Apple values a trade-in toward the iPhone 18 Pro at $175 to $885 for an iPhone 13 or later, while the carrier offers on the same Apple Store page advertise up to $1,200. Both figures are real, and they are not measuring the same thing: Apple takes your phone and cuts the price at checkout, while AT&T and T-Mobile pay their larger number back as bill credits spread over 36 months.
Our trade-in guide for iPhone 16 Pro and 15 Pro owners covers what individual phones fetch. This piece explains why the two published ceilings differ by $315 and what each one asks of you.
Key facts
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Apple Trade In range, iPhone 13 or later | $175 to $885 |
| Apple’s overall iPhone trade-in headline | $35 to $885 |
| Carrier credit advertised on Apple’s Store page | Up to $1,200 |
| Carrier eligibility Apple cites | iPhone 14 or later |
| How carrier credit is paid | Monthly bill credits over 36 months |
| Device that reaches Apple’s $885 ceiling | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
| Device that sits at the $175 floor | iPhone 13 |
Where the $175 to $885 range comes from
The endpoints are not arbitrary. Apple’s trade-in estimates put the iPhone 17 Pro Max at $885, the top of the range, and the iPhone 13 at $175, the bottom, which is exactly the span Apple’s newsroom quotes for an iPhone 13 or later. Every other eligible model falls between them.
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
| Trade-in device | Apple’s estimated value, up to |
|---|---|
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | $885 |
| iPhone 17 Pro | $785 |
| iPhone 17 | $585 |
| iPhone Air | $585 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | $610 |
| iPhone 16 Pro | $510 |
| iPhone 16 | $430 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | $455 |
| iPhone 15 Pro | $370 |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | $360 |
| iPhone 14 Pro | $285 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max | $320 |
| iPhone 13 | $175 |
Apple’s trade-in page carries a wider headline of $35 to $885, because it also accepts iPhones older than the 13. Those older models simply do not qualify for the $175 floor Apple quotes in the iPhone 18 Pro release. Each figure is an upper bound: Apple calls them estimated values and says the credit depends on condition and configuration.
What the carriers’ up to $1,200 actually is
Apple’s own Store page carries the carrier wording. AT&T offers “up to $1200 for an eligible trade-in in any condition” and T-Mobile offers “Save up to $1200 for an eligible trade-in in any condition.” In both cases the page states that the money arrives as monthly bill credits applied over 36 months, with an eligible smartphone trade-in on a qualifying plan, and that the amount varies by plan tier and by customer type: existing customer, added line or new line.
Apple’s newsroom release puts it in one line: carrier trade-in deals provide up to $1,200 credit. Verizon’s wording appears on neither Apple’s page nor a Verizon release we could read, so treat its offer as unknown rather than absent.
Apple credit and carrier credit, side by side
| Question | Apple Trade In | Carrier promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Published ceiling | $885 | Up to $1,200 |
| Published floor | $175 for an iPhone 13 or later | Not published |
| Oldest device accepted | Any iPhone, from $35 | iPhone 14 or later, per Apple’s wording |
| Condition matters | Yes, value depends on condition and configuration | AT&T and T-Mobile say any condition |
| When you get the money | Off the price at checkout | Bill credits over 36 months |
| Strings attached | None published beyond condition | Qualifying plan, and the amount varies by plan tier and customer type |
| Works with an unlocked phone | Yes | Requires a carrier line |
Set against a $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro, the top Apple credit brings the price down to $314 on the day, by our arithmetic. The full $1,200 carrier credit is worth more on paper, but it arrives at roughly $33 a month for three years, and only for as long as the line and plan qualify.
Which one to take, and what to check first
If you are buying unlocked, or on Apple’s $49.95 monthly plan, Apple Trade In is the only route of the two and the credit is immediate. If you are already on AT&T or T-Mobile and plan to stay for three years, the carrier route can be worth several hundred dollars more, and it accepts phones in any condition, which matters if your screen is cracked.
- Which plan tier the full credit requires, and whether your current plan qualifies.
- Whether you are treated as an existing customer, an added line or a new line, because Apple’s page says the amount differs.
- What happens to the remaining credits if you leave the carrier or change plan before 36 months.
- Whether your device is an iPhone 14 or later, the eligibility Apple cites for the carrier deals.
What Apple has not said
- Apple does not publish per-model values in the served content of its trade-in page; the figures above come from Apple’s own estimator.
- Apple does not explain how carriers reach $1,200, or which plans unlock the full amount.
- Apple has not published Verizon’s launch offer, and Verizon has not published one we could verify.
- Apple has not stated trade-in values toward iPhone Duo, Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 or AirPods 5.
- Apple has not said whether the $175 to $885 range applies outside the US.
Pre-orders for iPhone 18 Pro open on Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT and the phone ships on Friday, September 18, so any trade-in has to be locked in during checkout. If you are still choosing a model first, our iPhone 18 Pro against iPhone 18 Pro Max guide and the full launch coverage have every price and date Apple confirmed.
