After a strong 2015, particularly in terms of iPhone sales, Apple is looking to boost uptake of its prized handset by offering incentives to smartphone owners trading in their Android, Windows Phone, and general non-Apple-running devices. According to a report, Apple Store credit will be offered in exchange for the old devices of prospective iPhone owners, in a concerted push to increase the market share of the smartphone.
The gift cards, which offer store credit as opposed to App Store bucks, will be given to switchers as money off their purchase of an iPhone. It’s a tactic that we’ve seen used on a number of occasions in the past by rivals, notably Microsoft, and will operate as an extension to the current iPhone Reuse and Recycle system whereby users can trade their old iPhone in for a newer model at a discounted rate.
It’s the first time Apple has accepted handsets of other manufacturers, and would seemingly pose a tempting prospect for anybody considering the acquisition of a new iPhone. None of this is confirmed as yet, although 9to5Mac cites sources familiar in its report on the matter, and apparently, the new system should come into play over the next few weeks.
While a switch from any rival is a win for Apple, there’s little question that the Cupertino company is gunning for Google’s Android platform, which enjoys the lion’s portion of market share. The fact that the iPhone is at a premium price bracket has much to do with this – Android devices cover every price point under the sun – but if a user can walk on into an Apple Retail Store and use their Droid as a part-exchange, it’ll surely help Apple on its quest to world domination.
Apple Store employees will be trained in the near future, allowing them to easily transfer contacts over to the new iPhone at the point of sale, although any other data will need to be managed by the customer.
How much Apple Store credit is given will depend on a myriad of factors, notably the cosmetic condition and general standard of the handset, and while it’s never going to yield the kind of saving that one might get from selling the device privately and making up the difference, it is, like the iPhone Reuse and Recycle program, still a convenient option.
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