Recommended reading

Report: Microsoft to Pay iPhone Users to Trade-in Phones

News
By published

Already committed to luring away iPad users from Apple, could Microsoft be eying up iPhone users' phones next?

Microsoft made waves when it started offering iPad users gift cards in exchange for their tablets. Now, it looks like Microsoft is looking to expand that program to include iPhones. That's right, just two weeks after Apple announced the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, Microsoft will apparently launch its own iPhone trade-in program.

Word comes via Forbes, which cites an inside source at Microsoft who says Microsoft will offer a minimum of $200 in-store credit in exchange for iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s. The offer is part of its #timetoswitch program, though customers are, of course, free to spend their gift card on anything at the Microsoft store, which means you could see people upgrade to the new iPhone and trade their old model in for a Microsoft gift card that they'll then spend on something else.

Microsoft hasn't yet confirmed plans for an iPhone trade-in program. If it does, it'll be going up against Apple itself, which launched an iPhone trade-in program in recent weeks, as well as the likes of Best Buy, Gazelle, GameStop, and Walmart, which also offer iPhone trade-in programs.

Apple on Monday announced that it had sold nine million iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C units over the first weekend of availability. Apple first announced the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C on September 10 and released the phones a week and a half later. The company also revealed that iOS 7 is now running on 200 million iOS devices.

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

TOPICS
12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • doogansquest
    Windows 8.1 is already a better mobile OS than iOS on tablets, so this will only further carve out their portion of the market in mobile devices.

    Good move. I'm also glad to see that, after years of allowing those hoodie-wearing, uninformed hippies to slam their products in commercials, that they are finally firing back.
    Reply
  • sean1357
    I feel so bad for Microsoft. They seem to lose the battle with Apple... Why in the world you want to buy back competitor products????
    Reply
  • acadia11
    And as much as BBerry is getting no love, bb10 by far is the best mobile OS. It's a shame really, only thing it lacks is a couple biggie apps that some want, instagram namely.
    Reply
  • Quarkzquarkz
    Well how much will you take my 16GB white iPhone 3GS huh?! I NEED TO KNOW!! Thank you!!!
    Reply
  • Quarkzquarkz
    Well how much will you take my 16GB white iPhone 3GS huh?! I NEED TO KNOW!! Thank you!!!
    Reply
  • FrankInKY
    This is the most cringe-worthy piece I've ever read, I am really embarrassed for Microsoft.
    Reply
  • Narcissistic_Martyr
    Fairly smart move, MS either removes iPhones from circulation or resells them at a profit while getting some customers to switch to a windows OS phone or tablet.
    Reply
  • stevejnb
    11602270 said:
    This is the most cringe-worthy piece I've ever read, I am really embarrassed for Microsoft.

    How so? MS has had some serious hardware blunders resulting from the "late to the game" factor and the "throwing money at it" strategy, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day sometimes... The original XBOX was more or less a sacrificial lamb. They dumped tons of money into it, sold it at a loss, funded companies making games for it, etc etc. The XBOX was itself a failure, but it created mindshare which led to the XBOX 360 being something that was in the public eye so when it came out, people considered it seriously. That's the thing - people taking a product seriously is half the battle.

    The other half is having a quality product. The reality is, Windows Phone is just that.. They're solid devices with a unique style that deliver what you want from a phone and hook up to a lot of good services very well. Not saying this is going to work, but hey, I'll bet they'll end up with at least a few hundred thousand more happy Windows phone users out of it.
    Reply
  • Belardo
    Wow... $200 for a 4s or 5s? Gazelle offers more for such phones.

    Apple and Samsung don't need some beggars trade-in... but if someone wants an Windows Phone and has some dusty 4s... it maybe worth it. Pick up a $100 MSNokia phone and gain $100 to spend at a store that isn't there. :)

    Wait... does that include non-working iPhone4s? Then... it maybe worth it.


    PS: TomITPRO gets NO blog usage because it requires a completely separate log-in system. Hint: not many people want to bother making ANOTHER account.... hence, no posts.
    Reply
  • cknobman
    Too bad Microsoft wont give cash for Android devices. If I could get $300 for my SGS4 I'd trade it in for a WP8 phone.
    Reply