According to some recent reports Apple is planning an event next month on Wednesday the 12th of September during which the company will unveil the next generation of the popular iPhone. The event reportedly will herald the release of the iPhone 5 on Friday September 21, and has already led to a surge of smartphone trade-ins.
Reports of the event have been confirmed in reports from The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Reuters among others. Several sources have also confirmed that eBay has announced that they have seen a “noticeable boost” in the number of individuals offering to trade-in their current smartphone devices including the iPhone 4S.
eBay has a trade-in program on the site which reportedly saw a 70 percent increase in volume this week over last week. eBay reported that just short of 100,000 smartphones were offered for trade-in using the Instant Sale program. Top trade-in offers, pointing to an iPhone 5 release, were the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4.
The trade-in surge this week on eBay is about one-quarter of the total number who traded-in their devices last year when Apple released the iPhone 4S. Based on the movement in the smartphone market and the reports from credible sources, the iPhone 5 release appears eminent.
For those looking to buy the iPhone 5 and replace their existing iPhone or other smartphone, there are several options. In addition to eBay, trade-ins are also welcome at online sites like Gazelle, BuyMyTronics and NextWorth. In store retailers like RadioShack and BestBuy also offer trade-in deals, and don’t forget the mother ship herself – Apple.