Yesterday Apple announced two new, larger iPhones (as predicted by the rumour mill), the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. In anticipation of the new devices landing in South Africa later this year – probably around December, if previous years are anything to go by, and they almost certainly are – local iStores are offering existing iPhone owners cash back for their existing handsets when they upgrade to one of the new devices.
The deal applies to new contracts, renewal contracts or when purchasing one of the new iPhones outright for cash, irrespective of where the device was purchased or which operator supplied it in conjunction with a contract.
The iStore offers new contracts and upgrades on all four of South Africa’s mobile networks, namely Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Telkom Mobile.
Consumers who are due due for an upgrade on contract at any point between now and 28 February 2015 can register for the cash-back programme on the iStore’s website. Those that do so will receive a voucher by email that can be redeemed at any iStore when they trade in their existing handset for one of the new models.
The voucher is valid for six months and its value is fixed at the minimum trade-in value of the customer’s current iPhone, even if the device’s value declines during the six month period. Consumers are thus receive a guaranteed price for their existing iPhone and are under no obligation to use the voucher.
Consumers trading in an iPhone 5S will receive R5 000 and those with an iPhone 5 or 5c to trade will receive R4 000. Owners of the iPhone 4S will receive R2 500, while those with an iPhone 4 are eligible for R1 500.
In instances of new contracts or upgrades, these amounts will be paid to the customer by EFT. In the case of an outright cash purchase, the value of the voucher will be deducted from the price of the new device.
The iStore also offers two-year accidental damage protection and an extended warranty for all new devices, called iCare plus, for a once-off fee of R299.
