Thinking about upgrading to an iPhone 18 this fall? Apple just made the decision a little easier.
The company increased the max trade-in values for most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models in the United States, marking the latest value bump this year. The higher payouts let customers put more money toward a new device, whether they’re buying outright or through the new Apple Upgrade program.
Apple pays out for used devices
Apple devices retain their value better than rival products, making trade-ins one of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of upgrading. A relatively recent iPhone, iPad or Mac can earn hundreds of dollars in credit, potentially cutting the price of a new device by half or even more.
So instead of letting an older device gather dust in a drawer, customers can put its resale value toward the latest model. And Apple just made the idea more enticing by boosting its trade-in values on a wide range of devices.
Trade-in your old iPhone for big bucks
The biggest gains are on recent iPhones. Apple will now offer up to $720 for an iPhone 16 Pro Max, up from the previous maximum of $695. Trade-in values also increased for the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup, with the iPhone 16 Pro rising substantially from $560 to $630, the iPhone 16 Plus went to $485 and the standard iPhone 16 rose to $480. The company also raised offers on many older iPhone models.
Just note that Apple’s Trade In program uses a flat value for each iPhone model, regardless of its storage capacity. That means a 128GB iPhone 16 Pro Max receives the same trade-in value as a 1TB version.
MacBook trade-in value go up, too
The top payout for a MacBook Pro is now $855, an increase of $165. For MacBook Air, the top trade-in value is up to $580.
The Mac mini trade-in value climbed substantially from $375 to $480. And the Mac Studio saw a notable jump from $1,045 to $1,305. The iMac went up a bit to $380.
Unlike iPhones, Mac trade-in values do reflect the computer’s configuration, so models with more RAM, larger SSDs or faster processors are generally worth more.
iPad and Apple Watch, too
There is plenty of good news for iPad owners. The iPad Pro’s top-tier offer rose from $690 to $720. The iPad Air now earns up to $490 (up from $460), the iPad mini went from $265 to $300, while the basic iPad climbs to $260 from $235.
Apple Watch trade-in values is more of a mixed bag. Apple Watch Series 10 rose from $150 to $165, while improved from $130 to $135. Apple Watch Ultra 2 stayed at $305 and the original Ultra stayed at $205.
Apple will even let users trade in some premium Android devices.
Get started trading in your Apple device
Apple’s listed trade-in amounts are estimates, with the final value determined after the device is received and inspected. And these prices frequently change — the last time Apple boosted trade-in values was in May.
Customers can put the credit toward a new Apple purchase or choose to receive an Apple Gift Card instead. If a device isn’t eligible for trade-in, Apple will offer to recycle it at no charge.
Consider alternatives
While the Apple Store is of course a popular option to buy iPhones, Macs and more, it’s certainly not the only one. And rivals often offer higher trade-in values.
- See also: Cult of Mac Buyback program
That’s especially true for iPhone and iPad units with high-end storage configurations. These devices often bring more money through marketplaces where buyers will pay a premium for extra capacity.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
