Google Store trade-in offers a measly $295 to Pixel 3 owners upgrading to Pixel 4

Ben Schoon | Oct 17 2019 - 6:08 am PT

Google’s Pixel 4 sure seems like the best in the series to date, but the company isn’t giving owners of its previous devices a break when it comes to trade-in values. Even if you have a maxed-out Google Pixel 3 XL that debuted just a year ago, the Google Store trade-in will only value your device at $295.

If you head over the Google Store and try to buy Google’s Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL, you’ll see an option during checkout to trade in your current smartphone to get the newer hardware. Not all devices are accepted, but it includes major brands including Google’s own Pixel lineup, Apple iPhones, Samsung devices, and more.

Google advertises this program as offering up to $400 off your Pixel 4, which is actually not too bad, but it’s a bit painful to see that not a single one of Google’s previous flagships are eligible for that amount.

Even if you have a Google Pixel 3 XL with 128 GB of storage in pristine condition — the top tier of last year’s lineup, it should be noted — Google will only give you $295 for your trade-in. That value just continues to plummet at $260 for the 64 GB, and a maximum of $250 for the smaller device. Things are even worse for older Pixels, where a top-tier Pixel 2 XL only grabs $158.

Want to trade-in for a Pixel 4? You’ll get a maximum of $295

Considering that T-Mobile is literally offering matching bill credits — effectively making a Pixel 4 free — with the trade-in of a previous Pixel device including the 3, this is a really pathetic offering from Google. Still, it’s not too far from what most people would get by selling through a third-party. Looking at Swappa, Pixel 3 XL devices are selling for as little as $275.

Making matters just a bit more insulting, you can trade-in an iPhone XS Max for $600 or an iPhone X for $395. Google should really take notes from Samsung if it wants to move phones.