Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Have an old phone? Cricket will give you bill credit for it

A cracked phone
Shutterstock / Africa Studio / NA

Many of us have several old phones in a drawer that we don’t have any use for, and now Cricket Wireless says it will give users credit for trading those in. The new Device Trade-In Program launched April 4 and aims to set itself apart from similar offerings by applying credit directly to user’s accounts instead of giving a gift card or a discount on a new device.

Cricket is launching this program on the heels of numerous similar options from companies like Verizon, AT&T, and other competitors. That said, many of those offers are tied to the purchase of a new phone or a new line. Cricket’s program lets you knock some of the price off your bill, but only for service costs. It doesn’t apply to accessories or new devices, and it can’t be transferred to another account.

Recommended Videos

The value offered depends on a variety of factors, including the age, model, previous carrier, storage capacity, and whether it turns on (and stays on) without a charger. For example, an operational 64GB iPhone 11 from Verizon with a cracked screen is worth an estimated $38. Without a crack in the screen, that value goes up to $68.

If you want to find out how much your device might be worth without going into a store, you can visit Asurion’s Trade-In portal to get an estimate. After that, plug in your mailing address and Cricket phone number and you’re good to go. Just make sure to reset your device before sending it in. If you don’t have proper packaging, don’t worry; Asurion can send it to you, including postage.

“This program was created with the customer in mind. This isn’t a gift card plan, but something that goes directly to helping Cricket customers lower their service payment in an easy way,” says Shailendra Gujarati, Chief Marketing Officer. “At the end of the day, we all want to save money and that’s what we’re helping do for our customers.”

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
If you have an iPhone, you need to download iOS 18 ahead of Hurricane Milton
Satellite messaging features on an iPhone with iOS 18.

Florida is preparing for Hurricane Milton's arrival on Wednesday. As the storm approaches, here's a valuable tip for iPhone users in its path.

Before the storm's arrival, it's crucial to download iOS 18 on your iPhone. With this version of iOS 18 installed, you immediately gain access to Apple's new Messages via satellite feature. The new feature lets you send and receive text messages without cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. This means you can stay connected with friends, family, and emergency services even in areas where power might be lost.

Read more
Trading in your old phone for the iPhone 16? Make sure you do this first
iPhone 16 Pro color options.

The thought of $650 off a new iPhone 16, as promised during the Apple event, might be enticing -- but know there are conditions associated with trade-in. If your phone is damaged at all, the trade-in value quickly drops to a whopping $0. If you plan to trade in your current device for an upgrade, you might also want to consider taking it in for repairs before you swing by the Apple Store.

Macworld's Michael Simon had some first-hand experience with this. His iPhone 15 Pro Max, a phone likely to yield almost the maximum value, had a crack along its back. The glass wasn't falling off, and it was a relatively easy repair -- but Apple offered him $0 for the trade-in, even though he could have taken it in for repairs for just $29 thanks to AppleCare Plus.

Read more
Think you’re addicted to your phone? You may have PSU
Man using an iPhone 13 Pro.

A pair of studies have found links between teens who suffer from depression, anxiety, and insomnia and a condition called Problematic Smartphone Use, or PSU, which follows patterns similar to addiction. The research, carried out by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King’s College London, found just over 33% of participants self-reported PSU, and they were twice as likely to have anxiety and three times as likely to experience depression.

The research took place over multiple weeks in both 2020 and 2022, and showed that 18.7% of teens between 16 and 18 years old and 14.5% of teens between 13 and 16 years old in the studies showed evidence of PSU, with the higher age group then becoming two to three times as likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. For the younger age group, the research showed 44% of those displaying PSU had symptoms of anxiety, compared to 26% without PSU, and 55% showed symptoms of depression, compared to 35% without PSU.

Read more