Samsung will buy your old phone, no strings attached

By Andy Boxall Published January 13, 2025 3:14 AM

Someone holding a Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus. — Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Samsung wants to buy your old smartphone, but unlike its usual trade-in programs, its newly launched Galaxy Easy Reward program doesn’t require you to buy a new phone at all. With it, Samsung is taking on the various phone recycling and used device centers that purchase your old phone, saving you the effort of selling it privately.

Galaxy Easy Reward goes online in Korea on January 14, and the range of phones Samsung will buy is extensive. Starting out with the Galaxy S20 series, Samsung will also buy back the S21, S22, and S23 series, along with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Fold 4, and Galaxy Z Fold 5. It closes out the list with the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and Galaxy Z Flip 5. The latest Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold 6, and Galaxy Z Flip 6 aren’t included.

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How much the phone is worth depends on the condition, and it appears the Galaxy Easy Reward system will initially provide an estimate, and will finalize the price once the device has been returned. It will grade phones in an unusual way too, with either “Excellent” or “Good” presumably meaning the phone can be resold, and the final “Recycle” grade meaning the phone will be broken down for parts.

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It also seems Samsung will buy non-Samsung devices, but the wording isn’t clear in the translated Korean press release. Why has Samsung launched the Galaxy Easy Reward program? A quote from Samsung Electronics’ Vice President Jung Ho-jin explains:

“We expect this program to increase the long-term value of Galaxy products and contribute to the circular economy,” he said.

The Apple iPhone is well-known for retaining its value on the used market compared to most other smartphones, and it appears Samsung wants to give its phones a boost. A top-spec, mint condition iPhone 16 Plus trades for up to $763 according to used device buyer SellCell, while a Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus fetches up to $613. By increasing the phone’s used value, Samsung likely hopes to tempt more buyers to its brand-new phones.

The Galaxy Easy Reward program will first launch in Korea, but the press release states it will expand to other regions in the future.

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Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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