Another indication that Apple’s new iPhone is just over the next hill: Apple is offering to help you offset the cost of your next iPhone by trading your old iPhone 4S for an Apple gift card worth up to $345.
Using Apple’s Reuse and Recycle program, you are able to select the model, color and condition of your iPhone 4S (and other Apple devices) from the online wizard, which will then output a price that it believes your device is worth.
If you like the price, and have the power cable to send along with it, Apple will send you a gift card, which you can then use to buy your new iPhone. (It’s a vicious cycle, isn’t it?)
While the offer you receive from Apple might not be as high as from another service, and the gift card is only good for purchases through Apple, one advantage is you won’t fritter the money away on silly things like food or housing, like you might with a cash payment from someone like Gazelle.
The amount you receive from Apple does depend on the condition of your device. iPhones in pristine shape, (and of course that describes yours exactly, right?), will bring in the highest, while devices that have scratches, or have water damage, (everyone else’s iPhones), will bring in a lower offer.
Remember, if you lie about the condition of your device on the form, and the phone is not in the shape you claim it is, you may receive less than what you were quoted.
