Trade-in vs selling: Which is the better option for your old phone?

Retail trade-in programs at Apple, Samsung, Best Buy, GameStop, and CeX provide convenience but return lower values, often only store credit or a discount. An iPhone 17 in good condition trades for $585 versus an $899 retail price. Selling on eBay or Facebook Marketplace requires photos, accurate descriptions, and inquiry monitoring but can yield higher cash, especially for functional phones rejected by trade-in stores. Before selling or trading, back up data, factory-reset the device, and log out of all accounts.