Yes, it’s nice to see all the new devices Apple plans to launch. Yes, we probably won’t be able to afford them at launch. Which is why Apple rolled out its trade-in programme. This will allow anyone who has an iPhone 7 and upwards to save some money when they upgrade. Let us explain.

The discount on iPhone 11 (and Pro, and Pro Max) contracts are offered through the iStore — for anyone with a contract (or looking to get one) at Vodacom. People who want to buy cash, or who have contracts at MTN or Telkom will receive a direct discount in-store for their new iPhone.

The circle of life

“This means that customers have the option to trade in their current iPhone 7 through to iPhone X by bringing it into an iStore for evaluation, selecting their Vodacom iPhone contract and then enjoying reduced monthly payments of up to R330 per month,” iStore South Africa explains.

When trading in your iPhone 7, 8 or X, the iStore will evaluate the device and see whether it’s eligible for the discount. So if your phone is battered and has fallen one too many times, you obvs won’t receive the full value of the trade-in.

All new contracts upgraded through iStore for new iPhones will receive free iCare Plus which includes a free screen replacement and a 1-year extended warranty. It doesn’t really matter when or where the contract was initiated, too.

The iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max will go on sale in South Africa on 27 September, but we don’t have local pricing yet. We’re expecting pricing to be similar to last year’s but will update as we find out.