Own a Samsung phone and want to upgrade to the Galaxy S9? Here’s what to do.
We’re just a few short days away from the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S9, and although we’re expecting it to look a lot like the Galaxy S8, there’s still a lot to be excited about. Based on what we know so far, the Galaxy S9 will have even slimmer bezels, Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 processor, an upgraded rear-facing camera with a variable aperture, and more. When it comes to iterative upgrades, this is one worth getting excited about.
If you’re currently the owner of a Galaxy S8, S7, or another Samsung phone and want to make your upgrade process to the S9 as seamless as possible, you may not know where to turn. Thankfully, by following a few easy tips, you can ensure you get the most out of your current device and score the best deal possible on the Galaxy S9.
Without further ado, let’s get down to business.
Sell your current phone
Before buying the Galaxy S9, we recommend selling your current phone to help mitigate the cost of Samsung’s latest and greatest. Selling phones used to be something of a nightmare a few years ago, but there’s now an abundance of services at the ready to help you get the most cash for your device while also minimizing the chance for any headaches.
Selling phones online is fairly easy once you get the hang of it, but if you’re new to this sort of thing, there are a few important steps you’ll want to be aware of — such as factory resetting it, putting everything back in the box it came in, etc. For more information on this, check out the first part of our guide below.
More: Selling your Android phone: Everything you need to know
With that said, if you’re comfortable with selling things online and want to know which services are in your best interest to use, we recommend the following.
eBay
eBay is one of the biggest names when it comes to buying things online, and while you can purchase items direct from big-name companies, you can also list your own items for people to browse and buy. eBay is often bad-mouthed for having high seller fees, but the fact of the matter is that this is where you’ll get the most possible eyes on what you’re selling.
Listing an item is fairly easy. Simply click on the “Sell” tab, type in the name of what you’re selling, and then fill out all of the required information. Be honest when listing your device’s condition, mention any included accessories/insurance your phone comes with, and upload plenty of photos so potential buyers have a clear picture of what they’re getting into.
How much will you get for your phone on eBay? The amount you can ask largely depends on the condition your phone is in, if it comes with any accessories or insurance, and how much internal storage it has. With that said, these are the average selling prices at the moment:
- Galaxy S8 – Between $350 and $450
- Galaxy S7 – Between $150 and $220
- Galaxy S6 – Between $100 and $150
Tl;dr – Use eBay if you want access to the largest pool of buyers and the most control over how your sale is run.
Learn more at eBay
Swappa
Swappa isn’t nearly as popular as eBay, but if you’re okay with pitching your offer to a smaller audience and potentially waiting a while longer before making a sale, it offers one of the best online selling experiences around.
This is the site I personally turn to when I have a phone that needs to be sold, and one of the reasons Swappa is so great is that you don’t have to deal with any seller fees. Buyers pay the sales fee as it’s included in the listing price of your phone, meaning all you have to pay for is shipping. Also, while Swappa has since expanded as a marketplace for smart home gadgets, video games, and more, it started out as a place for people with Android phones to sell that didn’t want to bother with eBay.
Becuase of the lack of seller fees, you’ll typically make more profit when selling on Swappa. There are still plenty of variables you’ll need to take into consideration to determine just how much you’ll get for your old Galaxy phone, but with that said, this is what Galaxy phones are fetching right now:
- Galaxy S8 – Around $480
- Galaxy S7 – Around $250
- Galaxy S6 – Around $200
Tl;dr – Use Swappa if you’re okay waiting a while for your phone to sell and want to make as much profit as possible.
Learn more at Swappa
Gazelle
If you don’t want to do deal with the hassle of listing your phone and waiting potentially weeks for someone to buy it, we recommend checking out Gazelle. You won’t make as much money selling your phone on Gazelle as you would with eBay or Swappa, but for folks that are impatient and just want to get some cash in their pocket ASAP, it’s hard to beat.
After selecting the phone you have, what carrier it’s on, and the condition it’s in, Gazelle will ship you a box to place the phone it, you ship it back, and once Gazelle receives it and confirms that everything is in order, you’ll receive your payment in the form of a check, PayPal transfer, or Amazon gift card. It really is the easiest way to sell a Galaxy phone online, and you can expect to get the following rates for your current phone:
- Galaxy S8 w/ 64GB: Up to $230
- Galaxy S7 w/ 32GB: Up to $125
- Galaxy S6 w/ 32GB: Up to $90
Tl;dr – Use Gazelle if you want to sell your phone as quickly and easily as possible.
Learn more at Gazelle
Tips for buying the Galaxy S9
Once you’ve sold your current Samsung phone, it’s time to buy the one you’ve been waiting for — the Galaxy S9.
Right now, there’s not much you can do in these regards. Samsung won’t announce the Galaxy S9 until Mobile World Congress in Barcelona towards the end of the month, but once that happens, pre-orderes should open up soon after.
In addition to Samsung’s website, pre-orders should also be available from Best Buy, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. There will likely be a number of bonuses and promotions available, so check back here once those are announced to ensure you get the best deal possible on your shiny, new phone.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
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- Latest Galaxy S9 rumors and info!
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- Do you plan on getting the Samsung Galaxy S9?
- Join our Galaxy S9 forums
