In a bid to push sales of iPhones from its stores, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will soon launch a new recycling and trade-in program. In this program, the company will accept rival smartphones, mainly targeting the Android and Blackberry devices, and give gift cards in return. Users would be able to purchase new iPhones using such gift cards. Though this program mainly targets the Android users, it is similar to one the company has been employing to repurchase its iPhones. In the latter case, the exchange value of the iPhones is determined by the Apple Store employees based on the appearance and functional value of the device.
The new program will be officially launched by the company in a few weeks time. Before that, Apple employees would be provided rigorous training so that they can transfer the entire contact data from rival smartphones to iPhones. However, any other data will have to be transferred by the users themselves.
Apple’s original iPhone Reuse and Recycle trade-in program begun in mid-2013, with an intention to encourage people to move from older iPhone versions to the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. The company has been promoting such programs in the past few years to push sales, not only in the U.S. but also in Canada, Europe and Australia.
These programs have also been successful and the company has been able to make phenomenal sales in a few quarters. Encouraged by the success, Apple launched a similar program, with regard to iPad in the last summer.
Here it may be noted that though the above programs have been successful, the company, sometimes, is left behind its competitors in terms of its pricing in terms of exchange offers. For example, the program, offered by Amazon not only includes instant online quotes and free shipping service but it also encompasses various smartphones and electronic devices.
It is expected that Apple will also come at par by incorporating a few adjustments in its procedure along with its partner, BrightStar, in terms of exchange price for iPhones.
