condition; locked prices are based on AT&T-provisioned devices.

Target

Target, like its competitors, allows you to trade your devices either in-store or online. The online option doesn't offer separate prices for unlocked devices, though, so those with contract-free iPhones may want to visit their nearest Target.

At press time, Target was offering the following values for recent iPhones:

Note: All prices are based on handsets in good condition; locked prices are based on AT&T-provisioned devices.