Is Apple paying $1,000 for old iPhone 13 Pro Max units as part of a trade-in deal? If so, why would Apple do this? A rumor started on TikTok thanks to a video made by a subscriber to the short form video app who goes by the username of motiv8_tray. This video claims that Apple is paying $1,000 for any iPhone 13 Pro Max and is desperately looking for this model to buy back.
Apple reportedly is seeking out all of the iPhone 13 Pro Max units it could buy in a trade-in for this reason
In the video, motiv8_tray says that the iPhone 13 Pro Max must be the greatest iPhone of all time because of an ad he saw on television. He claimed that the ad said that Apple would pay $1,000 to anyone trading in the Phone 13 Pro Max and that the Phone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 Pro Max were not mentioned. This has turned into a rumor that Apple is seeking to buy back the top-of-the-line 2021 iPhone because the company knows that it is the greatest iPhone of all time and wants it out of the hands of consumers, so it doesn't interfere with sales of the new iPhone 17 line.
This would be quite interesting if it were true. But it isn't. What Apple marketing head Greg Joswiak said during the unveiling of the iPhone 17 series back on September 9th was that customers could get as much as $1,100 off with the trade in of "an iPhone 13 Pro or newer" toward the purchase of an iPhone 17. He said the exact same thing in the past about the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro. In reality, Apple will give iPhone 17 buyers up to $320 in credit if they trade-in an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
How to get the best value for your iPhone
Just because Apple will give you up to $320 in a trade-in deal doesn't mean that Joswiak lied. Apple's carrier partners have deals allowing you to trade in an iPhone 13 Pro or later and get up to $1,100 toward an iPhone 17 series model. Here are the trade-in deals for an iPhone 13 Pro:
Verizon: Up to $1,100 off an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max on an eligible unlimited plan such as the Unlimited Ultimate plan.
T-Mobile: Up to $1,100 off any iPhone 17 model for customers on premium plans like Go5G Next and Experience Beyond.
AT&T: Up to $1,100 off an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max. You will need to sign up for an eligible unlimited plan.
No, Apple's not desperately seeking to get iPhone 13 Pro Max units out of the hands of consumers
It's all fake news although it is based on legitimate iPhone trade-in offers that were misunderstood by some people including the guy on TikTok who used the app's platform to broadcast what he thought was a hot rumor about Apple and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. We did give the latter a 7.2 score out of a possible 10 in our review, raving about the battery life, which was, at the time, the best available on an iPhone.
Would you trade in your iPhone 13 Pro Max toward a new iPhone 17 series model?
Yes. If can get $1,100 for my old phone.
75%
No. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is special.
25%
If you were to use our ratings as a way to determine which iPhone model is better, we just gave the iPhone 17 Pro Max an 8 out of 10. With these scores in mind, is the iPhone 13 Pro Max the best iPhone of all time? Hardly. Would Apple worry about sales of the iPhone 17 line due to the iPhone 13 Pro Max? Again, hardly. And this is why you need to take the news that you see on TikTok with a grain of salt.
On the other hand, if you do have the iPhone 13 Pro Max in your hand, you might want to take advantage of the carrier-offered deals, especially if you want an iPhone that runs Apple
Intelligence.
"Iconic Phones" is coming this Fall!
Good news everyone! Over the past year we've been working on an exciting passion project of ours and we're thrilled to announce it will be ready to release in just a few short months.
"Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips" is a must-have coffee table book for every tech-head that will bring you on a journey to relive the greatest technological revolution of the 21st century. For more details, simply follow the link below!
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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