As of April 2020 the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were discontinued from the Apple range: their bezels and clunky home button waved goodbye in favour of the more fashionable iPhone 11 series. If you’re now ready to sell your iPhone 8, you can give it one last hurrah by selling it to an online recycling service. Many of them offer a significant cash injection for an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus in good condition.
True, it’s possible to sell them through Gumtree, or an auction site like eBay, where you can set your own asking price. The downside, however, is that there’s no guarantee of selling and they’re oversubscribed with listings. If you’re an Amazon aficionado, you can convert your iPhone into Amazon vouchers, but unfortunately not into pound sterling so how do you easily sell a phone?
If you want an efficient and stress-free option with payment guaranteed, phone recycling services are ideal. These companies are willing to pay good money for your old devices, although quotes can vary significantly. This depends on a combination of factors like the phone’s condition, its make and model, its storage capacity, and so on. Once you’ve accepted a quote, post the device to the company – often free of charge – and wait a few days for the credit to hit your bank account.
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were usurped as Apple’s entry-level option by the iPhone SE 2020 earlier this year, but despite their antiquated design – the smaller screen, no Face ID, the bezels – they still garner a respectable wad of cash. You could claw back about £200 of the iPhone 8’s £700 launch price, while the iPhone 8 Plus – boasting a telephoto lens that even the SE 2020 lacks – fetches closer to £300 on resale.
Read on as we detail how to sell your iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus; where online offers the best deals; the amount you might expect for a new, working, or broken model; and what steps to take before posting your device.
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Where can I sell my iPhone 8?
Of course, this isn't the only available website. There are popular options like Music Magpie but with these you're not able to compare prices to other companies so you won't know if it is the best price out there.
Many retailers offer trade-in options as well. Samsung and Apple for instance will allow you to cut down the cost of a new device by giving them your old handset.
How much can I sell my iPhone 8 for?
The price you’re offered for an iPhone 8 depends on various factors. Go to the SellMyMobile search toolbar and enter the make and model of the phone you’re selling. You’ll initially be presented with quotes for “unlocked” phones in “working” condition.
Update the options on the left to match the item you’re selling: “New” phones are still in their packing; “broken” suggests anything other than basic wear and tear. Changing the phone carrier and internal storage amount will also revise the quotes you receive.
Below are some examples of how much swag you could bag when you sell an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus. Prices correct when writing:
iPhone 8 64GB:
New: £232.00
Working: £178.10
Broken: £134.10
iPhone 8 128GB:
New: £220.00
Working: £187.00
Broken: £116.61
iPhone 8 256GB:
New: £258.00
Working: £210.00
Broken: £155.00
iPhone 8 Plus 64GB:
New: £293.00
Working: £250.00
Broken: £170.15
iPhone 8 Plus 128GB:
New: £291.00
Working: £260.00
Broken: £145.02
iPhone 8 Plus 256GB:
New: £315.00
Working: £285.00
Broken: £200.77
The prices stated above are not static and will fluctuate over time. It’s also worth considering that an ‘unlocked’ phone – one that isn’t tied in to a specific carrier – will yield more cash than one linked to 02, Vodaphone, or EE for example.
How does selling your iPhone 8 work?
It’s a piece of cake to transform your unwanted handset into dough through SellMyMobile. Just follow the simple steps below to recycle your phone and get rewarded for it.
Step 1: Find your device and pick a quote
Visit the SellMyMobile website. In their search toolbar, enter the make/model of your phone and click select. You’ll automatically be provided with a list of quotes for a “working” model that’s “unlocked”, i.e. not tied to a network. You’ll likely need to tweak the options on the left-hand side to reflect your particular iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus – e.g., internal storage amount, phone carrier. Then pick a quote that makes you happy, click on “Next Step” and enter your contact details.
Step 2: Pack it up and send it back
This might be a little different depending on the recycler you choose, but most will either send you a freepost envelope to return your phone in, or provide a freepost label for you to stick on your own packaging. There may be some forms to complete, so make sure to complete and include them when posting your handset.
Step 3: Collect your reward
Now for the fun part. Once the recycler has received your device, and verified it matches the information you submitted, you get paid. Kerching! And often within a day. The most common methods of payment are via bank transfer or PayPal.
However, if there’s a discrepancy between the information you provided and the condition of the device received – you listed it as working but it has a cracked screen, for example – then the company will offer a revised quotation. If you’re happy to accept it then its business as usual. But if you’ve changed you mind, they’ll return your phone to you.
What to do before I sell my iPhone 8?
Check out the competition
SellMyMobile provides a good financial incentive to recycle your iPhone. But if you’ve got your heart set on the latest device from your favoured carrier, or a retailer like Carphone Warehouse, it might be worth getting in touch with them instead. If you’re thinking about purchasing a high-end smartphone like the iPhone 11 Pro Max – the most expensive Apple phone at over £1000 – trading in your iPhone 8 first might help you justify that extravagance.
Examine your device for damage
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that 15% of iPhone users have a phone with a cracked screen. If that’s you then all is not lost: you can still sell your phone, but you’ll get a reduced price for it. By extension, “broken” also includes chips, dents, missing buttons, etc., as well as a deterioration in functionality, like problems booting up. Different providers are willing to accept different levels of damage, so check with them first if your phone’s a bit battered, and so avoid any contentious delays regarding pay-out.
Reset your phone
To avoid accidentally passing your personal data to a stranger, you should reset your phone to factory settings before sending it on to a recycler or trading it in. Perform a backup first though if you plan on transferring your files and contacts to a new device. After this, you can safely erase the phone’s contents through the iPhone’s settings app.
Can I sell my iPhone 8 if it’s locked to a network?
The amount offered for a locked phone is less than an unlocked one, and this amount changes dependent on the specific carrier it’s linked with (Three, 02, Vodaphone). But you can still exchange it for a very healthy price. When you receive the packaging for your iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, just tick the box confirming that your phone is tied to a network.
If you’ve got the time, Unlocking your phone is relatively easy will earn you some additional dosh. Request this with your network and they should unlock your device within a few days. The next step will either involve inserting a new SIM card, or alternatively, backing up your device, erasing your phone’s settings, and restoring it using the recent backup.
Ready to make some cash from that old iPhone 7? Head to the SellMyMobile website and get the best price now
Can I sell my iPhone X if its locked to a network?
You can, although the amount offered for a locked phone is lower and varies based on the carrier its linked to. When you receive the packaging for your iPhone X, just tick the box stating that your phone is locked to a network.
Unlocking your phone will ensure a higher price for your handset, and it’s not too difficult to organise this. First of all, you need to request this with your carrier, which might take a few days to action. Subsequently, you’ll need to insert a new SIM card; or, if you don’t have one, backup your device, erase your phone’s settings, and restore it using the backup.
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