Seven ways to get more for your trade-in
Trade-in Team·9 August 2026 6 min read
Most trade-in quotes are reduced at inspection for avoidable reasons. These are the seven that account for the majority of the deductions we issue.
Before you request a quote
Charge the device and check its battery health in settings — declaring it accurately protects your quote from being revised down.
Clean the housing and camera glass. Grease and dust read as scratches in an inspection photo.
Find the original accessories. A boxed device with its charger and cable is worth more than a bare one in most categories.
Declare faults honestly
A declared cracked screen reduces the quote by a fixed, published amount. An undeclared one triggers a re-quote, which is almost always worse and delays your payout.
Timing and unlocking
Carrier-locked devices are worth roughly 10% less. Unlocking is usually free once your contract is complete.
Trade in before a new generation launches. Prices for the outgoing model typically drop 8–15% in the four weeks after a launch event.