Why Carriers Are Desperate to Buy Your Old Phone

April 15, 2023

If you’ve ever gone to buy a new smartphone, you know that carriers often buy your old model to give you a discount on your new device. And even if you’ve never experienced that, you’ve surely seen commercials from carriers offering trade-in deals for your aging phone. But why do they do that? What could carriers possibly want with your used-up device? In our top story, Andrew breaks down the motivations behind the device buybacks and lets you know if you should part with your old phone with a discount or hang on to it.

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— Danny

Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve probably seen the outrageous trade-in deals offered by carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. These deals show up in TV advertisements, automated emails and text messages, and even on billboards. But why are carriers so desperate to buy your old phone? Read More »

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