How to Save Money When You Upgrade Your Smartphone

There are constantly new smartphones coming out. Every year the biggest smartphone manufacturers release new flagship phones full of great new features. If you’re not careful you could end up spending a ton of money trying to keep up with the latest tech trends. If you’re looking to upgrade your smartphone without breaking the bank, you need to have a plan on how to save money.

There are a number of strategies you can use to try to keep your costs down while you’re trying to keep up with the latest tech. If you follow these tips you should save money and stay cutting edge all at the same time!

How to Save Money When You Upgrade Your Smartphone

Consider Switching Carriers

Smartphones are a very competitive business. Carriers are always vying to lure customers of their competitors away with a number of cost-cutting tactics. Use their rivalry to your advantage! The last thing you need to do is pay full-price for anything. Pit carriers against one another when you look for the best deal on a new smartphone. If your current carrier has a worse deal on the newest smartphone than a competitor, make sure they know about it.

If you threaten your cell phone carrier with the prospect of switching to get a better deal, they pay attention. Often you can even get discounts on your bill or a credit to your account as an incentive to stay with your current company. Don’t be afraid to play hardball with your carrier, and if they won’t help you save, cut them loose. You have no obligation to spend more money just because you’ve been using them for longer.

Check Retailers

Often, big-box stores like Sam’s Club, Walmart and Target offer deals on new smartphones. These could range from gift card promotions to savings on buying two phones at once. Either way, keeping your eyes peeled for deals in unlikely stores often pays when you’re trying to upgrade your smartphone for cheap.

When it comes to smartphone shopping, you’re not stuck with just your wireless carrier for finding new phones. Between big-box retailers, online shopping and upstart phone companies, there are always ways to save. For instance, many tech-heads find it’s much cheaper to buy unlocked smartphones from the manufacturer and then get cell service added to them, rather than buying straight from the carrier.

It’s important to remember that you have the power as the customer: your carrier only exists to serve you. Don’t let them fool you into thinking otherwise!

Trade-Ins

Most phone retailers will allow you to trade your current phone back in for a credit to your next upgrade. Depending on the carrier you could even find yourself paying nothing up front to pick up a brand-new phone when you trade-in. The biggest factor to keep in mind is the age and condition of your current phone. If you have a seven-year-old phone with tons of cracks and scratches it’s unlikely you’ll fetch much (if any) trade-in credit.

However, if your phone is newer and of a well-known brand like Apple or Samsung you could find yourself saving a ton of money when you trade-in. Remember, not all carriers offer good trade values. Make sure you do research on your current phone and know what a fair trade-in price for the phone is. If the retailer won’t offer you a decent trade-in credit, simply opt for selling it yourself, or even switching carriers. Know your phone’s worth!

Sell Your Old Phone

This requires a bit more research and work in your part but it could be a great way to recoup some of the cost of your new phone. If you’ve got the time and patience to list and sell your old phone yourself you might get a lot more for it. Even selling your old phone for a few hundred dollars less than its MSRP could result in some bargain-hunter buying it off of you.

This, in turn, frees you up to make sure you get what your phone is worth. The cold, hard cash you get selling the phone yourself allows you to turn the savings into money for groceries or other bills, too. Whether you choose to sell to a private individual or a retailer is your call, though you often get more when you sell it to a private individual.

Just remember, before you sell someone your old phone you need to factory reset it. You don’t want some stranger having your contacts and pictures! Make sure you also take the old SIM card out of it if you haven’t already.