Do you feel that your iPhone is nearing the end of its usable life? Have the processes slowed down or do it not hold a charge as well as it used to? Maybe there’s isn’t anything necessarily wrong with the device. You just feel like it’s time to get a newer version because of the exciting features of the latest models. Whatever the case might be, there are several different routes that you can take when you’re talking about iPhone replacement. We’ll go over some of those right now, so you can decide whether it is a viable option for you.
iPhone Replacement Through Your Carrier
One of the ways that you can get your iPhone replaced is through your carrier. Depending on your preference and the part of the country in which you live, you might have Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, or something else. Regardless of your service provider, though, you might have gotten your current iPhone as part of the deal when you signed up with them. You may have obtained the phone for free as part of signing a long-term contract, or maybe you got it at a discount.
Depending on the details of your contract, though, it might be possible for you to get a replacement iPhone through your carrier for free or at less than what it would cost if you were buying it from Apple on your own. Your contract might stipulate that you can get a replacement iPhone every time a new generation comes out, which is approximately every two years.
If that wasn’t part of the deal that you signed with your carrier, then you may still be able to talk to them about getting a newer iPhone version than what you have. Reach out to your carrier and see what they have to say. Remember that what they want more than anything else is customer loyalty and retention. If it means keeping you as their customer for the foreseeable future, you might be able to strike a deal for a newer iPhone than what you currently have.
iPhone Replacement Through Apple
You can also go through Apple to get a replacement iPhone if you want a newer one. In that scenario, you’ll have to take part in a buyback program. You can go to their website for details, but essentially, you’ll be sending in your current iPhone, and in exchange, you’ll get one from the current generation as a replacement.
However, since the worth of your current iPhone is not going to be the same as that of the new replacement one, you’ll also probably have to give over some money as well. The amount is going to depend on what condition the iPhone is in that you’re giving in trade, as well as how old it is. You must also factor in which version of the newer iPhone you want. The brand-new ones with all of the latest features will naturally cost more.
Replacement of a Damaged iPhone
There are also going to be cases where you need to get a new iPhone because the one that you have is no longer usable. It might be because of either hardware or software problems.
If your iPhone is having difficulty because of software issues, then it’s likely that there will be a way to fix it. You can figure out how to do it yourself, or you can get help from Apple Support, either over the phone, online or in person. If the problem is due to hardware, then maybe there will be a fix for your device, or perhaps there won’t. It all depends on how severe the damage is.
Getting a Damaged iPhone Replaced through Apple
Let’s say that you have an iPhone that has been damaged, and it is either still under the factory warranty, or else you got the AppleCare extended warranty plan. You can take your inoperable phone to an Apple Store with a Genius Bar, and there, they can determine whether your current one can be fixed, or whether you need to get a replacement for it.
In most cases, you should have no problems getting a replacement, as long as you didn’t try to open up the phone and fix it yourself, or anything else that could potentially void the warranty. You should always read through the warranty for your iPhone carefully, and that’s also true if you went with the AppleCare plan.
The occasions where you’re going to have to get a replacement iPhone through Apple are probably going to be when something pretty dramatic happened to the device. Maybe it got smashed when it was in your luggage during a trip. Perhaps it was completely immersed in water, or maybe it was stolen, and the conventional ways of recovering it aren’t working.
If any of that is the case, then Apple should be able to furnish you with a new phone. Mitigating circumstances will come into play when you’re trying to figure out whether Apple is going to hand over a new phone to you for free, or whether you’re going to have to pay for the replacement.
Replacing a Damaged iPhone By Other Means
If you no longer have the factory warranty on your iPhone, and you never got an AppleCare plan, then if your phone is damaged to the point that it cannot be repaired, you are likely going to have to pay for the replacement yourself.
There are some different ways that you can do that. You can buy the phone for full-price and then look for a carrier. Alternatively, you could contact a carrier first and see if they’re willing to cut you a deal. Some of them will give you a free phone or a discounted one if you sign a contract to stay with them for a designated length of time.
As for your old phone that’s no longer usable, you can sell it through various channels. You might see what you can get for it through eBay or Craigslist. You could sell it to a GameStop, or you could drop it off at an Eco ATM. Check the Eco ATM website to see if any stores near you have one.
You can get store credit for it at some Walmart or Best Buy locations. There’s always pawn shops, though you’re not likely to get very much for it that way. You can also go through a buyback program like BuyBack Boss. We’re the best option if you want to go that route since we match offers from all of our competitors.
What you ought to remember, though, is that if your iPhone is damaged to the point that it is no longer usable, then you’re basically selling it for parts. You are probably not going to get very much for it, or at least nothing like what you would get if it can be made operable again.
Ultimately, when you’re looking at iPhone replacement, what you choose to do is going to depend on several factors. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. You’ll have to consider your carrier situation, whether the phone you have is still usable, how much money you have to spend, and whether your device is still under warranty before deciding how you want to proceed.
