If you're an original Apple Vision Pro owner and want to upgrade, it's going to cost you the full price on October 15, 2025. But based on previous history, that may change.

The new M5 Apple Vision Pro starts at the same $3,499 as the original model, meaning that an upgrade to it is a costly affair. Ordinarily, Apple offers a trade-in deal where you get a discount for shipping back your old device, but not this time.

However, there is precedent for Apple changing its policy. Back when the first M2 Macs were released in 2022, Apple would not take any M1 Macs for trade-in.

That changed, although it took some time and Apple did not promote it. Some models they took after a few weeks, others took a full year.

They didn't have the same "problem" with trading in Intel for M1, though.

Apple's trade-in deals

Apple relies on the convenience of trading in at time of purchase, and on how straightforward the whole process is. When users sell device secondhand themselves, it's invariably more complex — and it can even be dangerous.

Experiences with the companies that Apple relies on for trade-in are mixed, even amongst the AppleInsider staff. Sometimes it's more convenient and more rewarding than eBay or Facebook marketplace, and sometimes you just don't want to be bothered to sell it on any one of an assortment of marketplaces.

Generally speaking, Apple doesn't offer a lot for a trade-in — and makes a lot of money because of it. It can be what makes a new device affordable, but it will never match what you can get through directly selling it.

Apple Vision Pro is a special case

The original Apple Vision Pro launched at $3,499 and it has stayed at that price ever since. Unless, that is, you look at the secondhand and eBay market.

For a brief time when the Apple Vision Pro was new and interest was high, it was possible to see eBay listings selling it for $6,000. That did include free shipping, though.

That was for the 512GB edition, which retailed yesterday for $3,699. At time of writing, just about any Apple Vision Pro configuration and combination of Apple bands and light seals will only reliably sell for $1600 or so. There are the hopeful, though, that think they will get close to what they paid for it.