Microsoft Will Buy Your Old Tablets and Smartphones
Last week, it was iPads, now it’s the broad spectrum of smartphones and tablets that Microsoft will accept in trade toward a new Windows Phone handset or Surface.
This week, Microsoft retooled its iPad trade-in offer into a fully fledged buyback program. Managed with the help of Clover Wireless, a private-label consumer electronics trade-in and repair-services outfit, the program now offers up to $350 in credit toward a Microsoft device for used smartphones and tablets from a wide range of manufacturers — Asus to ZTE. There appear to be no restrictions on eligibility, and Microsoft said participants can trade in multiple devices if they so choose.
For Microsoft, which has been struggling to manage Surface inventory and drive adoption of Windows Phone handsets, this new program seems a no-brainer. Historically, trade-in offers have been a good way to drive new device sales from consumers looking to get a little something back from an older device they’ve grown tired of.