For the bushels of Apple fans that have some money to spare, the question Wednesday night after the iPhone 5 announcement was what should you do with your old iPhone after you buy a new one?
"The days of cell phones are gone,” said Kevin Trivett, Chief Operating Officer at CityMac in Bristol, Virginia. “It's not a phone anymore. It's a portable computing device. You name it, it can do it."
If you do upgrade to the next best thing in the cell phone cycle, techies suggest trading in your old technology at either an Apple or cell phone store like AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. Depending on the condition of the phone, Trivett said you could get $200-300 towards your new device.
"The iPhones are pricey when they're new so anything helps,” said Kyle Beach, who is excited about the new phone.
"Don’t put it on Craigslist or Facebook saying you have a phone for sale. Know who you're giving it to and know it's been handled properly,” Trivett said. He explained selling your smartphone can put your identity at risk since it contains so much sensitive information and stores it in several places. "Whatever data is on there can easily be accessed, even if you erase it one time."
Completely clearing out the phone isn’t as easy as taking out the memory card or restoring it on your computer back to the factory settings because the phone itself stores some of your personal information. "Thinking if you swipe it once your information is gone, your information still resides on there and people who want to steal your identity know how to get it back very easily,” Trivett said.
Even if you plan on recycling the phone or donating it charity, Trivett said you should get it wiped clean by a professional because it’s better to be safe than sorry with your Siri. "Always think it's going to end up in the worst hands possible," Trivett advised.
CityMac finalized a deal on Monday to be able to start selling iPhones at the State Street store. They will have the iPhone 5 in stock as soon as Apple ships it, Trivett said.
The store is taking pre-orders.
