Best Buy is one-upping Google’s own Pixel 10 pre-order promos with some users eligible to upgrade essentially for free. Here’s how it works.
Trade-in deals are an increasingly common way to score a discount on your new smartphone, but they’ve also not really been Google’s strong suit over the years. There are usually a handful of good offers for users switching from other brands or buying through a carrier, but the Google Store, for example, doesn’t always provide the best value.
Case in point is this year’s Pixel 10 series. The Google Store is offering up to $760 in trade-in credits and up to $350 in store credit. It’s a solid deal, but the details do matter. For one, the credit varies by device – $100 with Pixel 10, $200 with Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL, and $350 with Pixel 10 Pro Fold – while the trade-in values don’t change. Beyond that, the store credit can’t be used on anything beyond other Google devices and accessories, limiting its usefulness.
The credit is matched at other retailers, such as Amazon, where you’ll get a gift card that can be used on basically anything you want.
Best Buy, though, is offering the best of both worlds. The trade-in credits and gift cards match the Google Store, meaning you can not only get a new Pixel at a good price, but you can then use that gift card on a much broader number of items. And, looking at a trade-in of around $500 which you’ll get for select Pixel, Galaxy, and iPhone trades, you can get a Pixel 10 for as low as $199.
Here’s how the trades break down for some past Pixels and other devices with prices for
| Pixel 10 (+ $100 gift card) | Pixel 10 Pro / XL (+ $200 gift card) | Pixel 10 Pro Fold (+$350 gift card) | |
| Pixel 9 | $400 | $400 | $450 |
| Pixel 9 Pro | $475 | $475 | $525 |
| Pixel 9 Pro XL | $500 | $500 | $760 |
| Pixel 9 Pro Fold | $575 | $575 | $760 |
| Pixel 8 Pro | $360 | $360 | $460 |
| Pixel 7 Pro | $285 | $285 | $385 |
| Pixel 6 Pro | $250 | $250 | $300 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | $525 | $525 | $600 |
| iPhone 14 | $330 | $330 | $430 |
| Galaxy S24 | $315 | $315 | $390 |
So, if you’re a Pixel 9 Pro XL owner looking to upgrade, here are the final costs you’d be looking at:
- Pixel 10 $799 – Pixel 9 Pro XL trade of $500 – $100 gift card = $199 (+ tax)
- Pixel 10 Pro $999 – Pixel 9 Pro XL trade of $500 – $200 gift card = $299 (+ tax)
- Pixel 10 Pro XL $1,199 – Pixel 9 Pro XL trade of $500 – $200 gift card = $499 (+ tax)
- Pixel 10 Pro Fold $1,799 – Pixel 9 Pro XL trade of $760 – $350 gift card = $689 (+ tax)
Similarly, if Google has convinced you to jump ship from Apple and you want to move over from your iPhone 14, you’d be looking at the following costs:
- Pixel 10 $799 – iPhone 14 trade of $330 – $100 gift card = $369 (+ tax)
- Pixel 10 Pro $999 – iPhone 14 trade of $330 – $200 gift card = $469 (+ tax)
- Pixel 10 Pro XL $1,199 – iPhone 14 trade of $330 – $200 gift card = $669 (+ tax)
- Pixel 10 Pro Fold $1,799 – iPhone 14 trade of $430 – $350 gift card = $1,019 (+ tax)
You’ll find some higher trade-in values at the Google Store, but if you don’t intend to buy a bunch of cases and chargers, Best Buy may be the better route for you. Especially seeing as the retailer just opened a new “marketplace” that’s more than just tech.
More on Pixel 10:
- Where to pre-order Google’s Pixel 10 series to get the best deal, trade-in value
- Pixel 10’s overdue UFS 4.0 storage upgrade is a big deal, if you buy the right phone
- Google wasn’t afraid to poke fun at Apple during its confident Pixel 10 event
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