You've long been able to walk into an Apple Store and trade in an iPhone or iPad for store credit, but the Mac trade-in program was online-only. Not anymore, though.
As Cult of Mac reports, the wording has changed on Apple's website as pointed out by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in a tweet. In answering the question, "Can I see what my device is worth online, then bring it with me when I buy a new device in the store?" Apple's response used to read, "Yes, the Apple Trade In program is available on apple.com as well as in all our retailer stores. The only exception is that Mac trade-ins are only available online." However, the text has now been shortened to simply state, "Yes, the Apple Trade In program is available on apple.com as well as in all our retailer stores."
I'd argue it's easier to carry some Mac products into a store than packaging them up to have shipped, so this is good news. The value held in your old Mac hardware can also be quite significant depending on the model and its condition. Apple advertises a trade-in value of up to $3,850 for an iMac Pro, $1,760 for a MacBook Pro, $1,580 for a Mac Pro, $1,390 for an iMac, $1,100 for a Mac mini, $690 for a MacBook Air, and $480 for a MacBook.
The one limiting factor here, at least for now, is if your local Apple Store is actually open to accept trade-ins. Tim Cook announced a few stores would re-open last month, but all 458 located outside of China were closed when the coronavirus pandemic struck. So before venturing out with that heavy, old iMac, check online to see if your local store is actually open.
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