Apple announced today its latest tablets the iPad Air (the fifth generation of its full-sized slate) and the iPad mini with Retina display. The iPad Air is incredibly thin and lightweight, while the new iPad mini boasts an impressive 2048 x 1536 Retina display. Coming in November, the $499 iPad Air and $399 iPad mini with Retina display might make you consider trading in your existing iPad for some cash toward a new Apple slate. Apple also lowered the price of the first iPad mini to just $299, so be sure to trade yours in before the prices drop. With all the different programs available, it can be difficult to decide where to trade in your device.
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Stores like GameStop offer significantly more value in store credit, so if you intend to purchase something from a particular retailer, it might be better to bring your device to them. But if you prefer holding onto some cold hard cash, places like Amazon or Gazelle offer enough cash to cover almost half the cost of a new tablet.
Overall, NextWorth offered the most cash for your gadget, compared to Amazon, GameStop and Gazelle. Tablets with 4G/3G capability are often priced differently based on carrier. Sprint users frequently got poorer offers, while AT&T models often fetched a few dollars more than others. If you're a Sprint user, you might want to avoid Gazelle and GameStop, since they offer the same price for Sprint 4G and Wi-Fi-only iPads. NextWorth and Amazon both offer more money for Sprint models than Wi-Fi only units.
For a 16GB Apple tablet in good condition (no dead spots on screen, minimal wear on case), here's what you can get at the major outlets with trade-in programs. A higher-storage model will fetch more money. Remember to include a charger if you still have one, as that can often get you a better price.
iPad Mini Trade-In Value
Wi-Fi only
4G + Wi-Fi
- Amazon—$204.65 (AT&T); $203.25 (Verizon, Sprint);
- GameStop - $171, $217 store credit (AT&T); $161, $204 store credit (Verizon); $120, $152 store credit (Sprint);
- Gazelle —$195 (AT&T); $175 (Verizon); $170 (Sprint)
- NextWorth - $205 (AT&T); $215 (Verizon, Sprint)
iPad 4 Trade-In Value
Wi-Fi only
4G + Wi-Fi
- Amazon—$291.55 (AT&T); $264.50 (Verizon, Sprint);
- GameStop - $266.80, $336 store credit (AT&T); $242, $305 store credit (Verizon); $220, $277.50 store credit (Sprint);
- Gazelle —$260 (AT&T); $250 (Verizon); $245 (Sprint)
- NextWorth - $295 (AT&T); $280 (Verizon, Sprint)
iPad 3 Trade-In Value
Wi-Fi only
3G/4G + Wi-Fi
- Amazon—$203.75 (AT&T); $202.75 (Verizon);
- GameStop - $211, $264 store credit (AT&T); $180, $226 store credit (Verizon)
- Gazelle —$205 (AT&T); $200 (Verizon)
- NextWorth - $215 (AT&T); $200 (Verizon)
iPad 2 Trade-In Value
Wi-Fi only
3G + Wi-Fi
- Amazon—$189.75 (AT&T); $180.25 (Verizon);
- GameStop - $167, $209 store credit (AT&T); $175.80, $220 store credit (Verizon)
- Gazelle —$175 (AT&T); $170 (Verizon)
- NextWorth - $175 (AT&T); $130 (Verizon)
iPad 1 Trade-In Value
Wi-Fi only
3G (AT&T) + Wi-Fi
If you have the first generation iPad, the best deal would be to trade it in via Amazon.com, where you can still fetch more than $100 for your now-primitive slate. Otherwise, NextWorth typically offers more money for newer slates.