Apple has opened up its iPhone trade-in scheme to UK shoppers, giving traders money for their old Apple handsets with up to £175 towards the purchase of a new iPhone.

iPhones brought into Apple stores across the country are inspected by an employee while the owner is asked questions about the condition of the smartphone to determine its value.

“In addition to helping support the environment, customers will be able to receive a credit for their returned phone that they can use toward the purchase of a new iPhone,” said an Apple spokesperson.

The prospective buyer is then made an offer for their old iPhone based on its condition, including hardware or water damage, the value of which can be exclusively used to discount the purchase of a new iPhone.

Other trade-in services exist, including offerings from Carphone Warehouse, Asda and trade-in site Mazuma Mobile, which allow people to recycle their iPhones for more money than Apple is currently offering.

Mazuma currently offers up to £240 for an iPhone 5 trade in and £160 cash for a 16GB iPhone 4s.

Apple’s ‘Reuse and Recycle’ trade-in and recycling scheme also covers desktop and laptop computers from other manufacturers, although tablet and smartphone trade-ins are limited to Apple devices.

Samuel Gibbs the Guardian

This article first appeared at the Guardian

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Telecommunications company O2 is also driving its sustainability strategy – read ‘O2 charging its way to sustainability’ here

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