People love technology and they love their smartphones possibly the most. There are more than 3 billion people with smartphones around the planet. That number has risen from 1 billion eight years ago and is expected to reach around 3.8 billion by the end of 2021.
The problem with technology is that it is always changing and to keep up with exciting developments you need to upgrade your devices. Many people have multiple devices including smartphones, tablets, and laptops and it is expensive to change these frequently.
Some smartphones may be tied into contracts and are unable to be upgraded for a set time limit. Others may be factory unlocked and contract-free but this means to buy a new phone you will have to stump up the cash yourself. This can be problematic so you will need to think of some ways to find the extra funds to get that shiny new iPhone.
Why get an iPhone?
For numerous users, the iPhone is still seen as the most solid smartphone out there on the market. It would appear that a lot of people concur with this sentiment. By 2017 there were over 700 million iPhones in the world with China being the biggest user.
They are faster than Android phones, don’t contain any bloatware and their apps often get released on iOS before Android with Fortnite being a prime example.
The iPhone came out in 2007 and the smartphone, in general, has evolved beyond recognition since that time. Now we have phones with folding screens so one can only imagine how smartphones will evolve over the next 10 years.
The problem is buying a smartphone from the top brands such as Samsung and Apple means finding a substantial sum of money so if you need an extra source of income read below for some creative ways to finance that new iPhone.
Drive for a food delivery company in your spare time
If you are looking for a temporary solution to raising more funds than working for a company like UberEats might suit you as you can set your own hours and schedule. Work for as long as you need to get that new iPhone. Ironically, you will need a smartphone to be able to deliver and take orders.
Sell your used technology
Another way to raise money is to rid yourself of unwanted electronics at home. You can do this in a variety of ways. Obviously, if you are feeling charitable you could recycle your used electronics but as you want to make money you will have to consider selling them instead. There are an assortment of ways you can do this and you could consider the following options:
- Garage or yard sale
- eBay or other online auction site
- Amazon sellers
- Sell to an online buyer or recycler
These are all feasible options but may have different results regarding sales success and financial rewards.
Garage sales
Usually used to aid with spring cleaning, a garage sale is a good way to get rid of unwanted items from your home. The only problem is that you may not get the prices you want but it costs nothing but time to try.
eBay sales
You can sell your used tech on eBay at a set price or at an auction. The advantage of this is there are millions of users that could potentially see your items and bid. The negatives include the cost to list the items, no guarantee of a sale, and worse, having to sell your item for a low amount. For buyers, eBay offers a chance to grab a bargain, something an auction seller won’t enjoy so much when their beloved X-Box sells for peanuts.
Amazon
Again, like eBay, you could list your old electronics as a seller on Amazon. The difficulty here is that you are competing against thousands of other similar items. If you are selling something genuinely interesting and rare like a handheld PC Engine GT then you should put it on eBay for the best price.
Online buyers and recyclers
These companies specialize in buying old phones and other electronics online. They may take broken, damaged, locked, or working phones and pay you the appropriate amount. The phones are then either refurbished, recycled, or sold on. Regardless of whatever happens to the phone afterward, you will receive payment swiftly and in some cases instantly. There should be no problems selling a used smartphone and iPhones are so popular there are even fake ones but some avenues may be more profitable than others.
These are four ways you could move on unwanted tech and phones but the only one that guarantees a sale is through an online buyer.
Is it safe to sell online and how does it work?
There are now many reputable companies operating around the world purchasing used electronics and smartphones. If you have any concerns about a company then Google reviews can always help and look for other testimonials on the site that include Trustpilot.
Some of these companies will pick up your phone at your door and pay you cash and others will require you to post the phone to them. This depends on the region and size of the company. Most probably you will have to send the smartphone to the company and the postage is normally free.
First, go online and visit the company’s website and then select the product you wish to sell. You will have to answer some questions about the condition of your phone and then you will be given a quote. If you go ahead then you need to send the phone to the company and in return, you will receive payment.
What are the benefits of selling this way?
If you want to speed up the sale of your phone or indeed another tech then this is the quickest guaranteed way to do it. If you sell your used iPhone to Buyback Boss for instance you would have paid in your PayPal account or in the form of a check-in around a week.
Should I fix my smartphone first?
If your phone has a cracked screen for instance then it may be worth changing it. Try seeing how much the buyer will give you for a damaged screen and for one that is perfect and compare this to how much it costs to fix.
Do they buy other electronics?
Yes, many of these companies also buy other consumer electronics such as tablets, cameras, gaming devices, and even Star Wars toys. Apple have been innovators since the iMac and now are supposedly developing VR and AR headgear so one day you may find yourself selling this but for now, they want your iPods, iPhones, and iPads.
Summary
You could try driving, doing a garage sale, running a carwash, or even opening a GoFundMe campaign but the simplest way would seem to be using a company that specializes in buying used smartphones.
According to The World Counts around 40 million tons of electronics gets thrown out every year and that includes a staggering 150 million phones from Americans alone so the benefit of selling your tech on isn’t just financial, you are helping the environment too.
Also, If you were only looking for a recycling option and didn’t need the money then lots of these companies have a charitable scheme too where your money will go to a good cause.