I'm trying to check whether my current-generation iPhone Air can eventually be traded in, even though I know the newest models usually aren't accepted until a newer generation is released. When I enter the phone's serial number, Apple says it isn't eligible for trade-in. I bought the phone from a third-party seller, so I'm wondering whether that affects trade-in eligibility or whether the message simply appears because the model is too new. AppleCare recognizes the device, and I'm using the serial number from this phone. Is there another way to confirm that Apple can identify the device, or should I just wait until the model becomes eligible?
2 Answers
The newest iPhone models generally won’t appear as eligible in Apple’s trade-in system until a later generation is released. That message doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with your serial number.
Buying it from another retailer usually doesn’t prevent trade-in, as long as the device is genuine, not financed or reported lost, and meets Apple’s condition requirements. Since AppleCare recognizes the serial number, Apple’s systems can likely identify the phone; the trade-in database may simply not support that model yet.
I’m using the serial number shown on the phone itself, so I’ll probably check again once the next iPhone generation is available.
That makes sense. I mainly wanted to make sure the phone wasn’t permanently excluded because it came from a third-party seller.