With the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus set for launch, we look at where to sell your old handsets.
This week saw Apple announce the launch of two new iPhone handsets, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus.
The new phones have larger screens as well as a new horizontal viewing mode and all sorts of other exciting bits and bobs.
If you’re planning to get one, you won't be surprised to learn that they aren’t cheap. Prices for the iPhone 6 start at £529 and jump up to £699 depending on how much memory you need. With the iPhone 6 Plus, prices will range from £619 to £789.
They don’t arrive on our shores until 19th September, so if you need to raise a bit of cash in the meantime, a good option is selling your old handset.
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Where should I sell it?
There are seemingly countless mobile phone recycling websites out there promising you guaranteed cash for your old handset. Thankfully there is also a comparison site, sellmymobile.com, which breaks down just how much you can earn for your handset from the top recycling sites.
Let’s take a look at the ten most recycled phones according to sellmymobile.com, and the prices you can expect. These prices are the cash prices, though some sites offer a better return if you trade in for vouchers rather than cash.
|
Phone |
Highest trade-in price |
Lowest trade-in price |
|
Apple iPhone 5 16GB |
£180.01 (Envirofone) |
£60 (BuyMyFone) |
|
Apple iPhone 4S 16GB |
£115.03 (Envirofone) |
£25 (BuyMyFone) |
|
Apple iPhone 4 16GB |
£85.07 (Envirofone) |
£21 (TopDollarMobile) |
|
Samsung Galaxy S3 16GB |
£89 (iGadgets Recycled) |
£30 (BuyMyFone) |
|
Apple iPhone 4 8GB |
£65.10 (Envirofone) |
£19 (TopDollarMobile) |
|
Apple iPhone 5S 16GB |
£270.02 (Envirofone) |
£100 (BuyMyFone) |
|
Samsung Galaxy S2 |
£53 (Mobile Cash Mate) |
£13 (BuyMyFone) |
|
Samsung Galaxy S4 |
£160.10 (Fonehub) |
£60 (BuyMyFone) |
|
Apple iPhone 5 32GB |
£181 (iPhone Recycling) |
£60 (BuyMyFone) |
|
Apple iPhone 5S 32GB |
£281 (iPhoneRecycling) |
£110 (BuyMyFone) |
Use the code SIX4SIX at Envirofone for an extra 6% when selling at the moment
As you can see, there's a huge difference between the top and bottom prices, which is why it's so important to shop around.
Will I get those prices?
One thing to bear in mind is that mobile phone recycling sites are well known for offering lower prices once they receive the phone, even if the phone is in perfect working order. If you’re not happy, ask for the phone to be returned to you.
For more, read How to avoid being conned when recycling old mobile phones.
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What about eBay?
Auction sites like eBay are also an option, though there is the risk that you won’t actually manage to sell the handset.
The prices you can command may beat the recycling sites. At the time of writing, an Apple iPhone 5 16GB has reached £183 (up £3 on the best recycling offer) with 25 bids, while a Samsung Galaxy S4 has hit £175 (up £15 on the best recycling offer) with 10 bids.
Of course, you also need to take selling fees and postage into account when using an auction site.
For more, read How to sell successfully on eBay.
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