Google’s Pixel 4 certainly appears to be the best in the series to date, but the company does not give its previous device owners a break when it comes to trade-in values. Even if you have a Google Pixel 3 XL that launched only a year ago, the device will only be priced at $295 by the Google Store trade-in.
If you’re going to head over the Google Store and trying to buy Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL from Google, you’ll see an option to trade in your current smartphone to get the latest hardware during checkout. Not all phones are accepted but it includes major brands including the own Pixel lineup of Google, Apple iPhones, Samsung devices, and more.
Google advertises this program as offering up to $400 off your Pixel 4, which isn’t really too bad, but it’s a little painful to see that not one of the previous Google flagships is eligible for that sum.
Even if you’ve got a Google Pixel 3 XL with 128 GB of pristine space— the top tier of last year’s lineup it should be remembered— Google will give you only $295 for your selling. The value just keeps falling at $260 for the 64 GB, and for the smaller device at a total of $250. Things are even worse for older pixels where only $158 is caught by a top-tier Pixel 2 XL.
Given that T-Mobile practically provides matching bill credits — effectively making a Pixel 4 available — with exchanging a previous Pixel device including the 3, this is Google’s truly pathetic offer. Now, selling through a third party isn’t too far from what most people would get. Looking at Swappa, for as little as $275, Pixel 3 XL devices are selling.
You can trade in an iPhone XS Max for $600 or an iPhone X for $395 to make things just a little more insulting. Google need to take Samsung’s notes if it wants to move phones.
