Apple Boosts Holiday Trade-In Values For iPads And Apple Watches

Apple really wants you to upgrade your mobile tech this holiday season. The company has upped the trade-in value for its older devices to entice customers to trade up for its newer products. Specifically, its iPads and Apple Watches now award more money when traded in.

An iPad Pro can be traded in for a $580 credit that can be put towards a new device, up from its previous $510 value. The iPad Air previously awarded customers $315 in trade-in credit, but can now be traded in for up to $325. Additionally, an iPad can be traded for up to $260 — almost $100 more than its previous $170 trade-in cap. However, to hit that $260 trade-in value, you will need to have a recent iPad. For older iterations, you can be awarded as little as $45 in comparison.

There are two trade-in value boosts for Apple Watches as well. The Apple Watch Ultra now awards up to $425 in trade-in credit, a jump from the previous $380. An Apple Watch Series 8 now provides up to $160 in credit, an increase of five dollars.

There are two ways to get in on these updated trade-in values: The first is to head into an Apple store and present your device to an employee, who will give you the value of it on the spot. You can also complete the process online.

To get started, go to the trade-in page on the Apple website and follow the instructions, which will have you input your device's information to get an estimate. If you accept the trade-in, you will get an email with instructions on how to package and send your device by mail to Apple.

Not all devices will net you the maximum trade-in value, as model year and device condition can impact it. So, if your device is malfunctioning or dinged up, you will likely get less value upon trade-in. If the device is damaged beyond repair, Apple will recycle it for you. Upon the trade-in, you can choose to put it toward a purchase immediately, or get an Apple gift card for use at a later date.

If you want to get in on this deal, but you need an Apple device lying around, Apple also accepts Android devices for trade-in — some of which also increased their trade-in value for the holiday season. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G went from $325 to $340, and the Google Pixel 6 Pro went from $125 to $140.