What you can do with your old device after buying a new smartphone

The number of electronic devices that we carry with us is constantly increasing. While laptops found their way into our lives a few decades ago, mobile phones, smartphones, tablets and smartwatches followed suit. Most of us are unlikely to use our devices until the end of their life, so what do we do with our old smartphone as soon as a new one is unpacked?

There are now several possible answers. Nevertheless, your chances of success depend not only on the condition, but also on the brand of your device. Anyone who has a TLC, Asus, Huawi or Xiaomi smartphone will have less chance of success than the owner of an Apple, Google or Samsung device. Here we give you an overview of what you can do with your old device.

The first option is not the sale or the garbage can. For some people, there are a lot of memories on their smartphones. So why sell the device when you can put it in a drawer with your collection? But that is only mentioned in passing.

Should the smartphone change hands, then the eBay online platform is ideal for any model. Here you can advertise your device and, depending on your luck, sell it for a more or less good price. If you want to achieve a minimum price, you can enter this in the settings; eBay also allows you to set a starting price. In the end, you pay a 10 percent commission and the buyer looks forward to a new device.

In addition to selling to a stranger, it can also be exchanged at many retailers. Media Markt and Saturn, for example, have long offered to have the device evaluated in specially purchased machines. If the price fits you, the smartphone stays with the dealer and you can buy a new one with the profit made. During the coronavirus pandemic, however, this will not be an alternative in many places.

Manufacturers have now also recognized that they can retain new and existing customers through trade-in programs. For example, Apple allows you to have the device rated when you buy a new iPhone and then takes it in as part of payment. Samsung also offers such a system. The effort is minimal, but you usually get less than if you advertise on eBay.

If all of this is too stressful for you, you can donate your old smartphone to various organizations. These devices are then usually either resold or passed on to people in need. There are now numerous organizations that would love to accept such a donation. You can find them using the search engine of your choice.

The methods mentioned above represent the most frequently chosen methods and all offer their advantages and disadvantages. My personal recommendation when selling an iPhone, for example, is the following: Go to Apple, have the price for a trade-in calculated (e.g. 500 euros), then advertise the smartphone for 11 percent more (because of the commission) on eBay (555 euros) and wait for bids. If eBay doesn’t work, the trade-in program is probably the better choice.