There was a time when upgrading your phone meant forking out more money for something that did the exact same thing but just in a slightly more aesthetically pleasing shape. However, today, an upgrade will not only be free in many cases, but will usually also find you in a position to find yourself a much better tariff and also, with the consistent advances in phone design year on year, with a phone that is much more advanced than your previous one.
So once you’ve chosen the perfect phone, haggled on your tariff, and found yourself in possession of a brand new shiny handset with more options than you will probably even be able to find, never mind use, what happens then?
Well, there’s a chance that you’ll give your old handset to a local shop for a tenner and a bag of peanuts, or simply leave it forgotten at the bottom of a drawer until you can bring it out in a few years time to marvel over just how retro it is.
But, in reality, an upgrade shouldn’t now just make you happy because you get a free phone and a cheaper tariff. It should also be a chance for you to make a good bit of money.
Mobile phone recycling is taking off in a massive way and swapping phones for cash can mean that when your upgrade time comes around, not only do you have a new phone to play with, but you also have a big wad of cash to go out and treat yourself too. And with most phones being free when you upgrade, that means that whatever you make through mobile phone recycling is all profit.
Swapping old phones for cash is also ethical too – it helps the environment and often helps less fortunate people or people in developing countries. So basically you are getting paid to feel pretty good about yourself.