AppAdvice International: trade-ins for Australia, new retail stores and more

by Joe White

July 15, 2014

Trade-ins go down under

First this week, and most recently, Apple has launched its iPhone trade-in program in Australia. The move comes after the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, and Italy all received access to the program in local Apple Retail Stores.

Our earlier article explained: “Apple now allows customers in Australia to bring their old iPhones for trade-in at any of its 21 retail stores across the country. It offers up to A$250 (around US$235) off the price of a new iPhone 4S, iPhone 5c, or iPhone 5s when a qualifying older iPhone model is traded in.”

Of course, Apple’s trade-in program still doesn’t offer customers the best deals for their old iPhone. Remember, our annual iPhone Trade-In Guides provide users with a close examination of their smartphone trade-in options every year in September, before Apple launches its next-generation handset. This year’s so-called “iPhone 6” is indeed reportedly on-track for a September launch.

Basel, Edinburgh stores

Also this week, Apple held the grand opening for its new retail store in Basel, Switzerland. As per, employees handed out free T-shirts to the huge crowd that gathered to celebrate the launch of the new venue (which comes following the opening of Cupertino’s 101st retail store in Europe).

We also heard that Apple’s long-anticipated retail store in Edinburgh, Scotland is expected to launch in the near-immediate future. At long last, Apple confirmed that its upcoming retail store would be located on Princes Street, and though no grand opening has yet been confirmed, we’re expecting the store to open its doors to the general public in the next few weeks.

Apple responds to accusations from China

China’s state-run television network China Central Television (CCTV) declared the location-tracking feature in iOS to be a “national security concern,” with Cupertino promptly rejecting such claims in an update to the Chinese version of its website. In a response to the accusation, which argued that Apple could help expose China’s “state secrets” through the feature, the iPhone-maker said:

Apple is deeply committed to protecting the privacy of all our customers. Privacy is built into our products and services from the earliest stages of design. We work tirelessly to deliver the most secure hardware and software in the world. Unlike many companies, our business does not depend on collecting large amounts of personal data about our customers. We are strongly committed to giving our customers clear and transparent notice, choice and control over their information, and we believe our products do this in a simple and elegant way.

That being said, Apple did also praise “CCTV’s effort to help educate customers on a topic we think is very important.” Both Chinese and English versions of the full statement are available to read online.

Volume Purchase Program

Finally this week, Apple brought its Volume Purchase Program to 16 new countries, providing institutions in education and enterprise with a means of mass-purchasing iOS applications and iBooks at discounted prices. The new countries are: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.

The above countries join Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where Apple’s Volume Purchase Program is already in operation.