AT&T; begins Galaxy S 4 pre-orders; where to trade in Galaxy S III

With the Galaxy S 4 set to hit stores this month, Galaxy S III users may want to think about selling or trading in their old device.

AT&T; made the GS4 available for pre-order Tuesday morning. It is now selling the device in black or white with 16-gigabytes of storage for $200 with a two-year contract. The device is set to ship to customers on April 30.

For now, AT&T; is the only major carrier taking pre-orders for the GS4, but its three main rivals will also carry the phone. Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have all said they will sell the phone, though no date has been announced.

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In the meantime, though, Galaxy S III owners may want to start thinking about upgrading and perhaps trading in their phones since the widely popular device may still have some value. Here are some of the best places to get the most from your trade-in.

Best Buy

The electronics retailer is offering in-store credit for the popular Samsung device. But, as with most places, the size of the credit credit will depend on the condition of the phone and the carrier it works with. If the phone has no water damage, no nicks and has all its parts, it’s considered to be in “perfect condition.” If there’s some sign of usage, it’s in “good condition.” Best Buy will also accept phones in “poor condition,” defined as having dents, battery power problems or some faulty part, though the credit will be much smaller.

AT&T; customers can get as much as $262.50 if they have the red GS3 and it’s in perfect condition or $250 if there are some nicks. Verizon users can get as much as $236.25 for their device or about $10 less if there’s some wear and tear. T-Mobile users can get as much as $262.50 for their device, or $250 if there’s some noticeable signs of usage. The big winners, though are Sprint users, who can get as much as $341.25 for a blue GS3 in perfect condition, and if there are some nicks, users can still get $325 for their device.

To trade in, phone owners can go to Best Buy locations or go online.

Glyde.com

If you want to get the best deal for your phone, Glyde.com generally offers the most for the Galaxy S III. Glyde lets users put their phones up for sale on its website, where others can purchase them. The only issue is that there’s no guarantee someone will purchase your phone. Glyde simply acts as a go-between . Users can choose a “speedsale” option to ensure someone buys their device, but that will earn them less money. If someone buys your device, Glyde will send you a package and a pre-paid label you can use to mail your GS4.

AT&T; users with a red 16 GB GS3 will be able to get as much as $295.68 for their phone if it’s in perfect condition and has all of its accessories. If there’s some scratches, they’ll get $274.52. A 32 GB GS3 from Sprint can go for as much as $316.84, or $294.76 if there are some scratches. A 32 GB blue T-Mobile GS3 can sell for as much as $337.08 if it’s in perfect condition. If there are a few scratches it goes down to $314.08. But the biggest winner at Glyde is the 32 GB blue Verizon GS3. That version of the phone can sell for $350.88 in perfect condition or $308.56 if it has a few scratches.

Gazelle.com

If you just want to stay at home and mail in your device a month from now, Gazelle.com gives users quotes and guarantees them they’ll get paid, unlike Glyde.com. All users have to do is request a quote now, and then they’ll receive a box so they can send in their device. They have 30 days to ship it to still get their quoted price. Depending on the condition of your device, you may get more or less than you were originally quoted, but if there is a price change, Gazelle.com will check with you first to make sure you still want to give them your phone.

For an AT&T; Galaxy S III regardless of model, Gazelle will give users $215 for flawless phones or $190 if it’s simply in good condition. The company will pay Sprint users $170 for flawless models and $150 for good models. T-Mobile users can get up to $226 for perfect condition phones or $200 if they’re in good condition. And Verizon users get $200 for perfect condition GS3s or $177 if they are good condition.

Nextworth.com

Nextworth.com operates very similarly to Gazell.com, but it does differentiate between models. That means that if you have a unique color and more storage, you may get more money back. Nextworth will send users a shipping label, and then they have 21 days to mail their phone back in their own box. The company will evaluate the phone upon receiving it, and if you described your phone accurately, you’ll probably get the quoted price. If Nextworth decides to offer more or less money, it will check with the user first and will mail the device back if a price can’t be agreed upon.

For an AT&T; GS3, users will get up to $200 for phones in great condition. If there is a crack on the case, it’ll offer $160. T-Mobile users can get as much as $230 for 32 GB version of the phone in great condition or $184 if there’s some case damage. Sprint users can get up to $114 for their GS3 phones if they are in great condition or $91.20 if there is some damage. Most great-condition Verizon GS3 phones will go for $139, but if you have a gray model, you can get $222 if it’s in great condition.

GameStop

If you’re a gamer, trading in at GameStop can get you plenty of in-store credit in exchange for a GS3. The video game retailer will also pay cash for phones, but the in-store credit will be worth more. Also, if users trade in their GS3 before April 28, they’ll receive an extra $50 in in-store credit if the value of their device is $125 or more. To trade in with GameStop, first get a quote from their website, then print it out and take it to a store near you.

If you have a 32 GB AT&T; GS3, GameStop will give you as much as $251 if it’s in “like new” condition, meaning if has all its parts and has been well taken care of. If it is in great condition, meaning there are signs of normal wear and tear, you’ll get $209. For 32 GB T-Mobile models, GameStop will give $227 for perfect condition or $204 for good condition. Sprint users should look elsewhere, they’ll only get $179 for a “like new” 16 or 32 GB version of the GS3. If it’s just “good,” they’ll get $161. Meanwhile, Verizon users can get $251 for great versions of their 32 GB phone, or $209 if their device is just in good condition.

Those are the prices now, but they’ll keep falling day by day as we get closer to the launch of the Galaxy S 4. As Gazelle.com’s Chief Gadget Officer Anthony Scarsella says, “the best time to trade in is today.”

“Once the S4 becomes available we expect many S3 owners will be looking to sell their old phones,” Scarsella said. “Prices tend drop when a new model launches, so lock in your offer now.”

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