Apple launches iPhone and iPad trade-in program in China Apple Stores

Apple today officially launched a version of its Apple Store iPhone trade-in program for China, as noted on the individual store pages for China’s Apple Retail Stores.

As is the case in the United States and several other countries with Apple Stores, the program allows a user to bring in an older iPhone model and trade in that device for gift card credit toward the purchase of a new iPhone; the program will most likely not allow a customer to trade in an iPhone toward the purchase of an Apple Watch. But as contrasted with the U.S., France, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Italy, the new China program is limited to iPhones and iPads, and will not support non-Apple smartphones.

While Apple is partnered with BrightStar in many countries to recycle traded-in iPhones, Apple will sell the phones returned in China to Foxconn, which will in turn repair and flip the phones on secondary markets. In the United States, iPhone customers have numerous trade-in options, including Amazon’s ship-free, instant-quote trade-in system, and Gazelle’s aggressive cell phone trade-in program.