Apple to Lure Android Users to iPhone With New Trade-In Program

Apple plans to lure Android switchers to the iPhone by offering them Apple gift cards in exchange for their Android devices, reports 9to5Mac. The gift cards will be available under a new recycling and trade-in program that will provide in-store credit for users who trade in old smartphones, including those that come from rival smartphone manufacturers.

The new program will work similarly to Apple's existing trade-in program, which provides users with gift cards for older Apple devices that can be used towards a new purchase. Value of the gift cards provided to Android switchers will vary based on the individual device, its age, and its condition.

appletradeinprogram
Apple has been making efforts in recent months to attract users switching from Android devices. In addition to this new trade-in program, the company has also created a detailed guide that walks Android users through moving data from their Android devices to the iPhone.

Following the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the devices had brought the highest Android switcher rate Apple had seen in three years. At the time, Cook also said he expects to see more customers switching over to iPhone.

Apple retail employees will begin receiving training on the new trade-in program this week and it will launch in the near future.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...

Top Rated Comments

bbeagle Avatar
140 months ago
Didn't Microsoft do this a couple of years ago?
No - Microsoft has never given Apple Gift cards in exchange for Android phones. ;)
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nepalisherpa Avatar
140 months ago
I can hear the Imperial Death March for Android.... Android is definitely on it's last legs.


Thank you for that joke....my Monday just got better!
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
danakin Avatar
140 months ago
As much as I'd like to see Android disappear forever, its not quite on its last legs yet. Samsung however...
Just one question.

What's the benefit, to you as an Apple user/fan or to the millions of mobile consumers worldwide, if a prominent ecosystem or platform disappears forever (your words)?

Sounds like an emotional and frankly irrational statement that doesn't serve to progress the industry as a whole. Allegiances aside, continued evolution and improvement benefits most from feverish, unrelenting competition to best competitors.

Bring on improvements from everyone, we'll all be happy they did!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocky jeremy Avatar
140 months ago
Then where will Apple get all of their good ideas? :(

I think you got that backwards.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spectrumfox Avatar
140 months ago
I think you got that backwards.
Mmm nope, pretty sure I got that right the first time.

Most of Apple's highly touted features made their debut on Android and Samsung devices first. We iOS users owe quite a lot to Google and Samsung.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spectrumfox Avatar
140 months ago
I can hear the Imperial Death March for Android.... Android is definitely on it's last legs.
As much as I'd like to see Android disappear forever, its not quite on its last legs yet. Samsung however...
Then where will Apple get all of their good ideas? :(
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)