While a new cheaper iPhone SE and Galaxy A51 have joined top-notch models such as the iPhone 12 and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, the temptation is still strong to pay big bucks for the latest device. Getting a new phone often means you need to ditch the old one, and with a global pandemic squeezing pocketbooks, there's a rising demand to get your money's worth out of a mobile trade-in. That's where the CNET 2020 directory of gadget trade-in providers comes in. We'll look at a few of the best phone trade in options like

So you're going to have to shop around. Below our list of merchants is our basic FAQ of carriers, buyers and online marketplaces for your best phone trade in experience.

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Smartphones: YesTablets: YesLaptops: YesiPods: YesAction cameras: YesWearables: YesOther: Kindles, books, video, more

Not surprisingly for the king of online commerce, pricing for a large number of items, including phones and tablets, as well as books and videos. Because Amazon also has its own marketplace, you can also choose to list pretty much anything and expect to have a chance to sell it through Amazon.

We focused specifically on the offering only. If you're not a regular Amazon customer, you might be disappointed to find that Amazon only pays in Amazon Gift Cards. For those of us who are dedicated Prime users, that's pretty much the same as cash, but you need to decide.

There's long been a rumor that Prime customers get better trade-in prices than non-Prime customers, but when we asked Amazon, we were told that everyone was treated equally. 

In terms of the of the trade-in, Amazon will send you a prepaid shipping label you can print out. Pack the device yourself in your own packaging (like an old Amazon box) and send it back. You should clear your phone of data, but Amazon will also do that for you. Make sure you don't dawdle when shipping your item. The quote time is valid only for seven days, and you should get paid in about 10 business days.

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Gadget Gone





Smartphones: iPhones onlyOther: Contact merchant directly 

If you want to sell your iPhone (and only your iPhone) to a company with a fun tag line, is for you. The site has "Goodbye iPhone. Hello Moola" plastered on the front page, just in case you didn't understand what it does. It claims to take items other than iPhones, but its online estimator only works for iPhones. You have to email to find out what else it's interested in.

The company pays by check and PayPal, but also will pay you using a "printable echeck." While printable checks are a pretty standard practice for some businesses, you probably should ask your bank whether they'll accept a check printed out on your inkjet.

I like the company's "two days to payment" policy, but GadgetGone stumbles on its lack of security practices and price offer guarantees. It also provides no clear method for phone support, and offers almost no background on the company itself on its website. 

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What about Gazelle?

Gazelle has lived on this list for a long time, but after refining our review criteria, we've it. The change comes in light of an increased number of poor customer reviews and recent . We will continue to update this list over time.

FAQ: Carriers, buyers and online marketplaces

When looking for value from your old phone, there are four types of organizations you can work with: retailers, buyers, marketplaces and carriers. The characteristics of each are quite different:

Retailers: These are the brick-and-mortar stores in your neighborhood, ranging from Walmart and Target all the way to the remaining Radio Shack locations. In many cases, you can walk into the retailer, hand over your old Apple, Google or android phone and walk out with a new one, with a healthy discount applied. Many of these retailers won't just give you money for your old phone. They want the deal for your new business and give you a trade-in offer, so keep that in mind. Some also offer online trade-ins.

Carriers: These are the cellular service providers and almost all of them have some sort of mobile phone trade-in program, to encourage you to trade up to the next model and keep their service. Good news: this doesn't necessarily mean that the phone needs to be in working condition.

Buyers: These folks want your phones and will give you money or credit for them. A buyer generally won't force you to buy a new device from them (although expect some deal sweeteners if you go that way). Some of them will send you packaging to send your device back to them. This is the group we look at in this guide because they generally send you real money in return for your device, which means you're free to buy anything you want once you get your green.

Marketplaces: This option includes the classic resell methods like Craigslist and eBay, along with some specialty referral marketplaces like ,  and , which are built around the idea of trading in gadgets. Here, you're often dealing directly with individual buyers (or bulk buyers who are scooping up phones for other markets). Straight talk, though: There is substantially more risk when selling to individuals than companies with known reputations.

Keep those concepts in mind as you look for the best deal for your device. 

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