It’s a good time to buy a new smartphone because Apple, Samsung and Google are all running some form of promotion right now.
Apple launched its iPhone 16 with competitive trade-in prices last week. Samsung then followed with a huge sale for most of its phones, tablets and laptops. Now, Google has launched a new sale to mark its 26th birthday.
The company typically launches a promotion on the September 27th to mark its birthday as a company. The difference this year is that its latest flagship devices have landed earlier than normal. That means the Pixel 9 range has been included in the sale with enhanced trade-in prices that match its pre-order deals last month, topping out at $720.
As expected, Google is offering some high prices for old Pixel phones. This is the only place you will get these figures for a Google device because both Apple and Samsung won’t pay much for the Pixel 8 series.
Trade in prices when buying the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold
- Pixel 8 Pro – $699
- Pixel 7 Pro – $540
- Pixel 6 Pro – $450
- iPhone 15 Pro Max – $720
- iPhone 14 Pro Max – $635
- iPhone 13 Pro Max – $440
- Galaxy S24 Ultra – $650
- Galaxy S23 Ultra – $480
- Galaxy S22 Ultra – $360
It is perhaps not a surprise that Google is offering the top $720 value for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, not even paying that much for its own devices. As Apple likes to boast, and data clearly shows, iPhones maintain their value more than any other smartphone. But if you own a Pixel 6 Pro, this is an excellent deal because you won’t get anything close to $450 on the secondary market.
The Pixel Watch also has improved trade-in prices, while sales of the Pixel Buds 2 come with a $30 store credit. If you’re a subscriber to Google One, you can get 10% cashback (as a store credit) on anything bought on its store. Google is also throwing in a branded “birthday keychain” with all purchases while stocks last.
This offer ends September 20th, but it’s worth pointing out that Google has discounted its flagship hardware several times this year, with the Pixel 8 subject to a significant price cut for almost every month since it launched. Now is probably the most expensive time to buy a Pixel 9. If you can fend off the FOMO and wait for a month or two, Google will almost certainly slash prices and launch more trade-in deals during Black Friday and thereafter.
