Trade in iPhone 4S for $53 or unlock for travel?
February 26, 2015 12:03 PM Subscribe
I just got a new iPhone and am left with an old Verizon iPhone 4S with no contract that I can either trade in for ~$50 or use as a travel phone. What's my best option?
I travel at least two or three times a year out of the US (primarily to Europe, Canada, and Asia) and would be able to get some benefit out of having a phone that I could just buy a SIM card for in the new country and use there.
My current phone isn't unlocked, however. I understand that I'd either need to get it unlocked or jailbreak it (neither of which I have done). So that's a factor in my decision as well.
So with the move to LTE on the horizon, what do you think my best bet would be?
I travel at least two or three times a year out of the US (primarily to Europe, Canada, and Asia) and would be able to get some benefit out of having a phone that I could just buy a SIM card for in the new country and use there.
My current phone isn't unlocked, however. I understand that I'd either need to get it unlocked or jailbreak it (neither of which I have done). So that's a factor in my decision as well.
So with the move to LTE on the horizon, what do you think my best bet would be?
1) Call your provider and get it unlocked
2) Sell on Swappa.
I recommend Swappa merely because they seem to make sellers jump through a bit more of a hoop to prove that it's their phone, not stolen and provide photos of any and all dings and bumps. I've purchased and I've sold on the site, no worries at all.
posted by John Kennedy Toole Box at 12:30 PM on February 26, 2015
2) Sell on Swappa.
I recommend Swappa merely because they seem to make sellers jump through a bit more of a hoop to prove that it's their phone, not stolen and provide photos of any and all dings and bumps. I've purchased and I've sold on the site, no worries at all.
posted by John Kennedy Toole Box at 12:30 PM on February 26, 2015
Response by poster: Hal_c_on: I looked on eBay once again and for my phone am seeing no recent completed sales over ~$130, and those are for pretty perfect phones. Am I missing something?
posted by yellowcandy at 1:00 PM on February 26, 2015
posted by yellowcandy at 1:00 PM on February 26, 2015
FYI, if you have a new iPhone from Verizon they'll unlock it for travel use and you can use it on a staggering number of foreign carriers
posted by Oktober at 1:26 PM on February 26, 2015
posted by Oktober at 1:26 PM on February 26, 2015
Is your new phone Verizon as well? Because all LTE Verizon phones are sold unlocked, even if they don't tell you that. My partner is using a Verizon iPhone on at&t right now, and I've done similar things many times.
As for the 4s, yea, it's worth about $120.
Jailbreaking has nothing to do with unlocking and hasn't for years.
If your current service is no longer Verizon, I'd just sell the 4s and unlock your new phone(if it isn't alesady, as I said). If it is, having a spare phone that works with your service is really nice and I'd keep it for that reason alone.
posted by emptythought at 1:41 PM on February 26, 2015
As for the 4s, yea, it's worth about $120.
Jailbreaking has nothing to do with unlocking and hasn't for years.
If your current service is no longer Verizon, I'd just sell the 4s and unlock your new phone(if it isn't alesady, as I said). If it is, having a spare phone that works with your service is really nice and I'd keep it for that reason alone.
posted by emptythought at 1:41 PM on February 26, 2015
It's good to keep an older phone around while you have a phone on contract, in case your phone is lost or damaged beyond repair.
posted by Joleta at 8:54 PM on February 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Joleta at 8:54 PM on February 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by inturnaround at 12:13 PM on February 26, 2015