If you’re a longtime iPhone user, you’re probably familiar with Apple’s trade-in program. Where giving Apple your old phone earns you a discount on a new one. Apple might say it’s being “recycled” or “given a second life,” but they never explain what that actually means. Like where your phone goes, or if someone’s making money off it. Apple’s trade‑in program looks like a simple discount, but behind the scenes it’s a big, global business. There are companies you’ve probably never heard of likely taking apart your old phone, reselling it, and feeding it into a second‑hand market that Apple almost never talks about. So let's take a peak inside Apple’s secretive trade-in business and find out how it really works.
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Pls bring back the iconic music
The GOAT is back yo
Most people think “trade-in” means recycling, but it’s really a massive refurbished phone pipeline. Honestly, that makes way more sense economically.
I never trade in my iPhones with Apple. I always get a higher price elsewhere.
He’s still on his evil arc
Very interesting video from the pov of an employee at Apple
WE NEED THE OLD MUSIC AND ANIMATIONS BACK PLEASE
You should never trade in an older phone. They are extremely handy to have if you damage your phone and need a spare while you wait for yours to be repaired or replaced.
If it’s worth $500 and they offering you $300 no hassle… take the $300. Selling online as an individual is a pain.
Mythical refresh pull
Former employee here: Sales Specialists check for serial number and IMEI on the trade-in iPhones using a work iPhone, not iPad, during the point of sale. They then use a tool that assesses the iPhone’s physical condition and the internal functionality via software. If everything passes, the customer gets full value trade in applied during their purchase. If there are failures detected, the trade-in value will significantly be reduced to a fraction or $0 (which will then recommend a recycle). Trade-in’s can also be done post purchase, which not many people know about.
Have traded in MacBooks, iPhones, and watches over the years. Apple makes it convenient and I have never had a problem doing it.
I'd never use trade in process till iPhone 17 since i always gave my old phone to my mom. But i gotta admit, it was just a smooth process that ill probably use again. The icing on the cake is, after i traded the phone in, a month later they emailed be saying my phone was in better condition than they originally assessed and gave me a $100 gift card to the store. Blew me away, They didnt have to do that. I was happy with my original purchase. 10/10
Have done this a couple times, iPhone 11 iPhone SE third generation and then iPhone SE third generation to iPhone 16+
WE OUT HERE RN BOI!!!!
While Apple should be held to account for the bad things they do, part of the reason I watch this channel in the first place is because I do prefer them at the end of the day. I'm glad you're moving past your villain arc :) a mix of positive and negative videos is good!
Employees don’t care about the storage at the Apple Store btw. It’s about the condition of the device, as well as if the device has any kind of unauthorized repairs or the device is under MDM (Mobile Device Management)
Thanks for not being AI slop! (How awful that we’re at point where that is worthy of note.)
Can you do "how John Ternus became Apple's CEO"?
the editor made a small mistake at 6:20 trying to hide the price haha