How to sell your iPhone 4 for enough cash to buy an iPhone 5
For iPhone 4 users, a few online sites may offer you enough money to pay for the iPhone 5, depending on what Apple will be charging for the devices.
In the past, both new and existing customers eligible for upgrades have paid about $200 for the base model of each iteration of the iPhone since the iPhone 3G, as long as they agreed to a new two-year service contract from AT&T;, Sprint or Verizon.
IPhone 4S users typically aren’t eligible for upgrades yet, though they easily could sell their phones at numerous websites for at least $200. But it’s a bit trickier to do with the older 4, which launched in 2010.
Those users might be able to do much better at one of the websites here:
Glyde.com
At Glyde.com you can sell your iPhone 4 for more than $200 in most cases, as long as your phone works and has few scratches, its charger and no engravings.
If you have a black 8-gigabyte iPhone 4 from Sprint, you might not get $200. But every other 8-GB iPhone 4 still has a price of at least $204. The white 8-GB iPhone 4 from AT&T; will garner more than $240.
For the 16-GB iPhone 4, black versions from Verizon or AT&T; return $236. You can get $201 for a white Verizon phone, but the white version of AT&T; falls below $200.
For the 32-GB iPhone 4, you can get $252 for the white AT&T; version, $253 for the black AT&T; version, $217 for the black Verizon version and $294 for the white Verizon version.
But there’s three big downsides to Glyde: Your item is not guaranteed to sell, prices could drop and Glyde takes a cut of the sale -- 12% for the first $100 and 8% after that -- so you may end up with a little less than $200 when it’s all said and done.
[Updated, 7:22 a.m. Aug. 28: There is a speed sale option for Glyde.com that will guarantee your phone sells, but the down side is that the site will offer you less money for your iPhone, which could bring it below $200.]
Amazon.com
If you want something more guaranteed, Trade-In at Amazon may be the site for you.
Amazon will give you $195.50 for an 8-GB iPhone 4 in either color and from any carrier if it’s in good condition, meaning it shows normal wear but has been taken care of. If you think your phone is like new, which Amazon describes as something you could give as a gift, then the retailer will give you $230.
For the 16-GB iPhone 4, Amazon will give you $229.50 for a black model from AT&T; in good condition and $270 for one that’s like new. It will pay $238 for a black model from Verizon that’s good and $280 for one that’s like new. When it comes to the white phones, Amazon raises the payout to $250.75 for phones in good condition from either carrier and $295 for phones that are like new.
For the 32-GB iPhone 4, Amazon will pay out $255 for a good black model from AT&T; and $300 for one that’s like new. It will pay more for a black model from Verizon, giving $263.50 for one in good condition and $310 for one in new condition. And for white phones, the online retailer will pay $272 for phones in good condition and $320 for ones in new condition, regardless of the carrier.
If you are going to use Amazon, your phone needs to meet the condition you’re saying it’s in. The downside is that Amazon will pay you with an Amazon gift card. It’s not exactly money, but Amazon does sell a lot of things.
EBay.com
EBay is always an option when you have something to sell, but the thing about EBay is that it’s like the wild west.
With Glyde and Amazon, there’s order and you get help along the way. On EBay, there are few rules. You set the price at which you want to start your auction, and it’s also up to you to describe the item you are selling and its condition.
With EBay, you get out of it what you put in. There’s more work on the user end, and that makes the difference. You could end up selling a black 16-GB iPhone 4 from AT&T; for $280 like this person, or you might end up getting no bids or less than $200. It’s a high-risk, high-reward kind of market.
Craigslist.com
Another site with less law and order but a higher chance of scoring a higher price is Craigslist. Here, the process can be simpler than on EBay, but it’s still a lot of work on your own and it can be a little scary.
Although you won’t find too many models of the 8-GB iPhone 4 listed above $200, you will find a good bunch of 16-GB models listed above that price.
On Craigslist, though, there’s a culture of negotiating, so although you may get some bites for your phone there’s a good chance the potential buyer will want to offer you less than your asking price. And as with Glyde and eBay, there’s also no guarantee that someone will buy your device.
One upside is that you don’t have to deal with shipping your item. On Craigslist, you’re dealing with locals, so the transaction can often happen very quickly.
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