Apple Launches iPhone Trade-In Program in UK Retail Stores Starting Today

Planning on buying a shiny new iPhone, but don’t know what to do with your old one? Well, residents of the UK have a new, great option if you’re okay with doing business in an Apple Retail Store. Starting today, Apple will begin letting customers bring in their outdated iPhone hardware and trade that aged piece of tech in for a gift card that is then applied as credit towards a new one. The program allows customers to trade in any old model iPhone aside from the original 2007 model, which will then be either refurbished and reused or recycled, depending on the age and overall quality of the unit.

Apple’s been running a similar program on their online store for years, however an in-store equivalent is a welcome addition for sure. Apple recently launched the same program here in the United States just prior to the launch of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in early September, and the process is relatively painless – I myself happily walked out of Apple with a good chunk of my iPhone 5s paid for by the iPhone 4S I was trading in. Apple is also rumored to be launching the program in various other European countries as soon as today, so be sure to keep an eye out for that if you’ve got an old iPhone you’re willing to part with.

Of course, other retailers and services have been offering similar programs for years now, some of which offer notably more for your outdated hardware then Apple’s willing to part with. Not to mention you could always take the eBay or Craigslist route, which will probably net you the most cash, but at the notable expense of convenience and reliability.