Why You Can Trust CNET Galaxy Note 8: Here are the best trade-in options
Ready to get rid of your old phone and upgrade to the shiny newness that is the Note 8? Here's what you need to know.
Samsung on Wednesday announced the Galaxy Note 8. It's a shiny, feature-packed phone that's sure to make its fans happy. And it just might tempt others to abandon their current phones in favor of Samsung's latest wares. But before you take the expensive plunge, you should shop around to find the best trade-in value of your current phone.
Former Note 7 owners
If you live in the US and owned a Note 7, Samsung is offering up to $425 off the Note 8 through Samsung.com when you trade-in your current device.
Wireless carriers, retail stores
Most major carriers offer some sort of trade-in program, with larger incentives for those switching from one carrier to another.
Your best bet is to check with your carrier for any current promotions and compare those to dedicated trade-in sites. From what I've seen in the past, carriers are typically on the low end of the trade-in scale unless there's a promotion.
Don't forget that retail stores like GameStop, Best Buy and Target also have trade-in programs. Heck, even Apple will accept trade-ins of any phone, not just iPhones.
Trade-in sites
There's no shortage of trade-in websites out there, each one claiming to give you the best deal possible and fastest payment. While most of the sites you'll find on Google search are probably legit, it's a good idea to do some research before shipping off your phone to a random company with the hope you'll receive a check in a few days.
Staples such as Amazon and Gazelle will garner most of the attention, but Flipsy helps you cut down on the amount of time you spend scouring the web for a good deal.
Visit Flipsy.com, find the model of phone you want to trade in, and search. Flipsy will put together a list of offers from various trade-in sites across the web. If nothing else, it's a good way to gauge the going rate for your phone.
Best practices before shipping
Before you hand over your old device, there are a few things you'll need to do. Start by backing up all of your photos and videos. If you're unsure how to do that, install Google Photos and let it work its magic. It's free and unlimited. With that done, here are a few more things you should check:
- Remove any microSD cards and your SIM card.
- Log out of any and all accounts signed you're signed into.
- That includes your Google account if you're trading in an Android device. Open Settings > Accounts and tap on Google followed by the account(s) you need to remove. Use the menu button in the top-right corner to sign out.
- iPhone users will need to disable Find My iPhone (Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone), then sign out of your iCloud account.
- With your accounts removed, factory reset the phone to clear all of your personal info.