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Samsung Galaxy S25 (left) and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (right). Photo by Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto via … [+]
This story was updated on February 17th with new details about Samsung S25 Ultra deal.
Samsung has launched a new Galaxy S25 Ultra trade-in offer that pays a high price for your old, unused smartphone.
The deal applies to the U.K. Samsung shop and promises to pay £200 ($251) for any smartphone, in any condition, when buying the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The Korean company has run similar promotions before, offering £100 ($126) off its Galaxy Watch FE for any smartwatch in any condition.
This deal, though, is one of the more generous discounts because there appears to be no restriction on how old the traded-in phone is. The terms and conditions don’t mention any constraining caveats on accepted devices for this offer.
There is, however, a dedicated Samsung website for devices it will accept. A specific section for the “any smartphone” promotion doesn’t appear to be up to date because there’s no Galaxy S25 category, nor is the £200 offer mentioned.
Your Old Phone Is Still Worth Something
I checked with Samsung to confirm if the deal truly means any smartphone (using the 2016 Google Pixel 1 as an example) and the company confirmed that the wording is accurate. The proof will be in the pudding, so if anyone successfully gets their £200 off for sending in a ludicrously old device, get in touch.
If the Korean company does honor the promotion, you can rummage through your storage for an old device and pick up an easy £200 off your next phone. Or, head to eBay, Swappa (or a local second-hand phone shop) and buy a super cheap phone.
Trawling through eBay, I found the Pixel 4a selling for under £50 ($62.98), the Galaxy S2 for £21 ($26.45 and listed as a “collectible”), or the Galaxy S6 for under £40 ($50.38). Samsung says “any condition,” but I suspect that is marketing speak that actually means scratches and dents are acceptable.
The trade-in questionnaire asks if the phone adheres to the below criteria. But I am not convinced this don’t applies to the new promotion. “Any condition” and “no cracks to screen” are contradictory.
- The device powers on and holds charge.
- Have a functioning display.
- No signs of screen burn, ghost imaging, discoloration, colored hues or image retention.
- Normal wear and tear.
- No cracks to the screen.
At the very least, you will likely need to ensure the phone turns on and the battery isn’t damaged (you can see if it has expanded by looking at the back of the phone). It may be harder to find eight-year-old phones that are still in working order. If you do decide to take this Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra deal and it works, let me know.
Update February 17th: Samsung has not extended this promotion to U.S. buyers, but it has launched a new deal for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The offer knocks $300 off the headline price for Samsung’s foldable phone, bringing the price down to $1,599.99 without a trade-in. If you do have a device to hand over, Samsung will pay good money for old tech.
Strategically, the Korean company is offering the top amount ($1000) for the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Typically the full trade-in amount is reserved for last year’s technology, which is a not a good deal. Extending the $1000 to a two year old phone is obviously more tempting and mildly more justifiable. A more realistic trade to make is $900 for the Galaxy Z fold 3, or $750 for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Elsewhere, if you bundle the Galaxy Ring with the S25 Ultra, Samsung will knock $179.55 off the wearable. The company will also discount any other wearables (bought with either the Fold 6 or S25 Ultra) by 30%.
