Anyone interested in the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Z Flip 3 can trade in their old device to help pay for either foldable — but some of Samsung's trade-in values are straight-up bizarre. Both handsets were officially unveiled on August 11 with ample fanfare. The Z Fold 3 continues Samsung's mission of delivering a phone and tablet in one device, but it still comes in at a hefty $1,800 asking price. The Z Flip 3 is considerably more affordable a just $999, but that's still out of reach for some shoppers.
Pre-orders for the Fold 3 and Flip 3 are open now between August 26, and there are ample deals/promotions to take advantage of. Samsung offers up to $200 in accessory credits just for buying either device, Best Buy has a $200 instant discount when activating either phone with a line of service, and there are countless offers available from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
When buying the Z Fold 3 or Z Flip 3 directly from Samsung, shoppers can trade in an old device and use that as an instant discount on their purchase. For newer handsets, the trade-in values are quite good. Buying the Z Fold 3? Samsung will give someone $800 for a Z Fold 2, $750 for a Note 20 Ultra, and $650 for an S21 Ultra. Samsung also has solid values for Apple gadgets, including $650 for an iPhone 12 Pro Max or 11 Pro Max, $600 for a regular iPhone 12 Pro, and $550 for the baseline iPhone 12. Values for the Z Flip 3 are lower across the board, but it still works out pretty well considering its much lower price. Trading in a Note 20 Ultra, S21 Ultra, iPhone 12 Pro Max, or iPhone 11 Pro Max comes with a $600 credit. If someone has the Z Fold 2 but wants to switch to the Z Flip 3, they'll get the max $650 credit.
The Worst (And Weirdest) Trade-Ins For Z Fold 3/Z Flip 3
These values are pretty consistent across all Samsung and Apple devices, but that quickly changes when looking at trade-in offers for phones from other manufacturers. Specifically, discounts for Google Pixel devices are laughably bad. For the Pixel 4 and 4 XL, Samsung offers just $100 as a credit towards the Z Fold 3. Samsung's also paying a pitiful $50 for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL while simultaneously offering $350 and $425 for the Galaxy S10 and S10+, respectively. Even more peculiar is that there's no option to trade in a Pixel 4a or Pixel 5 — despite those being the two most recent entries in the Pixel family.
LG and Motorola are the only two other phone manufacturers Samsung accepts. Unfortunately, their values aren't much better. For the LG Wing 5G, a phone that retailed for $999 just last year, Samsung pays a measly $250. Those low payouts continue with LG Velvet 5G and LG V60, both of which net just $150 in discounts. Even more fascinating is the LG G8. Even though it was released the same year as the Galaxy S10 — a phone valued at $350 — Samsung pays just $20 for the LG G8. That's right—$ 20.
Last but certainly not least, there are the trade-in values for Motorola phones. The Motorola Edge+, Motorola's big flagship smartphone of 2020, nets a hilariously small $150 credit. Even worse is the foldable Razr 5G. That phone still retails for $1400, but if you ask Samsung, it's worth only $125. As if that wasn't bad enough, Samsung actually pays more for a four-year-old budget phone. Have an old Moto Z3 Play — a mid-range phone that launched in 2018? Samsung thinks it's worth $125 towards the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (the same exact value as the Razr 5G). With that, there isn't much more to say. Some of Samsung's trade-in values for the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are great, especially since it allows folks to trade up to four devices at a time. Just be aware that not all of those values are treated equally.
Source: Samsung