Apple should take other phones as trade-ins

The easiest way to keep people coming back to Apple is to be, well, Apple. The second easiest way is to give current iPhone users a way to get some of their last investment back through a trade-in program. Consumers are now saying that the month-old program should include conquest trade-ins.

Apple’s long-rumored iPhone trade-in program kicked off last month, offering customers up to $280 of in-store credit toward a new iPhone for used iPhones that meet the company’s trade-in criteria. The program is a part of Apple’s plan to increase the number of iPhone sales made through the company’s retail stores, and sources tell AllThingsD that it’s already showing some early signs of success.

But, according to a new study from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, it might be more successful if Apple were to extend it beyond iPhones to include other smartphones.