Apple quietly lowered the price of device recycling, but will it have a big impact?

"Apple Trade In Program" is an "old for new" activity launched by Apple. You can trade in eligible devices and enjoy discounts when purchasing new devices. Apple will give the actual discount value based on the condition, configuration and manufacturing year of the device.

Recently, Apple quietly lowered the estimated prices of devices in the "Apple Trade In" program, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, etc. The device with the largest price reduction was the iPhone XS Max, which was reduced from the previous highest price of 5,160 yuan to 3,750 yuan, a drop of nearly 1,500 yuan. Other devices also saw different reductions:

• iPhone XS: 3950 yuan → 3450 yuan
• iPhone XR: 3220 yuan → 2350 yuan
• iPhone X: 2860 yuan → 2300 yuan
• iPad: 1,180 yuan → 1,150 yuan
• MacBook Pro: 8490 yuan → 8250 yuan
• iMac: 5470 yuan → 5250 yuan
• Apple Watch Series 4: 1850 yuan → 1550 yuan

In addition, the "Apple Trade In" program also provides recycling for non-Apple branded devices. The prices of these products have also dropped to a certain extent. For example, the maximum discount estimate for smartphones has been reduced from the original maximum discount of 3,970 yuan to 3,750 yuan, and the maximum discount estimate for tablets has been reduced by 50 yuan, and the new price is 2,150 yuan.

Although recycling and trade-in have long been one of the services provided by Apple, the "Apple Trade In Program" has indeed received more support from Apple this year. You can see promotions about this program on Apple's official website, Apple retail stores, and even billboards, and it has achieved good results.

Cook previously said in an interview with the media that more than one-third of Apple users chose the "Apple Trade In" program when buying a new iPhone: "This year, we have effectively promoted this policy to get consumers to consider trade-in more. Among the people who walk into Apple retail stores, as many as one-third or even more use trade-in, and this number is rising. I think this is a positive sign."

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If we only look at the recycling price, the device valuation given by the "Apple Trade In Exchange Program" is not competitive compared with other electronic equipment recycling platforms on the market. Currently, a domestic recycling platform has offered a maximum recycling price of 6,011 yuan for the iPhone XS Max, which is nearly 1,000 yuan higher than the 5,160 yuan before the "Apple Trade In Exchange Program" price reduction.

So why do so many people choose the "Apple Trade In Program"? The convenience and low threshold behind the service may be more important reasons.

Compared with other recycling platforms, the Apple Trade In program is more convenient when recycling devices. If you are using Apple's official offline retail store, you only need to hand over the device to the store staff, and after a short inspection, you can get an estimate of the device on the spot. On the other hand, on third-party platforms, you may have to send the recycled device to the inspection agency in person, and there is also the risk of the device being swapped.

In addition, the recycling threshold of the "Apple Trade In Exchange Program" is also lower. It not only supports devices sold outside the local region, but also means that if you are holding a non-domestic device or even a "locked" device, you can still enjoy this service.

So here comes the question. After Apple adjusts the recycling price this time, will you still choose the "Apple Trade In" exchange program?