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Report: China iPhone Trade-In Program Coming Soon

As soon as March 31, consumers could bring older iPhones to stores in China for credit toward other products.

By Stephanie Mlot
Updated March 26, 2015
Tim Cook China Mobile iPhone Launch

Apple users in China may soon have added incentive for upgrading their iPhones.

The tech giant is reportedly planning a trade-in program, in partnership with Foxconn Technology Group.

As soon as March 31, consumers could bring older versions of the iPhone to stores in China for credit toward other Apple products, Bloomberg said.

Neither Apple nor Foxconn immediately responded to PCMag's request for comment.

Cupertino launched a similar program in the U.S. more than a year ago, promising varying trade-in prices depending on the state of the exchanged iPhone. Last week, rumors tipped an expansion, which could allow folks to swap Android phones for an Apple Store gift card.

China is one of Apple's fastest-growing markets, and Cupertino recently opened five new retail stores there for a total to 20.

According to Bloomberg, retail staff at Apple's China outlets will assess the device's condition and offer store credit for handsets originally bought in Greater China. Foxconn then buys the phone directly and makes any necessary repairs, before reselling it through sites like eFeihu, FLNet, and Alibaba's Taobao.

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Despite Cupertino's gains in China, it still has some tough competition. According to a recent report, Chinese companies like Lenovo, Huawei, and Xiaomi made up nearly 40 percent of global phone shipments last year, and represented six of the top 10 smartphone brands worldwide.

Samsung and Apple still dominate, together shipping 518 million units last year, compared to 453.4 million by the up-and-coming Chinese brands.

For more, see PCMag's review of the Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, as well as the slideshow above.

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About Stephanie Mlot

Contributor

Stephanie Mlot

B.A. in Journalism & Public Relations with minor in Communications Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)

Reporter at The Frederick News-Post (2008-2012)

Reporter for PCMag and Geek.com (RIP) (2012-present)

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