You did it. You finally got rid of that old clunker. It was the “phone you hate.” And now, after suffering through the ordeal of waiting until the magic day the upgrade kicked in, paying for the new device, and questioning that deceptive $30 transfer fee, you have a wonderful new smartphone. Indeed, you are smart. But what about that old phone?
As much as you want to smash the phone with a sledge hammer, don’t. Unless the phone is totally trashed, like the old HTC Thunderbolt I just upgraded (see Figure 1), positive possibilities portend for the device’s future life.
Figure 1. My HTC Thunderbolt, sitting atop the book I wrote based on that device. The phone was dropped and the screen horribly cracked (which you can see in the image; click to enlarge). Yet the gizmo continued to work for a year-and-a-half. I recently upgraded this device to an HTC One phone.And, no, I didn’t trade-in this device.
My first choice for dealing with an old phone is to trade it in. Verizon has a phone recycling program. You can check out your old phone’s value and see whether it’s worth recycling:
Generally speaking, the older your phone, the less you’ll get for it. I just received $97 for trading in my Galaxy Note One phone, but I received only $20 for my original Droid, several years ago.
After working through the Q&A on the web page, Verizon sends you a receipt. Eventually you’ll get a prepaid padded envelope in the mail. Toss in your phone and mail it. Verizon gets back to you after they receive your phone to ensure that it matches your description, and that it still works and has no screen cracks or defects. If it’s all good, you get a gift card, which you can apply to your next phone bill or just go wild-crazy spending at the Verizon Store.
Verizon accepts phones from other providers, although you might want to check with AT&T, T-Mobile, etc. to see whether they offer a similar trade-in program.
A second choice is to donate your phone to a charity. Lots of charities collect old devices and then recycle them as a fundraiser. My boys’ school did that a while back. I handed them a box of old phones, including my original cell phone, the Motorola Micro-Tac from the mid 1990s.
A third choice is to keep the phone and use it as a wireless non-phone gizmo, like a tiny tablet. You can still connect the phone to Wi-Fi, access email, store music, videos, and play games. Switch the phone over to Airplane mode to ensure that it doesn’t accidentally try to re-connect to the mobile network. You’re good.
I would try your cellular provider’s trade-in program before going to one of those “we pay for old phone” websites. If such a site offers you more money, then go for it. Otherwise, meh.
Above all, don’t toss the old phone into the trash! The phone’s battery is toxic and shouldn’t be thrown away. Deal with it appropriately according to the hazardous materials rules for your area.
Also — and this is very important — ensure that you wipe all the data from your phone before you turn it in: Remove the MicroSD card and use it in the new phone, or just copy all the information to your computer. Then Factory Wipe the phone. Directions for factory-wiping are found in my book, Android Phones For Dummies.
