Apple is said to soon allow users to trade in iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units that have broken screens, buttons and cameras for the newer models of the smartphone.
The Reuse and Recycle iPhone trade-in program of the Apple Store currently allows customers to trade in older iPhones for credit that can be put towards the acquisition of newer iPhone models. The program, however, does not accept iPhones with broken screens, buttons and cameras to be traded in.
According to a report by Apple news website 9to5Mac, that policy is about to change, with Apple this week launching an updated trade-in program that will have Apple Stores giving credit to customers that trade in damaged iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones.
Apple thinks that the update to the program will encourage customers to upgrade their iPhones instead of having repairs made on their damaged models. This is because, in certain cases, purchasing a new iPhone will turn out to be less expensive than having repairs done to fix damages such as broken screens, due to the combination of financing plans and subsidies.
As such, the updated program will be beneficial to both Apple and customers, as Apple will be able to sell more units of the newer models of the iPhone while customers will be able to save money in upgrading their iPhones instead of being forced to pay up for repairs.
According to sources, the values currently carried by older iPhones for trade-in are $50 for the iPhone 5s, $200 for the iPhone 6 and $250 for the iPhone 6 Plus.
In addition to the updated trade-in program, Apple is launching another iPhone retail initiative that will allow customers to have screen protectors installed on their iPhones in Apple Stores.
Over the coming weeks, Apple Stores will begin to offer official installations of plastic screen protectors on iPhones. The program, which has started to roll out in select Apple Stores, will see Apple teaming up with at least one maker of screen protectors such as Belkin to provide stores with screen protector installation devices.
Before this program was launched, Apple Stores were instructed not to perform installations of screen protectors on iPhones as there is a chance of the process not being done smoothly.
